My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join our Philosophy forum to discuss religion and spirituality.

Philosophy/religion

is there any chance that purgatory is not completely horrible?

100 replies

Mitchy1nge · 21/03/2013 14:43

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?

OP posts:
Report
EllieArroway · 21/03/2013 15:57

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.

Report
Nicolaeus · 21/03/2013 16:10

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

Report
LaurieFairyCake · 21/03/2013 16:12

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. Smile

Report
Nicolaeus · 21/03/2013 16:12

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

Report
BoulevardOfBrokenSleep · 21/03/2013 16:16

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

Report
BunnyLebowski · 21/03/2013 16:21

It doesn't exist love. Stop worrying.

Report
Mitchy1nge · 21/03/2013 16:44

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? Shock that's even scarier

OP posts:
Report
BunnyLebowski · 21/03/2013 16:46

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 Confused

Report
CoteDAzur · 21/03/2013 16:46

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

Report
Mitchy1nge · 21/03/2013 16:54

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

OP posts:
Report
sieglinde · 21/03/2013 16:57

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.

Report
HerRoyalNotness · 21/03/2013 17:00

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

Report
Mitchy1nge · 21/03/2013 17:02

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?

OP posts:
Report
Floggingmolly · 21/03/2013 17:05

When was Purgatory abolished???

Report
sieglinde · 21/03/2013 17:40

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.

Report
LeBFG · 21/03/2013 17:45

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

Report
CoteDAzur · 21/03/2013 17:53

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

What does this even mean? Confused

Report
Mitchy1nge · 21/03/2013 17:55

it sounds nice anyway

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

OP posts:
Report
EllieArroway · 21/03/2013 18:15

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.

Report
MadHairDay · 21/03/2013 18:38

I don't believe in purgatory.

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

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 Wink

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

Report
Mitchy1nge · 21/03/2013 18:53

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!

OP posts:
Report
EllieArroway · 21/03/2013 19:12

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.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

AngiBolen · 21/03/2013 19:17

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.

Report
CoteDAzur · 21/03/2013 19:29

"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 Smile

Report
Mitchy1nge · 21/03/2013 19:37

well why pray for the dead then, if there is no purgatory?

OP posts:
Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.