Because of Purgatory, Nobody fears hell anymore!

[YourAverageJoe]

Why??? Paul walked daily with fear and trembling…

A great many Catholics that I know seem to think they will all squeek into Purgatory. No Matter how they lived or ar living. They have a false understanding of purgatory and make no or little effort into being better Christians, they believe all they need is to squeek into Purgatory with a C- or better, so to speak.

Has Purgatory when understood wrong, provoke people to live luke warm lives with no real fear of hell fire???

 

[Trishie]

Anyone who thinks purgatory is easy is very mistaken.

Augustine (Enarration on Psalm 37, no. 3) speaks of the pain which purgatorial fire causes as more severe than anything a man can suffer in this life, “gravior erit ignis quam quidquid potest homo pati in hac vita” (P.L., col. 397). Gregory the Great speaks of those who after this life “will expiate their faults by purgatorial flames,” and he adds “that the pain be more intolerable than any one can suffer in this life” (Ps. 3 poenit., n. 1).
newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm
catholicbasictraining.com/apologetics/coursetexts/1s.htm

 

[Pitcharan]

Why??? Paul walked daily with fear and trembling…

A great many Catholics that I know seem to think they will all squeek into Purgatory. No Matter how they lived or ar living. They have a false understanding of purgatory and make no or little effort into being better Christians, they believe all they need is to squeek into Purgatory with a C- or better, so to speak.

Has Purgatory when understood wrong, provoke people to live lukewarm lives with no real fear of hell fire???

Those who do not feel like coming out of darkness even after seeing light, are freely choosing to do so. Lovers of darkness are known to invent reasons and foolishly convince themselves with absurd reasons for remaining in darkness. Their false understanding is not error but wanton folly.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19-20)

 

[hansard]

There was a thread recently on Hell, in which the main assertion was that “God doesn’t send you to Hell; rather, you choose to go there.” The greatest punishment in Hell is (apparently) the absence of God.
So, we have a God who sends mild to moderate sinners (i.e. nearly everybody) to Purgatory where they undergo torment and pain far greater than that which can be experienced on earth, but the irredeemable* sinners go to a Godless place and that’s the extent of their punishment.
What a bizarre situation. I hope it’s not actual Catholic teaching.

(* I wonder if anyone is actually irredeemable)

 

[albertus_magnus]

There was a thread recently on Hell, in which the main assertion was that “God doesn’t send you to Hell; rather, you choose to go there.” The greatest punishment in Hell is (apparently) the absence of God.
So, we have a God who sends mild to moderate sinners (i.e. nearly everybody) to Purgatory where they undergo torment and pain far greater than that which can be experienced on earth, but the irredeemable* sinners go to a Godless place and that’s the extent of their punishment.
What a bizarre situation. I hope it’s not actual Catholic teaching.

(* I wonder if anyone is actually irredeemable)

Being deprived of God is far worse than any torment or pain on this earth, and presumably far worse than the Purgatory.

Also, even if Purgatory is intensely painful, it is finite. Hell is forever.

 

[InJesusItrust]

I fear Purgatory more than Hell! Mortal sins can be avoided, but venial sins can be a killer. I hope to be so sanctified by the end of my life that I can go straight to Heaven.

 

[COPLAND_3]

A quote that I like, “No matter what you may think, you cannot change the reality of what is”. The reason why some Catholics might think that way is not because the Church teaches that, but its because they have chosen a false sense of security. Mortal sin does not send you to Purgatory but it sends us to Hell if die in the state of mortal sin.

 

[Wiseowl]

We know little if anything about purgatory. It’s not explicit in the bible like heaven and hell. But it sure does not sound fun. Maybe we are there now?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

I fear Purgatory more than Hell! Mortal sins can be avoided, but venial sins can be a killer. I hope to be so sanctified by the end of my life that I can go straight to Heaven.

