Were the children who died in the Flood guilty?
In short: No, not in the sense of personal guilt like adults who choose evil. They were caught in a world damaged by sin, and their ultimate destiny belongs to God, not to our speculation.
The Orthodox nuance
Here we must avoid using the wrong words. The Bible speaks of a corrupted and violent humanity, but it does not say that every child had the same moral responsibility as adults. In Orthodox theology, children are not viewed as little criminals awaiting punishment.
Yet personal innocence does not mean that a person lives isolated from the evil of others. Sin has communal consequences. Wars, famines, corruption, and the decisions of adults also strike children. This is not the full justice of the Kingdom; it is precisely the sign that the world needs salvation.
So the Orthodox answer is not: 'they were guilty, therefore it is simple.' It is rather: 'the world was sick to its depths, and the children who died are in the hands of the God who loves children more than we do.'
Sources
- Ezekiel 18:20
- Matthew 18:10
- Matthew 19:14
- Romans 5:12