Who came up with the Purgatory analogy. Why do the catholics believe that you can free some one from Purgatory?
2006-10-06 10:03:07 · 14 answers · asked by Dragonpack 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I don't know where the idea for purgatory came from, and I don't recall anything about being 'freed' from it. It was always my understanding that purgatory was sort of like community service/work release. A soul is sent to purgatory to toil until the evil is worked out of it. (only hopeless cases get sentenced to hell.)
2006-10-06 10:10:51 · answer #1 · answered by Murph 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The word "Purgatory" is not in the Bible.
But Purgatory is in the Bible.
As a normal guy (and as a Catholic!) I know there's no one living now who's perfect...but no one with sin gets into Heaven. So what happens if you're mostly good but some bad, do you go to hell? That'd be really cruel...so God has an in-between state of being perfected, Purgatory. We believe that you can pray to ask God to free them. Prayer isn't some magic spell, say it and they're outta Purgatory...God does that.
As for Purgatory being in the Bible, check out 2 Machabees 12:42-45. If it's not in your Bible- well, ask Martin Luther about that, then look up Matthew 5:21-26. Ask yourself what it means.
Don't just say "Purgatory" isn't in the Bible. I'm really glad there's such a place...!
2006-10-08 18:23:31 · answer #2 · answered by Terial 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cannot "free someone from Purgatory" as such, but the purpose of Purgatory is purification. The Bible tells us that nothing unclean can come into God's presence. Yet most people die with a certain amount of spiritual uncleanliness, even those who have tried to do the will of God while on earth. It is perfectly logical therefore that God , before allowing these saved people to come home, would give them the opportunity to be fully cleansed spiritually. The Bible tells us this is in fact true - that those who have not lived their lives quite as a follower of Christ should, whose works don't quite measure up at judgment, can still be saved, but will enter heaven "only as by passing through fire" - an image always associated in Scripture with purification. Since such cleansing is by the grace of God, and since prayer is a powerful means of obtaining grace, we believe that the prayers of the saints still on Earth can benefit the saints in Purgatory by contributing to their spiritual cleansing.
Luther and Calvin believed that God would "cover over" our sins and bring us directly into heaven. In other words, He would hide our filth under His cloak like a dung hill covered with snow, and smuggle us into heaven still filthy. The original Christian Church on the other hand has always taught that God doesn't "cover" our filthiness. He removes it, so that we can come before the throne of God without any blemish, rather than with hidden blemishes.
This does not in any way suggest that the sacrifice of Jesus is insufficient, for it is only by the grace of His sacrifice that we can be saved, and it is only those already saved by His sacrifice that can receive the gift of final purification.
2006-10-06 10:15:17 · answer #3 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We dont beleive that anyone can be freed from purgatory on our own, that is why we ask for the Lord to do so in our prayers. Purgatory is actually in the Bible, the place in time in which a soul atones for the sins committed, because to enter into the House of the Lord, you must be pure and Holy. Wew ask for Gods mercy on those souls, not that we may remove them ourselves. May God keep you looking for enlightenment.
2006-10-06 10:06:22 · answer #4 · answered by Perhaps I love you more 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As a Catholic theologian, I can tell you that the Doctrine of Purgatory has no basis in Scripture or the teachings of Jesus. This is another teaching rooted in past history that has gone the way of the Dodo bird. Jesus died for our sins. His blood washes away all sin. Because of Jesus' sacrifice and atonement, we go to the Father when we die. To say that purgatory is necessary is to say that Jesus' sacrifice was not sufficient. Our salvation is guaranteed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2006-10-06 10:16:12 · answer #5 · answered by Buffy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.sufferingsouls.com/?OVRAW=purgatory&OVKEY=purgatory&OVMTC=standard
Purgatory commonly refers to a doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church, which posits that those who die in a state of grace undergo a purification in order to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven.[1] This purification of the elect is entirely different from the punishment of the damned in hell.[2] The Catholic doctrine holds that the souls in purgatory undergo temporal punishment due to venial sins or as satisfaction due to their transgressions,[3] and that they can be aided by the prayer and sufferings of the faithful and the Sacrifice of the Mass
2006-10-06 10:08:58 · answer #6 · answered by Silva 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't know who came up with it. But I don't think that you have to free anybody from Purgatory, I think it's just the transition from earth to heaven, nobody gets stuck there.
2006-10-06 10:06:33 · answer #7 · answered by Farmwife 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Purgatory did not show up until 1294 in Dante's Inferno. The church decided that it was something they could use and have been selling indulgences since then. It doesn't exist except in some peoples minds.
2006-10-06 10:18:18 · answer #8 · answered by bocasbeachbum 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can't bust in and go get them, you can Pray for them.
Do you ever Pray for others?
There is no difference.
There is much more about the concept of Purgatory, I could type for an hour, but if you are really interested, go here.
www.Catholic.com
Peace, and God Bless!
2006-10-06 10:09:02 · answer #9 · answered by C 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why do you care? Are you trying to prove disprove someone elses religon.
A better question is How can god be all knowing even about the future and allow for free will?
2006-10-06 10:06:15 · answer #10 · answered by keith s 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