I agree to an extent, but why fear it more? Yes, making it straight to Heaven is the goal, and it would be nice because we would get to meet God immediately.

That said, it’s unlikely that many of us will make it straight to Heaven. So, purgatory is the next best thing. Yes, it will probably suck, and yes, it will probably be an exceptionally painful experience, but it will END. Making it to purgatory should be a reason to rejoice, because at that point you KNOW that in the end you’ll be with God in Heaven. Hell is final, absolute and unending torment. Purgatory is a transient state, after which we will have eternal happiness.

As for me, I sort of ignore purgatory, not out of any sort disbelief of belief that I won’t go there because I’m such a good guy Rather, I ignore it because then I DO have the fear of Hell as a constant driver in my life. All or nothing is a pretty motivating concept

Maybe we are there now?

That doesn’t make sense because of two reasons:

1: That would mean that every person get Two lives to prove themselves, rather than one, which goes against what is in the Bible.

and 2: That would mean that a person has the capacity to “Fail” purgatory, which also goes against the Bible…

That stated, it’s a notion I’ve entertained int he past

 

[RPRPsych]

Why??? Paul walked daily with fear and trembling…

A great many Catholics that I know seem to think they will all squeek into Purgatory. No Matter how they lived or ar living. They have a false understanding of purgatory and make no or little effort into being better Christians, they believe all they need is to squeek into Purgatory with a C- or better, so to speak.

Has Purgatory when understood wrong, provoke people to live luke warm lives with no real fear of hell fire???

This comes from a false understanding of Purgatory.

And, according to some Catholic exegetes, St. Paul also prayed for the dead on one occasion (Onesiphorus), showing that he probably didn’t have an issue with the concept.

The Early Church Fathers taught of Purgatory as the rightful corollary to God’s justice - “nothing unclean”, even a tiny bit unclean, could enter into Heaven, and so those of us who died with any sins on our souls - even if they were not mortal - require purification. They pointed out that the process would be painful, and that we should strive to avoid it at all costs.

The other concept relevant to Purgatory is temporal punishment. Even if we are forgiven of our sins sacramentally, some of our acts merit temporal punishment. (For an earthly example, even if you repent of committing theft and reform your life, you still have to “do time” in prison, or pay a fine.)

So Purgatory is entirely in keeping with the concept of a righteous God who is all good, and all just. It has nothing to do with “sneaking in through the back door” or “just getting a D+ in righteousness.”

Of course, the concept has been taught badly at times, and we often misinterpret it in like with our own desires rather than in keeping with God’s will. But that’s nothing to do with Purgatory, and everything to do with our own sinful nature. “Let God be true, even if every man be proved false.”

 

[RPRPsych]

So, we have a God who sends mild to moderate sinners (i.e. nearly everybody) to Purgatory where they undergo torment and pain far greater than that which can be experienced on earth, but the irredeemable* sinners go to a Godless place and that’s the extent of their punishment.
What a bizarre situation. I hope it’s not actual Catholic teaching.

(* I wonder if anyone is actually irredeemable)

Not quite true.

There are degrees of punishment in Purgatory: some will be beaten with few stripes, and some with many.

And Hell is not just “a Godless place”, it’s a terrible place precisely because it is a state of endless separation from God. It’s a place where there is no hope, no chance of repentance, no escape, and endless remorse and regret. It’s a place where there is both physical and spiritual pain, and there is endless shame and contempt. (See Mark 9, Daniel 12, Revelation 21, Matthew 22, and so on.)

In contrast, Purgatory is finite, there is every hope of repentance and salvation, and the souls in Purgatory can be helped by our prayers and by the offering of Holy Masses for the dead. There’s no comparison between the two states.

 

[Gorgias]

They have a false understanding of purgatory and make no or little effort into being better Christians

Then it’s more accurate to say that nobody fears hell anymore, because they misunderstand or are lacking in knowledge of the teachings of the Church.

