What is purgatory?

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Purgatory is the place where souls who did not merit eternal damnation in Hell but are not yet perfect enough for heaven are purified and made ready for the sight of God.
 
“purifying fire” -???

Protestants do not believe in Purgatory -not the Anglicans or Lutherans -we find no evidence for it in scripture -obviously it is a teaching of the Roman Catholic Church-I heard an Orthodox Priest once say that “purgatory was here on earth”
 
cmodrmac said:
“purifying fire” -???

Protestants do not believe in Purgatory -not the Anglicans or Lutherans -we find no evidence for it in scripture -obviously it is a teaching of the Roman Catholic Church-I heard an Orthodox Priest once say that “purgatory was here on earth”
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Q: Where does scripture say that it contains all revelation?
A. It does not.

As well, one can find no evidence if one is not truly looking for it. Catholic teaching is easily available and easily understood. The process of purgation (it is a state and not a place) has several scriptural references.

No non-Catholic has yet been able to explain just how, on the day of final judgment, when this world comes to an end, after our death when we face the Lord, just how our life’s work is tested, how we may suffer loss but how we are yet saved - but as though passing through fire.

Really, what does that mean? Why does it occur? 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 100% biblical.

Paul specifically spoke of it. Our Lord spoke of the principle. Judas Maccabeus offered prayers for the dead, so that they might be loosed from their sins. Why? Nothing impure enters heaven (Revelation 21:27).
 
A good analogy I’ve heard for purgatory is like a doormat; you’ve basically already made it to the house, you just have to clean your shoes off to be able to go in. When we go to purgatory, we’ve already “finished the race”, we just need to get rid of every last sinful desire we may have before we enter Heaven, because nothing imperfect can enter Heaven.
 
But tbh, I really don’t understand why you made this thread. You linked to a wiki article in the OP, which is where you could find some information on what the Catholic doctrine of purgatory is (or at least it’d have some good sources.) Unless you’re trying to make a comeback or something, there’s no real point in making this thread.
 
We have been invited to the banquet in the Father’s house, yet sin remains on our soul at death. We cannot enter the house while the filth of sin clings to us. From outside to inside, we must be cleaned up and purified somehow. I liken the purgation process to God’s mud room.
 
cmodrmac said:
“purifying fire” -???
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See 1 Cor 3. 😉
Protestants do not believe in Purgatory -not the Anglicans or Lutherans -we find no evidence for it in scripture -obviously it is a teaching of the Roman Catholic Church
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Obviously. Yet, does that make it wrong? 😉

Here’s the point: it isn’t a ‘place’, but a ‘process’. Are you perfect today? (Of course not.) Will you be perfect at the time of your death? (If you’re human, then the answer must be ‘no’.) Will you be perfect in heaven? (Yes! And if you disagree, see Rev 21:27 – nothing unclean will be in heaven!)

So, yes, the notion of purification is both common sense and Scriptural. So, yeah… obviously it is a teaching of the Catholic Church… 😉
 
dshix said:
Purgatory is the place where souls who did not merit eternal damnation in Hell but are not yet perfect enough for heaven are purified and made ready for the sight of God.
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Well, if purgatory is place of purification, then why is hell necessary? IOW, why doesn’t everyone undergo this purification process?
 
Counterpoint said:
Well, if purgatory is place of purification, then why is hell necessary? IOW, why doesn’t everyone undergo this purification process?
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Because not all persons want to be with God. Persons who die in the state of mortal sin have denied him and rejected him, and that decision is forever after death.

Those who have repented of their sins, though, go to purgatory.
 
Counterpoint said:
Well, if purgatory is place of purification, then why is hell necessary? IOW, why doesn’t everyone undergo this purification process?
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From my personal experience I can say that we are not bags for ideas. Ideas are clinging into your mind. When you try to eliminate one because it is a sin, it doesn’t go out right away. Somehow it comes back, and your mind somehow use your previous experiences and try to convince you to act following it again.
Over and over you have to repeat to yourself that the act is wrong and force your mind to drive you to act differently. Sometimes comes as imagination of things where you sin and everything feels good and looks good. If you accept it, then it is a sin in itself and later on you will effectively do the sin.
This is what I think the Purgatory does for us, clean us from all the wrong ideas that somehow make us to commit sins we have rejected. But if there is some mortal sin that you considered good, it is your choice and it will stay with you forever.
 
Counterpoint said:
Well, if purgatory is place of purification, then why is hell necessary? IOW, why doesn’t everyone undergo this purification process?
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Hell is a place for people who have willingly rejected the work of God and God’s moral law in their life. The people in purgatory have not.
 
Counterpoint doesn’t believe supernatural evil exists. No evidence can be provided for those who don’t believe.

I think the religious ought to stop funding private research of the narrow minded who insist upon donations while arrogantly proposing such positions.

Search the God gene and the folly in the research, then think about the funding.
 
GaryTaylor said:
Counterpoint doesn’t believe supernatural evil exists. No evidence can be provided for those who don’t believe.

I think the religious ought to stop funding private research of the narrow minded who insist upon donations while arrogantly proposing such positions.

Search the God gene and the folly in the research, then think about the funding.
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I’ve never understood why people think that showing a God gene/correlation between religious experience and activity in a certain area of the brain somehow disproves God or the validity of such experiences. I mean, if the brain is an instrument the mind uses, wouldn’t you expect that there would be an area of the brain associated with religious experience independently of whether we actually come into contact with a reality? 🤷
 
GaryTaylor said:
Counterpoint doesn’t believe supernatural evil exists. No evidence can be provided for those who don’t believe.

I think the religious ought to stop funding private research of the narrow minded who insist upon donations while arrogantly proposing such positions.

Search the God gene and the folly in the research, then think about the funding.
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So is this thread (and others similar, on hell and purgatory) merely a game? Is Counterpoint playing it?
 
dshix said:
So is this thread (and others similar, on hell and purgatory) merely a game? Is Counterpoint playing it?
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I think it is. He put a link to a wikipedia article which explains what purgatory is in the OP.
 
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