Why I Am Catholic: For Purgatory, Thank Heavens (Ecumenical)

WhyIAmCatholic.bloogspot.com ^ | November 2010 | Frank Weathers

[Salvation]

The end of November is fast approaching and I wanted to get this posted.

Please follow the Religion Moderator's Guidelines for Ecumenical Threads

[narses]

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[Salvation]

Why I Am Catholic: For Purgatory, Thank Heavens (Ecumenical)
(Why Am I Catholic?) For Peace While Suffering (A Few Words for Wednesday)
(why am I Catholic?) Because I Awoke from a Long, Bad Dream
Why I Am Catholic: For All the Saints: Bernard of Clairvaux

[Salvation]

Catholic Discussion Ping!

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[txzman]

Purgatory - One of the many, many reasons I could no longer remain a Catholic. As you said, it - and a thousand other Catholic teachings - are not in the Bible nor in any of it’s early history.

And I grew up as an altar boy learning the Mass in Latin. But after 20 years of learning, left for a Bible based church. And I won’t even get started on the history of the Catholic Church...

[MacMattico]

And I could show you 5, 10 maybe more Protestant churches that claim to be “based on biblical teaching only” that all have different beliefs and interpretations!

And when you talk of the history of the church, to me what you speak of is the history of the people of the church, who are not with out sin, not of the Catholic church itself. People in other churches are only human as well. The Catholic church has a much longer history then other Christian churches, and existed in different times with different standards of behavior. I bet if you showed church goers of just 100 years ago what
ALL of our places of worship find acceptable today, they’d be mortified!

[surroundedbyblue]

My 3 year old & I remember all the poor souls of purgatory in our nightly prayers. Clearly, I should be doing more for them. Thank you for this.

[Salvation]

When you are baptized a Catholic you remain a Catholic. You can always come back to the church. Sit down with a priest and get answers to your questions about Purgatory.

BTW, Trinity is not in the Bible either, but we all believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

There are many references to Purgatory from the Old Testament throughout the New Testament.

[Salvation]

Please remember this is an Ecumenical thread — no antagonism or your post will be deleted by the Religion Moderator.

[Salvation]

Thanks for your post.

[Salvation]

** if you showed church goers of just 100 years ago what
ALL of our places of worship find acceptable today, they’d be mortified!**

If not mortified, severely stunned and puzzled by some of the practices therein.

[Alex Murphy]

Few, indeed, quit this life in a state of purity and grace which warrants their immediate entrance into Heaven. Still fewer, let us hope, are those to whom the blessed refuge of Purgatory,— that half-way house of our dead,— is closed. I cannot conceive how Protestants can believe as they do on this point, nor is it astonishing that their rejection of Purgatory has been followed, in the case of many, by the elimination of a belief in Hell; for the latter doctrine, taken alone, is monstrous. In fact, all Catholic doctrines are interdependent; they stand or fall together. You cannot pick stones out of the arch, and expect it to stand, for it will not do so. Purgatory is one of the most humane and beautiful conceptions imaginable. How many mothers' aching hearts has it not soothed and comforted with hope for some dead, wayward son!

For some people, Jesus just didn't suffer enough on the cross. You can't make everybody happy, I guess.

[plain talk]

Jesus statement to the thief was that he would be in paradise that day. Ill take jesus word over some theory made up by men regarding purgatory. Sorry.

[sigzero]

“it isn’t mentioned specifically in the Bible”

It isn’t mentioned at all. You could have stopped right there.

[bibletruth]

But where did all the people who died go, for example from the Old Testament times? Assuming that all the people who had died before the Incarnation were just, ahem—out of luck

In all due respect, it is clearly evident from the Bible that all the Old Testament people who died went to Sheol.

A synonym of Sheol is "bor" (pit), "abaddon" and "shaḥat" (pit or destruction), and perhaps also of "tehom" (abyss).

There is ample Bible evidence for Sheol and where the Old Testament people who died went:

Jacob, refusing to be comforted at the supposed death of Joseph, exclaims: "I shall go down to my son a mourner unto Sheol" (Gen. xxxvii. 36)

Sheol is underneath the earth (Isa. vii. 11, lvii. 9; Ezek. xxxi. 14; Ps. lxxxvi. 13

Sheol is very deep (Prov. ix. 18; Isa. lvii. 9); and it marks the point at the greatest possible distance from heaven (Job xi. 8; Amos ix. 2; Ps. cxxxix. 8). The dead descend or are made to go down into it; the revived ascend or are brought and lifted up from it (I Sam. ii. 6; Job vii. 9; Ps. xxx. 4; Isa. xiv. 11, 15).