Has Purgatory when understood wrong, provoke people to live luke warm lives with no real fear of hell fire???

I don’t think you can make this kind of causal analysis. People live lukewarm lives because they misunderstand the Eucharist; they live lukewarm lives because they misunderstand marriage; and yes, maybe people lead lukewarm lives because they hope for the “easy C-”. But I don’t think you can make the Purgatury <–> lukewarm link in any distinct and exclusive sense…

 

[InJesusItrust]

I agree to an extent, but why fear it more? Yes, making it straight to Heaven is the goal, and it would be nice because we would get to meet God immediately.

That said, it’s unlikely that many of us will make it straight to Heaven. So, purgatory is the next best thing. Yes, it will probably suck, and yes, it will probably be an exceptionally painful experience, but it will END. Making it to purgatory should be a reason to rejoice, because at that point you KNOW that in the end you’ll be with God in Heaven. Hell is final, absolute and unending torment. Purgatory is a transient state, after which we will have eternal happiness.

Like a dog I will eat every crumb falling from the Master’s table, gathering as many indulgences, heavenly graces and promises as I can. Every time I pray I pray for the grace of final perseverance and the grace to escape from Purgatory.

 

[JRKH]

Why??? Paul walked daily with fear and trembling…

A great many Catholics that I know seem to think they will all squeak into Purgatory. No Matter how they lived or are living. They have a false understanding of purgatory and make no or little effort into being better Christians, they believe all they need is to squeak into Purgatory with a C- or better, so to speak.

Has Purgatory when understood wrong, provoke people to live luke warm lives with no real fear of hell fire???

Yes I think it has. Most certainly the potential is there.
In my view, a wrong understanding of Purgatory can lead to the same sort of error that we see in the OSAS - “eternal security” - type of teaching. It can prevent, or derail, the true conversion that we are called to.

Just my :twocents:

Peace
James

 

[Wiseowl]

I agree to an extent, but why fear it more? Yes, making it straight to Heaven is the goal, and it would be nice because we would get to meet God immediately.

That said, it’s unlikely that many of us will make it straight to Heaven. So, purgatory is the next best thing. Yes, it will probably suck, and yes, it will probably be an exceptionally painful experience, but it will END. Making it to purgatory should be a reason to rejoice, because at that point you KNOW that in the end you’ll be with God in Heaven. Hell is final, absolute and unending torment. Purgatory is a transient state, after which we will have eternal happiness.

As for me, I sort of ignore purgatory, not out of any sort disbelief of belief that I won’t go there because I’m such a good guy Rather, I ignore it because then I DO have the fear of Hell as a constant driver in my life. All or nothing is a pretty motivating concept

That doesn’t make sense because of two reasons:

1: That would mean that every person get Two lives to prove themselves, rather than one, which goes against what is in the Bible.

and 2: That would mean that a person has the capacity to “Fail” purgatory, which also goes against the Bible…



That stated, it’s a notion I’ve entertained int he past

Glad you saw the humor to it , that’s how it was intended. Who says my fellow beloved Catholics have no sense of humor?

 

[mgoforth]

There was a thread recently on Hell, in which the main assertion was that “God doesn’t send you to Hell; rather, you choose to go there.” The greatest punishment in Hell is (apparently) the absence of God.
So, we have a God who sends mild to moderate sinners (i.e. nearly everybody) to Purgatory where they undergo torment and pain far greater than that which can be experienced on earth, but the irredeemable* sinners go to a Godless place and that’s the extent of their punishment.
What a bizarre situation. I hope it’s not actual Catholic teaching.

(* I wonder if anyone is actually irredeemable)

No one is irredeemable unless they choose to be.

The absence of God will affect both the soul and the body with unimaginable pain. The soul will experience an aching emptiness which even the darkest depression in this life could never match. This will be the primary, but by no means the only, suffering of Hell. The body will also suffer greatly.

