Posted on 03/08/2006 7:22:57 PM PST by churchillbuff
Howard Storm, a former atheist whose brush with death turned him into a Protestant minister, says that he now believes in purgatory.
"It only makes sense," he says, "but I have trouble discussing this with my fellow ministers."
Featured here a couple months ago and also on MSNBC during Easter Week -- where he told his incredible story to a national audience -- Reverend Storm, considered by experts as one of the most convincing near-death cases, recounted his "dying" in Paris in 1985 from a perforated duodenum and after leaving his body finding himself with a group of hideous beings who attacked him as they led him to a foggy zone that descended toward "hell."
Storm says he was saved by Jesus after desperately pleading to God. After an extensive hospitalization he recovered -- and learned that a nun who had once been a student of his had been praying for him for years.
Storm credits that with saving him; after the episode he left his job as an professor at Northern Kentucky University and entered a seminary, becoming a minister.
He is now with the Zion United Church of Christ in Norwood, Ohio (near Cincinnati), and while some churches in that denomination can be ultra-liberal, he openly preaches against abortion and the New Age.
Still, we try to be careful with these cases, and we always issue the disclaimer that we can't endorse every view of such experiencers -- some of whom tend at times to put their own (and sometimes a nearly New Age) spin on what occurred. Like any form of mysticism, it is to be carefully discerned.
This is true in the case of Reverend Storm -- who himself acknowledges that some of his views have shifted since he became an active Christian ( including a few expressed in a book which was written before his faith was fully formed). These episodes are told through the filter of a person's framework.
But he is a man who exudes love (the single most important element of Christianity); many believe his experience was real; and he says he now believes not only in heaven and hell but also a state in-between where souls are "purged."
After his horrifying brush with death the concept of purgation was explained to him by a priest, says Reverend Storm, and "just rang so clear to me in my experience."
He says that when he "died" he was taken through a "foggy" region strikingly similar to what has been described in mystical literature [see An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory] -- and also similar to descriptions by modern visionaries who have told of a great "gray" area between hell and heaven.
Although a devout Protestant, Storm says that he considers Catholicism "the Mother Church" and is even interested in the Catholic apparition site of Medjugorje. He says God doesn't want division and that the main reason why he was on the road to hell was lack of love, pride, and disbelief.
"It's why Jesus entrusted the Word to Peter and his successors."
There is no such thing as Apostolic succession. If there were, a Pope about to die would annoint a successor. Instead of that they've been assassinating eachother. At one time there were two Popes.
Jesus entrusted his word to all believers. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Notice the order of "believe" and "baptize". You have to be older than a newborn baby to do that. Also, this doesn't leave any room for Peter, Popes or Purgatory, which are all late human inventions.
Why I became a Catholic, in fewer words than I've ever been able to use myself. Thank you.
Your deceit is obvious to probably everyone but you.
Salvation made a statement about Purgatory. I simply asked for the reference so that I could read it and understand more about his claim, as is typical in Bible discussions. I even said please.
You sought to simply antagonize and start an argument, which is what you are obviously used to doing, rather than exploring a better understanding of Word of God.
Who do you think you are fooling?
I have nothing more to say to you. As you are obviously antagonistic to Biblical discussions.
Peter is a late human invention? Wow, Christ would be surprised to hear that I imagine. I didn't know the Son of God needed imaginary friends. Don't try arguing semantics either, you know what "pope" means. Peter was given charge as the head of Christ's Church, thereby making him "pope." Were only the original Christians to be entitled to guidance on the teachings of Christ or is His Word eternal and for all time as He said? You can't have it both ways. Why would He entrust Peter with the Keys and tell him to feed His sheep for just one generation? Why would He place Peter in charge at all if there was to be no one after him? Were the following generations just somehow smarter or more open to the Truth that they did not need the guidance Christ instilled in Peter? Or are the following generations less worthy of the guidance Christ established through Peter? And why oh why would the very Apostles who walked with Christ elect another to take Stephen's place after his martyrdom if there is no succession? Could the very men who walked with God made flesh make such a mistake?
Purgatory, as has been explained many, many, many times on this thread is supported by Scripture (which was codified by the CATHOLIC Church even though Christ told no one to write anything down) but if you choose to ignore the evidence, that is up to you. I will pray for you regardless.
And if Jesus entrusted His word to all believers to be interpreted as it should, please tell me why over 31,000 Protestant denominations exist. After that, explain to me how you know YOUR interpretation is the correct one out of the other 30,999 versions.
My answer is simple, I follow the Church Christ instituted in 33 A.D. If one wanted to follow Christ, why would anyone choose differently?
Sorry, that "me" in point (3) ought to read "men." My apologies.
The quote of yours above is in response to someone denying your contention that Jesus, at Mass, "is slaughtered, according to Catholic doctrine." Okay, I'll bite. Show me the quote from the passage you claim to have read in the Catholic Encyclopedia that makes this claim...
If you have the time, please read through the entire thread. The references you seek about Purgatory had been listed repeatedly. Hope this helps.
Have you not read the thread?
You weren't necessarily the "crowd".
Ask her if she ever had a fling with a bird ;'}
Thanks for the civil and helpful response. But I did read the thread.
I am not one who feels he has to prove anything, and arguments are pointless. I don't believe there is anything here for me to learn. So I think I'll just go back to reading my KJV Bible.
Thanks again.
I'm never said you had to prove anything. But you asked someone else to prove something. You were by that asking someone to argue or prove their statement. If arguements are pointless, then why initiate one?
If you get a chance, give the Douay-Rheims or Navarre Bible series a try.
Arguments are what I'm not looking for. Nor discussions where the Word of God is used as a weapon of argument, rather than a tool of enlightenment.
Good day.
Some of these visions of life after death may be true. Certainly the ones recorded in the New Testament (e.g. Book of Revelation) are true. But the "default position" on such [rivate revelations and visions should be scepticism because of the overwhelming propensity of us human beings to get muddled up in pur minds.
"Arguments are what I'm not looking for. Nor discussions where the Word of God is used as a weapon of argument, rather than a tool of enlightenment.
Good day."
But the Word is a two-edged sword.
Yeah, and to have our right hands be off by one letter when typing on the top row. ;-)
SD
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