[G Larry]

There is no merit to attempting to define time in relation to our eternal soul.

So the 7 yrs./sin attribution is without merit.

[Carriage Hill]

I’ve never heard of “Indulgences” before. Interesting, but I’ll just continue praying, thankyouverymuch.

[SkyDancer]

In thought word or deed we are all sinners and Yeshua saved us from that and He keeps on cleansing.

[huldah1776]

I can’t imagine life without a Bible of my own. It is precious to me. In it God declares His love for me, tells me all my self works are as filthy rags BUT HE IS MY RIGHTEOUSNESS! I therefore do all to His glory and in His name whether it be eating or drinking or driving or writing or whispering.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and His righteousness.

Close your eyes, be still, and know He is God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkMapZB8qMk&list=PL0896CBC334B1D30F

[Safrguns]

“Without the shedding of innocent blood, There is NO remission of sin”

Therefore, NO amount of “suffering” in purgatory purges ANY number of sins.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Luther writing to Cardinal Albrecht, Archbishop of Mainz said:

"Under your most distinguished name, papal indulgences are offered all across the land for the construction of St. Peter. Now, I do not so much complain about the quacking of the preachers, which I haven’t heard; but I bewail the gross misunderstanding among the people which comes from these preachers and which they spread everywhere among common men. Evidently the poor souls believe that when they have bought indulgence letters they are then assured of their salvation. They are likewise convinced that souls escape from purgatory as soon as they have placed a contribution into the chest (LW 48:45, cf. LW 60:172).

From Luther's Ninety-five Theses:

27. They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory. 28. It is certain that when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but when the church intercedes, the result is in the hands of God alone (LW 31:27).

[OKSooner]

Just looking at the headline, my question was about to be "Who makes this stuff up?"

Anyway, thanks for the answer to that trivia question.

[Empireoftheatom48]

Wow, I’m in big trouble then. Probably never get out.

[Larry Lucido]

It will only seem like an eternity.

[Gil4]

For some reason it reminds me of a Steven Write joke: Last night I broke a mirror, which means seven years of bad luck ... but my lawyer thinks he can get me five.

(Last night I had a second piece of pie (gluttony), which means seven years in purgatory ... but my priest thinks he can get me five (for a small fee.))

[Campion]

Part of his sales pitch had to do with the popular, though unofficial, teaching that Christians must suffer 7 years in the fires of Purgatory for each sin they have committed.

Tetzel may have said that, but it's groundless. There is no Catholic doctrine that addresses the question of whether time even has any meaning in purgatory, so any claim about "7 years" for anything falls flat.

Pre-emptively: it used to be that indulgences were rated according to values of time, but -- contrary to what many people thought -- that was not "time off of purgatory" but "time equivalent to canonical penance on earth". And indulgences today are simply classed as "partial" or "plenary".

[GBA]

Thanks for posting this. I don’t have time to read it now, but it looks very interesting.

I”m still getting my head around what Purgatory is. From what I’ve studied so far, I know that, just like Heaven, Purgatory is real and so is hell.

Souls in Purgatory are saved, but not ready to enter Heaven.

Purgatory seems to be like a smelting pot, where their suffering, their longing for Jesus, purifies their soul, burning away the sins that prevent their soul from entering heaven.

Souls in hell, on the other hand, are lost. Many, even though offered salvation, don’t want it, preferring Satan in death, the same as in life.

[USS Alaska]

When I was younger, I made a deal with God, if He forgave me, my wicked life, and took me into Heaven, I'd take a million years of Purgatory.

I figured a million years over eternity I could do standing on my head.

In real terms, I've spent more time in jails than that relative to my lifetime, piece of chocolate cake.

[Safetgiver]

Christians must suffer 7 years in the fires of Purgatory for each sin they have committed......How long is 7 years in eternal time?

[DungeonMaster]

Talk about making things up as you go.

[boatbums]

If the merit of the saints could be imputed to sinners, thus freeing them from punishment for their sins, why could not the infinite merit of Jesus Christ be imputed to sinners, completely removing the necessity of Purgatory? Do you see why Luther’s proclamation of the Gospel–that Christ bore the sins of the world and suffered their penalty, that God grants salvation by His grace alone, that forgiveness is really forgiveness–was and is such good news?

If God can just be "appeased" by the transference of merit from the account of a Saint into that of a sinner and that sinner released from suffering into heaven, then of what purpose really is the whole idea of Purgatory? Do they think this through??? The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the once-for-all propitiation for our sins.

One of Luther's main objections to indulgences is that it taught the sinner to fear the consequences of their sin rather than having remorse for offending Almighty God. It's no wonder they were abused! In time, he completely repudiated the dogma of Purgatory and indulgences.