Consider that every pleasurable sensation we experience now is made possible by the presence of God’s love. Anything that we perceive as feeling “good”, like a cool breeze in summer or a warm fire in winter, is a pale reflection of one aspect of God. In Hell we will only feel the opposite, which is everything that we perceive as “bad”. Fire is said to be the most excruciating thing we can feel in this life, but descriptions of Hell also talk about the horrible stench and the feeling of being unable to move one’s body. Imagine being stuck in an uncomfortable position forever! I’m claustrophobic and that thought makes my skin crawl. The damned will be immersed in total darkness and yet will still “see” horrifying sights. We’re told that the screams and groans heard in Hell are tortures themselves. I imagine Hell even tastes disgusting.

So I’m afraid you might have misunderstood the message of the other thread. Hell is just as bad as Purgatory, but infinitely worse in its duration, because it never ends.

 

[mgoforth]

Why??? Paul walked daily with fear and trembling…

A great many Catholics that I know seem to think they will all squeek into Purgatory. No Matter how they lived or ar living. They have a false understanding of purgatory and make no or little effort into being better Christians, they believe all they need is to squeek into Purgatory with a C- or better, so to speak.

Has Purgatory when understood wrong, provoke people to live luke warm lives with no real fear of hell fire???

My pastor put it this way, “Always aim for Heaven, because most of those who do will still fall short and have to endure Purgatory. But almost everyone who aims for Purgatory will fall short and land in Hell.”

 

[GEddie]

We know little if anything about purgatory. It’s not explicit in the bible like heaven and hell. But it sure does not sound fun. Maybe we are there now?

If you are not in Colorado, you definitely are not in Purgatory

Amazing how Dante got the mountain part right, when Colorado wasn’t even discovered in his time???

 

[loozcannon]

I think this is a topic where people tend to think that the rules apply to everyone else, yet they’re special and the Lord knows their heart, etc.

I’m painting with a broad brush here, but this is something that I’ve observed. People know the rules, but somehow certain individuals are exempt.

I tend to think rules are rules. They apply to everyone across the board, myself included.

So, are people less afraid of Hell nowadays? Perhaps. But I don’t think anyone likes to believe they’re bound for it.

Just my $.02.

 

[GEddie]

No one is irredeemable unless they choose to be.

The absence of God will affect both the soul and the body with unimaginable pain. The soul will experience an aching emptiness which even the darkest depression in this life could never match. This will be the primary, but by no means the only, suffering of Hell. The body will also suffer greatly.

Consider that every pleasurable sensation we experience now is made possible by the presence of God’s love. Anything that we perceive as feeling “good”, like a cool breeze in summer or a warm fire in winter, is a pale reflection of one aspect of God. In Hell we will only feel the opposite, which is everything that we perceive as “bad”. Fire is said to be the most excruciating thing we can feel in this life, but descriptions of Hell also talk about the horrible stench and the feeling of being unable to move one’s body. Imagine being stuck in an uncomfortable position forever! I’m claustrophobic and that thought makes my skin crawl. The damned will be immersed in total darkness and yet will still “see” horrifying sights

Indeed, like being bound and blindfolded, forever.

Our LORD suggested this when HE spoke of someone “bound hands and feet, and cast into outer darkness.”

Even worse though. Some light gets through cloth and your eyelids. The outer darkness is the darkness of the earth, of blindness, of death. It is a darkness you can feel.

And bound limbs can still wiggle and thrash around. Movement is our greatest physical comfort; we are designed to move freely. Imagine muscles cramped and aching, and unable even to wiggle your hands!

. We’re told that the screams and groans heard in Hell are tortures themselves. I imagine Hell even tastes disgusting.

. It would. Because there is also a “dense suffocating smell” and most of taste comes from smell.

So I’m afraid you might have misunderstood the message of the other thread. Hell is just as bad as Purgatory, but infinitely worse in its duration, because it never ends.

ICXC NIKA