Pergatory?

Question

Why would God have what's essentially a waiting room or Heaven's lobby? I've never fully understood the point or rationale to pergatory...why/how did Catholics come to believe such a thing exists?

And no offense to anyone, btw. I'm just asking.

Answer 1

Obviously no-one is perfect. But a few dedicate their entire lives to continually serving the Lord, all day, every day. Presumably these people will be received into heaven. Other people go to Church a few times a week, try to follow the Commandments, and maybe work at a soup kitchen for the poor once a week. Others go to Church on Sunday and try not to commit major sins like adultery. Hopefully these too might enter heaven. And then there are the folks who want to follow Jesus but are weak, dabble in sin, go to church when they can, and ask the Lord to help them become better. I hope that these too might be saved; but common sense tells us that if they do arrive at the Pearly Gates they will be carrying a lot of spiritual baggage with them. The Bible says nothing unclean can come before the throne of God. Yet these folks, while never rejecting Jesus, and truly wanting to follow Him, arrive with a burden of spiritual uncleanliness. God loves them. He doesn't desire to damn them. If they had rejected Him outright, He would have no choice but to damn them. Yet He cannot in justice allow them to walk into heaven unclean either. Remember the wedding feast? Those who arrived improperly dressed were not admitted. That is why God in His love and mercy provided a means of final purification. Not a second chance! We are judged as saved or damned at the moment of our death, and that judgment is final. But, simply a means for those who are saved, yet who are not fully prepared to stand before the throne of God, to receive final purification before entering. We know of Purgatory not only from the constant teaching of the Christian Church since the beginning, but also from plain common sense.

Thus, as the Holy Bible tells us, a rightous man whose life does not quite measure up at judgement "will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, BUT only as through fire" (1 Cor 3:15). Christ Himself also alluded to Purgatory when He stated that certain sins "will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matt. 12:32), indicating that while dying in mortal sin means damnation, other sin can yet be cleansed after death, in "the age to come".

Of course if Protestants had a complete Bible, they could also read in 2 Machabees the biblical encouragement to pray for the dead. How sad it is to go to a Protestant funeral, knowing that the deceased person may be in a position to benefit from prayer, but his own family and friends will not pray for him. Praying for the dead makes no sense at all if there is no Purgatory. Those in heaven don't need prayer. Those in Hell cannot benefit from it. Only those undergoing final purification can benefit from the prayers of their family and friends on earth. That's why the Bible, the complete Bible used by all Christians on earth for the 1,200 years before the advent of Protestantism, makes it clear we should pray for the deceased.

Answer 2

Purgatory is mentioned in an apocryphal book which is a part of the catholic bible but not in the protestant bible, And the reason for that is that the Jews did not regard the apocryphal books as inspired and did not include them in the TENACH or the Old Testament. I do not know why these were included in the catholic bible because it says in the New Testament that the oracles of God were given to the Jews

Answer 3

i don't know about all religions. i can tell u from the point of islam how it was said.that all the people after physical death will exist in the spiritual world .the good ones in the likeness of paradise and the bad ones in the likeness of fire. and when the judgement day comes they will all be ressurected to appear in front of the Creator having their righteous and wrongfull deeds on their shoulder. if i did not answer that very good i hope u get other perspective on that.

Answer 4

You're not the only one who doesn't understand it. I have SO many questions about that too. What really happens when someone dies? The sad part of it all is that we will never know the truth till it happens to us. So many people say so many different things. Who's right?

Answer 5

I don't know ,it's not in the Bible.It was made up by the Catholic church so they could charge $$$ to pray a loved one out of purgatory.I forget what they called it,it had a name...anybody?

Answer 6

I think that is what is called Outer Darkness. Still studying it.
It is not hell, it is just where you go for a while to get straightened out in your Thinking, I think. I think it hurts too.

Answer 7

Pierogies?

Answer 8

it was a way for them to sooth their conscience.....they can sin on earth because they'll only be sent to purgatory where they "purge" themselves of their sins and then get to enter heaven....

Answer 9

pergatory is for thoes that cannot accept being dead..but it doesnt exsist anyway

Answer 10

Aw, you know ... typical religious stuff.