# Why "purgatory"? Is this indecision by God? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 13, 2002, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-purgatory-is-this-indecision-by-god/136602 "2002-11-13T18:13:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lynn73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@lynn73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynn73)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-purgatory-is-this-indecision-by-god/136602/41 "2002-11-18T13:02:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by masonite \* > \*\ ***His4Ever** , I’m sorry you’re bemused by the belief. I know it’s incredibly foreign to some Protestants, but there are scriptures that refer to it in the parts of the Bible that Catholics still use – those parts which the Reformers removed, precicely because they justified belief in Purgatory, which the Reformers had problems with. Also there are several hints at Purgatory in some parts of the Bible that all the churches have in common. > > All this is pretty basic stuff - I’m no scholar and others can explain it better and in more detail, and have, in this thread. The point is, there is a a long tradition of Purgatory, and it **is** justified in Scripture - just not the scripture you use. I’m certainly not asking you to believe in it; I’m not a firm believer in Purgatory myself but I suspect it is true because “my soul demands it”. I can’t imagine meeting God in my current state; I know Christ’s blood paid for my sins, but I’m still a sinful man. I can’t conceptualize being instantly transformed at death into a perfect being, ready to join in the company of heaven. I’d be ashamed. I’m guessing Heaven is such a rarefied place that there must be some sort of Basic Training camp one goes through to learn how to get along there. > > I could be wrong; perhaps I’ll be instantly transformed into someone who can have a conversation with St. Paul, 30 seconds after my death, without losing my identity in the process. I’m sure God has things well in hand. I’m only guessing; I don’t think it’s a “salvation issue”, do you? It’s not even something I talk about much - it’s more of a religious opinion than a matter of faith for me. But I’m not very orthodox, as you’ve probably guessed. \*\* Well, thanks for the explanations about it, **masonite**. I doubt that I’ll ever believe in it, but I can understand the explanations and why some do. Someone else said something to the effect that even though we’ve been cleansed by Christ, we still get dirty and that is true. Just want to add my explanation. I think when the Father looks at those who’ve accepted His provision in Christ, that it’s Jesus righteousness He sees, not our dirtiness. But this is just my belief and the way I understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-purgatory-is-this-indecision-by-god/136602/42 "2002-11-18T16:13:27Z")
> [@](#): > > I think when the Father looks at those who’ve accepted His provision in Christ, that it’s Jesus righteousness He sees, not our dirtiness. This is helpful to me as well, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-purgatory-is-this-indecision-by-god/136602/43 "2002-11-18T18:36:32Z")
**His4Ever** , I completely recognize the point you’re making about the blood of Jesus being complete payment for the penalty of sin. But you may have run into the concept of “sanctification” – I remember it principally from a Methodist context, but it seems to run throughout the Protestant views of God’s work in mankind. In brief, what it suggests is that once we are saved, God then through the Holy Spirit begins His work within us to make us over into fit vehicles of His grace, removing the tendency to sin and enhancing the fortitude, compassionateness, and other virtues which He wishes us to develop. It’s in the context of this that one must see purgatory – that none of us is fit to be with God, whose holiness cannot stand sin – since we are all sinners. Yes, when He looks at us who have accepted Christ, he sees not our evil selves but His Perfect Son, Who has interposed His sinless Self. But nonetheless in another sense of what He sees, He sees us as we truly are, and works to remove all that which is not in accord with His will. I can still offend people by a careless or too-strong word, I can walk away from the problems of another or walk by them not realizing their inner pain and suffering. These are sins in me, still present, that I wish were not there – and He is working to cleanse me of them. ---
**Author:** ![Paint\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9a140/32.png) [@Paint\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paint_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-purgatory-is-this-indecision-by-god/136602/44 "2002-11-21T05:41:02Z")
There is a book by CS Lewis called the great divorce… It has an interesting viewpoint on Hell, Heaven, and Purgatory. Going to catholic high school had some advantages… I once cornered the school’s priest and asked him to explain purgatory to me. It helped that we were friends. 🙂 He told me that it was a concept to explain what might happen under some circumstances… For example what appends if a baby dies before baptism? The poor child was born with original sin and it wasn’t washed away by holy sacrament. Does the baby go to hell for something outside his control? I am sure with thought many other situations could be thought of where it would be confusing to us mortal folks to understand what might happen. The last thing, they way I understand and believe things, God doesn’t send us to heaven or hell, we make our choice during life and deal with the consequences for all eternity. IMHO [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-purgatory-is-this-indecision-by-god/136602.md?page=2)