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I imagine it is exactly like hell, all fiery torment etc but temporal, with possibility of release at some point, instead of eternal. Please can I be wrong about this?

I have some good news for you.

There's no purgatory. There's no hell. There is just this life, so make the most of it and stop worrying about things that don't exist.

Are you ok mitchy? I dont believe in heaven or hell etc but went through torment when my friend killed himself and I thought he might be in purgatory.

I dont think that now. I thinks he's at peace.

If you've lost someone maybe try the bereavement board? Lots of support there.

Hope you're om

That's not what purgatory is.

In life if you don't have a relationship with God then it's the same when you're dead. There's no hell fire or torment.

Or if you're thinking of suicide please ring the samaritans.

I thought the Catholic Church had abolished purgatory. Have I confused it with limbo?

It doesn't exist love. Stop worrying.

I'm ok! Sorry, really didn't mean to sound so morbid, was just wondering. After a thread in chat about whether you are afraid of dying or not, it occurred to me that maybe it won't be so bad after all.

What is this about purgatory being abolished, what happens instead then - straight to heaven or hell, that's it? that's even scarier

Does the fact that the catholic church can arbitrarily decide to "abolish" purgatory not make you realise how utterly fucking ludicrous the idea is in the first place??

How seemingly intelligent people believe this shite is beyond me

How can Catholic Church "abolish" purgatory? Is the Pope omniscient like God, now? <worries>

purgatory isn't just a catholic thing though, they can't just decide it isn't real (can they?)

Hi, mitchy.

A really comforting read on Purgatory is C S Lewis, The Great Divorce, in which purgatory is like the mizzy bits of this world, all rain and petty quarrels and queueing and late buses.

Another comfort is Dante's Purgatorio. Yes, there is pain, but they are all pretty happy, the way hope of a baby might get you through a difficult labour.

No, it hasn't been abolished, except by some snarky bigots.

They can if it was never real in the first place.

A few scriptures, but can't reference them for you (must take up more reading):

From you dust you came, and to dust you return (it doesn't go on to say if you were semi-good dust you'll go to purgatory, good dust to heaven etc...)

The soul that is sinning, it itself will die. (No mention whatsoever of being tormented for eternity.)

I hope that puts your mind somewhat at ease

thanks sieglinde, will read both

but there are scriptures about being in the crucible etc, that is purgatory isn't it, being refined and cleansed for heaven?

When was Purgatory abolished???

It WASN'T abolished, Molly. Generally reformed/Protestant churches don't believe in it, but Catholics still do.

Mitchy, you could also go with the idea that the crucible is a metaphor, not a big pot somewhere. We know that we must work to be in heaven, either here or after death. We know that work is some kind of alchemy of grace and love. Weirdly, love can be hard to accept. Lewis is excellent on this.

You seem to know a lot about purgatory sieglinde. How?

"We know that work is some kind of alchemy of grace and love."

What does this even mean?

it sounds nice anyway

hope I enjoy the cs Lewis when it arrives, Dante already here somewhere (is divine comedy isn't it?)

How seemingly intelligent people believe this shite is beyond me

Me too. And it's depressing that such medieval crap is still being prattled on about in 2013.

Sieglinde You know? No, you don't.

I don't believe in purgatory.

But then again I'm one of them woolly Anglican types.

Mitchy, to me, following God is about freedom, not rules and worries about torment and 'possibility of release.' The release is here, now, in this life, if we choose that <waits for the barrage of 'Bollocks, MHD'>

What's the scripture supporting the idea of purgatory? Have often wondered where it came from. Would be interested to hear more.

Obviously nobody knows whether it is actually true, sieglinde can know about the doctrine though?

was wondering just in case, best to be prepared isn't it!

And how useful is knowing about a doctrine that's a load of rubbish?

This may not be bothering you much, Mitchy, (and I'm glad) but there are people who are genuinely terrified of such things & whose lives are ruined by fear of hell. The Catholics are a disgrace in this respect. Purgatory, ffs.

Well, last time I was at mass, I'm pretty sure the priest said purgatory wasn't that bad, God was there, as the only place God wasn't was hell.

And as long as you are sorry for what you've done, it doesn't matter how bad you've been you'll get into heaven. Apparently.

"following God is about freedom"

That is not quite what I would call having to pray, confess, go to mass, pray some more, believe in nutty tales involving a deity, a spirit, and the pregnancy of a virgin, suffer cognitive dissonance over having to believe this nonsense, pray for understanding and enlightenment, etc