well maybe Im wrong but I think some think of purgatory as a second chance place, where thay can do what they want here on earth but they think they are good enough to be saved and if there was some things they indulged in well purgatory will take care of it, you asee that is a round about way of thinking it as a second chance.
Second of all Im not here to bash Catholics, I believe many are honest and they are still on the overall side of Christ which makes them on ourside, we can be in eror in many things even us as protestants, but we should all take on the mentality that we must look to scripture and not traditions and mens doctrines, to draw nearer to our Lord Jesus Christ, we should be willing to work together as the one unity of all those who acknowledge Christ as the one and only savior and then work out the differences as brothers and sisters IN CHRIST!!!!! Remember when Christ said those who are not against us are for us!!!!! Never the less ottofire well said my Brother or Sister whichever you are in Christ!!!! Peace!!!!
That isn't what Catholics believe at all.
Only the saved go to purgatory.
There is no "second chance".
SOME may indeed think of Purgatory as you describe it. But I'd bet a lot, if not most of those (as long as we're speculating about what "some may" do) are Protestants who use that misunderstanding as an excuse to disbelieve in Purgatory and to castigate those who do believe in quite a different doctrine.
My own guess would be that anybody who thinks he's "good enough to be saved" is in trouble.
we should be willing to work together as the one unity of all those who acknowledge Christ as the one and only savior and then work out the differences as brothers and sisters IN CHRIST!!!!!
Barring my allergy to exclamation points, I'd agree. Since this is a verbal medium, I think the careful and mindful use of words and language matters a lot. You say "some need to quit fooling themselves," and I guess we'd all agree that self-deceit is harmful to everyone involved.
But, you know, arguments can be made from Scripture that not all traditions are "traditions of men", and not all teachings are "men's doctrines". Now you might not agree with those arguments, but there are reasonable and intelligent people of good and pious will who do agree with them.
To characterize such people as "fooling themselves" and then to address and denounce a doctrine of purgatory which is most definitely NOT that taught by the Church -- do you think that is "working together" or "working out the differences as brothers and sisters in Christ"? I would agree with you that those who are counting on a "second chance" after they die are in grave peril. Can we also agree that even the forgiven still have scars on their souls left by the self-inflicted damage of their sins?