Sometimes the living are hurled into Sheol before they would naturally have been claimed by it (Prov. i. 12; Num. xvi. 33; Ps. lv. 16, lxiii. 10), in which cases the earth is described as "opening her mouth" (Num. xvi. 30).

Sheol is spoken of as a land (Job x. 21, 22); but ordinarily it is a place with gates (ib. xvii. 16, xxxviii. 17; Isa. xxxviii. 10; Ps. ix. 14), and seems to have been viewed as divided into compartments (Prov. vii. 27).

This realm of the dead (Sheol) is in the earth (comp. Job, x. 21, 22), the gateway being in the west [notice it has direction]. It is the "land without return." It is a dark place filled with dust (not fire); but it contains a palace for the divine ruler of this shadow-realm (comp. Job xviii. 13, 14). Seven gates guard successively the approach to this land, at the first of which is a watchman. A stream of water flows through Sheol (comp. Enoch, xvii. 6, xxii. 9; Luke xvi. 24; Ps. xviii. 5; II Sam. xxii. 5). Maybe you can inquire from a Jewish Rabbi as to where Sheol is located and where its environment is like (i.e., no fire, but dust, dark, beneath the earth, etc).

[Salvation]

The Good Thief made a Perfect Act of Contrition.

[IrishCatholic]

Why do you bother? Stick with the caucus threads. If Christ himself returned and declared the Catholic Church his one true Church, there are bigots here who would nail him back on the cross in their hatred of all things Catholic.

I understand you wanting to minister to those lost to Christ, but how many times do you turn your cheek to have the same people strike you on the other? If someone wants to learn they will read and ask questions on the caucus threads. Those that hate will only couch their bigotry just enough to avoid getting zotted.

[Salvation]

OK, everyone, read up on Purgatory. Did you know that Luther believed in Purgatory?

Please remember this is an Ecumenical Thread --- no antagonism and arguing. If you want to prove your points about Purgatory 00 please post them on another thread.

The Month of November: Thoughts on the "Last Things"
To Trace All Souls Day (Protestants vs Catholics)
Radio Replies First Volume - Purgatory
The Doctrine of Purgatory [Ecumenical]
The Heroic Act [Catholic-Orthodox Caucus] (Offering everything for the Souls in Purgatory)
MONTLIGEON MIRACLE: HOW PRIEST TURNED INTO 'TRAVELING SALESMAN' OF PURGATORY

IN BRUSH WITH DEATH, PRIEST SHOWN HELL, PURGATORY, DEGREES OF SUFFERING
Praying for the Dead [All Souls Day] (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
Purgatory: Service Shop for Heaven [Ecumernical]
Beginning Catholic: Catholic Purgatory: What Does It Mean? [Ecumenical]
OF GUARDIAN ANGELS AND THE ROLE THEY PLAY NOT JUST ON EARTH BUT IN PURGATORY [Catholic Caucus]
IN ANNALS OF SAINTS IS CONVERT'S STRIKING DEDICATION TO THOSE SOULS IN PURGATORY [Catholic Caucus]
Explaining Purgatory from a New Testament Perspective [Ecumenical]
PURIFYING THE SOUL ON EARTH IS WORTH 100X WHAT IT TAKES AFTER [Catholic Caucus] What Happens After Death?
Purgatory
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 12: Purgatory

The Doctrine of Purgatory
The Early Church Fathers on Purgatory - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Required for entrance to Purgatory? Personal question for Cathloic Freepers.
(Protestant) Minister Who Had Near-Death Episode Believes In Purgatory
Straight Answers: What Is Purgatory Like?
Do Catholics Believe in Purgatory?
Purgatory, Indulgences, and the Work of Jesus Christ (Discussion)
Prayer to Release the Souls of Purgatory
The Forgotten Souls in Purgatory
Praying for the dead [Purgatory]

[Mad Dawg]

Enough for what? Those being purged are saved by what Jesusbdid and purged by His mercy.

[Salvation]

I think you are right. Because other people were quoted in the original article, however, it needed to be ecumenical.