Why do most Christian denominations or religions believe in a Purgatory?

Question

Doesn't there have to be a purgatory? i mean how many of us die having 0 sin......very few. and if we had sin God wouldnt say "here's the pearly gates come in."...He would probably say" woah woah...u can't bring sin into a perfect place." Dont you think you need to be cleansed of ALL your sins before entering heaven? Peace

ooooooops i meant DON"T believe in a Purgatory

Answer 1

If there is not a purgatory heaven will be an empty place for no sin can enter heaven and be in the presence of God.

Cleansing or sanctification is a gradual process and we must endure to the end to be saved.

(Mat 10:22 DRB) And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.

(Mat 24:13 DRB) But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.

(Mar 13:13 DRB) And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved.

Catholic soteriology recognizes that for some of us the process was not completed at death or that we died with unrepentant sin.

(Heb 9:27 DRB) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment:

The judgment is our eternal destiny and for those whose name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life, heaven is assured. But we know that one must be free of sin to be in God’s presence.

(1Ti 6:14 DRB) That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

It may be that one is not prepared to be in our Lord’s presence as we may still be with spiritual shortcomings or temporal effects of forgiven sins on our soul making it necessary for some form of purification to enter heaven in God’s presence. Since this is a process of purgation it is called purgatory and it is in keeping with prophecy of the prophet Habakkuk who said that only that which is holy may enter heaven.

(Hab 1:13 DRB) Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, and thou canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest thou upon them that do unjust things, and holdest thy peace when the wicked devoureth the man that is more just than himself?

St. Paul also taught of a process of purgation which may involve suffering on the soul of Christians and in his first letter to the Corinthian Church he describes the process of purgation after death.

(1Co 3:10 DRB) According to the grace of God that is given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation: and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

(1Co 3:11 DRB) For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid: which is Christ Jesus.

(1Co 3:12 DRB) Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble:

(1Co 3:13 DRB) Every man's work shall be manifest. For the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire. And the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is.

(1Co 3:14 DRB) If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

(1Co 3:15 DRB) If any mans work burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

St. Paul speaks metaphorically that the results of sin that remain on one’s soul is like “wood, hay and straw” and are burned away in the process of final purification to be received in the presence of the Lord. St. Paul also speaks of one’s works as “gold, silver and precious stones” which are refined and retained.

This passage reminds me of what Christ said in the following indicating that some sins may be forgiven after death.

(Mat 12:32 DRB) And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, nor in the world to come.

Purgatory is also related to the parable of the unforgiving servant which is as follows…

(Mat 18:32 DRB) Then his lord called him: and said to him: Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me:

(Mat 18:33 DRB) Shouldst not thou then have had compassion also on thy fellow servant, even as I had compassion on thee?

(Mat 18:34 DRB) And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt.

After telling the parable Christ emphasizes His message lest it be misunderstood with this warning……..

(Mat 18:35 DRB) So also shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.

Christ was warning us of the danger of a hard heart or anger making us unwilling to forgive others. We should acknowledge that these are the signs and example of a defective soul in need of purgation so that he that is imperfect may be in the presence of God and dwell in glory. (See CCC 1030-1032)

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 2

Hey Rock Star! Actually no Christians except Roman Catholics and maybe Orthodox Catholics believe in purgatory, which was a myth establish by Pope Gregory, I Think, in about the 13th Century to make money by having people pay for masses said in their names or prayers said for them so that their time in purgatory would be less than if they didn't do this. This is one of the many reasons for the Reformation. There is no such thing as purgatory. Today the Catholic church says that purgatory is not a place but a state of mind so to speak....go figure? The Catholic Crusader is reading from a Catholic book...so I rest my case.

Answer 3

I'm guessing, and this probably only applies to some if any people who do not believe in a purgatory, that it is the result of an inability to think allegorically/metaphorically. How can we know in this life what experience of the afterlife actually is? Answer is we can't - and so we talk about it using metaphore and allegory and so on.

But I do know this - when someone passes on who I'm close to, especially if there are unresolved issues between them and me, I need healing and closure over that departed one and so I pray for them. That - according to my Nana - is one form of praying for the souls in purgatory. In that sense, it is as if I'm in that place of purification along with the person who has passed on - in that sense, we are in purgatory together going through a process of purification. And that is a very non-concrete way of thinking about it.

I've encountered a great many people who not only cannot think outside of concrete terms but are not able to even consider there being a way of thinking that is not depended on concrete terms...
I accompany these people in that place of purification as well.
that is to say, I pray for them too.

Peace to you as well.

-M

Answer 4

Dang. Sorry it turned out to be a typo. For a minute there I thought we might have made some headway with the rest of the troops.

Some folks (I'm trying oh, so hard to be gracious here) think that even though we're stained by sin, God pretends not to see it when Jesus "covers" it, like a blanket. In other words, our sins don't need to be washed away, just covered. It comes out of the calvinist doctrine of total depravity, and nearly every Protestant and evangelical group subscribes to this in some way.

On the other hand, there is plenty of Scriptural evidence that not only do we need to be "washed clean" (baptism) but purified of any remaining attachment to sin before entering the presence of God. So, yes; you've expressed it rather well.

Answer 5

Like heaven or hell the word purgatory refers to a place and a state. Catholics believe that purgatory exists to purge those souls who are not yet pure enough for heaven but have not died in a stat of serious mortal sin. Such near-saints must undergo the pain of intense longing for God until they have paid the debt of temporal punishment due them because of their sins on earth. In a word, purgatory exists to make saints who will be ready for the purity of God's presence. If one does not succeed in becoming a saint on earth but yet escapes eternal hell, he is purified in Purgatory

Answer 6

I dont believe in Purgatory. I think that is more the Catholic religion. I die knowing Jesus has covered my sin. The only reason I will be able to stand in front of Almighty God will be because of Jesus that washed my sins away if I have repented with a true heart.

Answer 7

Purgatory is a better spiritual idea than hell. At least one is allowed hope. My good and very moral God does not allow for heaven, hell, or purgatory. My God allows you to stay in the element we where made for, and learn gradually how better to cope with the only reality that really counts. My God gives you one life after another, and expect you to contribute positively to the world, and get good at dealing with its challenges. My God does not let you excape this reality, into some eternal drug like fantasy or nightmare.

Answer 8

The concept of purgatory has no basis in biblical writings. It is entirely made up as one of many artificial constructs to answer holes in Christian philosophy or holes in the teachings of Christ as recorded in just four scant gospels that mostly are redundant to each other.

Once you accept purgatory, you have to have limbo, multiple planes of Hell and other constructs ad infinitum. Then you have to explain how Jesus is of Joseph/David's line when Joseph is not his father and how Mary can remain a virgin while Jesus has brothers and sisters. Then if he has brothers and sisters then he must have nieces and nephews and perhaps his line lives on now, etc.

What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to decieve. That is why Protestants don't go down that slippery slope.

Answer 9

I have always known for it to be Catholics that believe in purgatory, no offense! However to know more about the question you answered go to

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Answer 10

When you accept Jesus you are immediately cleansed from your sins. When you sin again you just have to ask for forgiveness. He died for all our sins, past and present. No need for purgatory. I thought that only the catholics believed in this, maybe not.

Answer 11

I am cleansed of my sins by the blood of Jesus. I don't need a special place for that. He can reach me anywhere. The idea of purgatory (which is unscriptural) originated in the middle ages. Priests would extort money from people as payment for praying their loved ones' souls out of purgatory.