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Ever read Lorraine Boettner's Roman Catholicism -- the chapter on purgatory? He basically says that everyone at a Protestant funeral is happy (tain't so: I've been to a few) and everyone at a Catholic funeral is sad, because they know that they can expect regular visits from priests for months to extort Mass stipends from them with horrible tales of the suffering their loved one is undergoing in purgatory.

I remember sitting in the library (at a Proddie seminary!) reading that book, wondering what planet this guy lived on.

People who are in the habit of interpreting Scripture to mean whatever suits their purpose at the moment see themselves as being above logic, truth, reality, and those other constraints mere mortals are limited by.

That's why someone will, for example, post all sorts of lies and slanders about the Catholic teaching on relics as proof of how horrible Catholicism is while at the same time selling blessed prayer hankies on their web site.

Ever read Lorraine Boettner's Roman Catholicism -- the chapter on purgatory? He basically says that everyone at a Protestant funeral is happy (tain't so: I've been to a few) and everyone at a Catholic funeral is sad, because they know that they can expect regular visits from priests for months to extort Mass stipends from them with horrible tales of the suffering their loved one is undergoing in purgatory.

Actually, living in one of the most RC areas in the country ...and having been to many many RC wakes ..I can say that Catholics assume everyone of their RC family and friends will end up in heaven ..."they are in a better place". Even heard a priest at a funeral mass say the woman was already a saint in heaven and everyone should pray for her.

Purgatory is a false assurance that one can burn off their "small " sins and move on up..

That is a false hope.. unless their family or friend heard and believed the gospel..they burn in a very hot place cursing God for not honoring their good works and faith in his church ...