purgatory

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jonah
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jonah

Guest
am I obligated to believe in purgatory? What scripture do we use to claim this purgatory state?
 
I don’t think anyone can be obligated to believe anything. You can’t be forced to believe something. You either believe or you don’t.
 
For a logical way in understanding purgatory, I suggest reading Peter Kreeft’s “YES/NO Straight Answers to Tough Questions About Christianity”.

If I resume what I have learned about this topic, basically:
  • We can’t enter heaven unless we are prepared, because God’s presence is so overwhelming, that any spot of sin will hurt really bad. It is God’s way of letting us be clothed in white before entering the grand banquet. “Cleanse me with hyssop/make me whiter than snow… somewhere in psalms”.
  • Purgatory is a chance for us to adjust/prepare to the reality of living with God. Its not just about our sins, but also the way we live our lives… for example, prayer is like the no 1 activity in heaven… and if on earth we don’t pray a lot, it’s hard to appreciate heaven…
  • It is also a sense of justice, because our stay would be proportional to our sins/relationship with God. If we have a wonderful relationship with God to begin with, purgatory will be a breeze! (God is a Just God… mathematically and logically true!)
Finally, I tell all my friends that serving God cuts purgatory time threefold:
  1. When we serve God, we are less likely to commit sin
  2. When we do good for others, we gain heaven points
  3. When we serve God on earth, we are prepared servants for heaven. We already learn to know and love the lifestyle in heaven through service.
If they have job openings in heaven for washing Jesus’ feet, or for singing as a cantor at daily mass… I would send my CV… and be happy to do it for eternity!
 
pigtown said:
I don’t think anyone can be obligated to believe anything. You can’t be forced to believe something. You either believe or you don’t.
Click to expand...
Obligation does not imply force. One can still avoid meeting the obligation. To be a Catholic in good standing there are dogmas that must be believed.
 
Follow up:

I think for myself, the key that helped me with purgatory was understanding the magnificence and awesome presence of God.

We talk about “seeing the face of God and living”.

Purgatory is preparation for that… because we did not prepare enough on earth. If we shortcut purgatory, it would be like God not putting angels guarding the door to the garden of eden after they were left out… letting them in would rob them of the happiness that God wanted for them that can only be achieved through redemption/atonement.

That’s why God forgives instead of forgets. Sure God can forget sins, but forgetting sins does not erase sins… only forgiveness erases sins completely.

Purgatory is then God’s mercy through forgiveness, and not forgetfulness.
 
pigtown said:
I don’t think anyone can be obligated to believe anything. You can’t be forced to believe something. You either believe or you don’t.
Click to expand...
Actually that is quite incorrect. To put it in simple terms, we are all obligated to follow to obey God and thus all that he asks us to obey and accept. From this follows that every person must become a Christian, submit to the Church instituted by Jesus Christ and follow all Her teachings that are divinely revealed to Her. In other words, all must believe in Purgatory. Now God gave us free will so one can of course reject the teaching just as Adam could but that’s always a bad choice.

So we are obligated to submit to our Church be we can’t be forced into it. After all that would only produce false obedience which is of very little value.
 
GandalfTheWhite said:
Actually that is quite incorrect. To put it in simple terms, we are all obligated to follow to obey God and thus all that he asks us to obey and accept. From this follows that every person must become a Christian, submit to the Church instituted by Jesus Christ and follow all Her teachings that are divinelly revealed to Her. In other words, all must believe in Purgatory. God gave us free will so one can of course reject the teaching just as Adam could but that’s always a bad choice.
Click to expand...
 
2 Maccabees 12: is the main Scripture that is used to justify the belief in purgatory.

BTW, I don’t believe in purgatory.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top