Purgatory or Hell

[modeller]

I have read all the posts contained in besos Creation of Hell but no one mentioned the greatest money spinner of them all the use of Purgatory .

It was the half way place between Heaven and Hell and you could pay the church to reduce or remove the time you spent in Purgatory. It was a
Semi-Hell and cleansing place where everyone went for weeks or unto eternity depending on their level of sin. Even stillborn babies went there because they possessed man's original sin and neither had they been baptised.
However this could be reduced by paying the RC church every couple of weeks for indulgences . As a result the church owned two thirds of all the wealth in Europe up to the time of the reformation. Those sinners who couldn't or wouldn't pay were the ones who ended up in true hell.

Was it a RC invention or was it inferred to in the bible. ?
Is it still practiced in a different form.?

[sandyRoe]

Simony was a vile sin. The church has much changed.

[boxtops]

There's something similar in Islam, you go to an unpleasant holding station until it's decided whether you are good enough for Paradise.

[naomi24]

Although, as far as I’m aware, the word Purgatory does not appear in the bible, many theologians claim it contains references to Purgatory. It’s a disgustingly evil philosophy.

More information here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purgatory

By the way, the church’s doctrine was pretty much all invented by the church.

[modeller]

For me Purgatory or Hell seems far preferable to spending eternity with theists.
I can't think of anything worse.

[bigbadmarty]

When asked about the fate of heathen stillborn children we god-fearing catholics were told about a place called Limbo that they went to , abit of a dump since there was no presence of god , but at least it wasn't eternal torture .
Recently they have revised their view and now say that there's no such place . However the pope is still infallible ???
and they call scientology weird ...

[naomi24]

I don't believe the Catholic church has abandoned the concept of Purgatory completely. I think it's now considered to be a state of 'being', rather than a place. Nasty, nasty, stuff!

[modeller]

Yes you are right bigbad see :
Hell of the Damned (which some call Gehenna), Purgatory, Limbo of the Fathers or Patriarchs, and Limbo of the Infants.

[jomifl]

The pope is infallible because he simply changes reality by his pronouncements. Everything is he says is right within the current reality. You just have to think outside the box :-)

[seadogg]

Wasn't there a Pilgrim in the Canterbury Tales who made a living out of selling these get out of Purgatory cards ?

[Wharton]

No matter what fruitcake question arises on this site, I've noticed that about 95% of the answers seem to have it in for the Roman Catholics. It's little wonder that they refer to others as 'non-catholics'.

[jomifl]

Wharton, that is very strange, I wonder why?

[sandyRoe]

It is the last redoubt of faith. It's bound to attract attacks here and in real life.

[jomifl]

Sandy, why would 'faith' attract attacks? do you not think that perhaps it isn't that simple? Hasn't the self-serving hypocrisy of catholicism got something to do with it. I don't notice quakers being attacked.

[naomi24]

I think 95% of the answers is a bit of an exaggeration, but if Roman Catholicism does raise its head frequently here it could be because that (as opposed to the Eastern/Greek Orthodox flavours) is more prevalent within our society.

[Wharton]

I can't think of a post where Roman Catholics have been on the offensive against any other religion, all I am saying is that whenever a religious question arises, Roman Catholics seem to be convenient 'whipping boys' - 96% of the time.

[naomi24]

Blimey! It's getting worse. 96% now. :o)

Seriously though, when we're talking about religion, the mainstream are obviously going to be talked about more than any other - and Roman Catholicism is a leader in the field. (I almost said 'A leading light' there - but thought better of it).

[Wharton]

.....it's very quiet now.....

[naomi24]

Watch that space.

[modeller]

You have to remember that up to the reformation we were all RC that is under
the Holy Roman Empire and therefore all the atrocities ,the Inquisition and the collection of indulgences were carried out by the RC. Following that there were long periods of religious wars. Since then the RC have still been the largest and strongest of the Christian religion also it has been the most ritualistic and doctrinaire therefore it would the most attacked.

[Khandro]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo