Tag Archives: eschatology

Purgatory Pickle Redux

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A fellow by the name of Charles recently commented on an old purgatory post of mine that has long since sunken below the horizon. He says:

“Why do Catholics use 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 to prove Purgatory? It couldn’t be plainer in the text that the fire will reveal all works on ‘the Day’. The Day of Christ at judgment. ‘ The Day’ is too obvious but surprisingly overlooked by Catholics.”

My first reaction would be to say that Catholics believe in two judgments, personal and universal. We are faced with personal judgment when we die. The universal comes when Christ returns to Earth to judge all of mankind. On “the Day”, that is the day of our judgment, our works are tested by fire. That fire is not literal, of course, but suffering of some kind is implied. I see no contradiction whatsoever regarding purgation and judgment.

What are your thoughts?

Christian Bereavement

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Apropos in light of the pope’s passing:

“The faith of Christ teaches more than courage in the face of death. Our attitude to death is transformed. As we come to a more intimate experience of the reality of God, we may enter into the overcoming power and strength of the great words of Christ, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life.’ Death is swallowed up in victory. For those we love it is no longer a dark place but an entrance into fuller light of God. Though we naturally grieve at the withdrawal of loved friends from our physical sight, we may still rejoice in their new freedom. The dead are not lost to us; they are still our friends in the service of the Eternal.”
– London Yearly Meeting; Report and Draft Revision of Christian Discipline, Parts I and II, Revision Committee, 1959 (quote found in Faith and Practice, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1972)

Protestant Defends Purgatory

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Those following the discussion about purgatory, might find this Musings of a Pertinacious Papist post interesting.

"Jerry L. Walls is not a Catholic. He is professor of philosophy and religion at Asbury Theological Seminary, a conservative evangelical Methodist seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He teaches an annual C.S. Lewis seminar, which is one of the school's most popular offerings. Thirteen years ago he published a widely-discussed book entitled Hell: The Logic of Damnation (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1992). Ten years later, he has published Heaven: The Logic of Eternal Joy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), which has also been receiving wide attention, among other things for his treatment of Purgatory."

Saved/Judged as the Body?

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Michael Gallaugher, of Christian Conservative, asks the following question.

Nearly all people of faith believe their fate before God will depend largely upon our individual lives. However, some people believe the judgement awaiting us in the next life will not only be weighed against our lives as individuals, but the fruit of the broader culture we take part in shaping as well. I’m curious to get your reaction to the latter belief.

To which I responded:

The Catholic Church teaches that there will be both a particular
judgement and a last judgement.
We also believe that the faithful are not only saved as individual souls, but also
as the Mystical Body of
Christ.

This was not well-received by the Protestant commenters. I’m not sure if they really oppose the Church’s views or oppose them because they are “Romish” views. Could any of Protestant readers clarify this for me? Would any of my Catholic readers be able/willing to help me defend the Church?

Holy Cow!

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In a bizarre bid to bring about the Apocalypse, a group of over-zealous Christians are trying to breed and then sacrafice a pure red cow. I’m not sure why anyone would believe they could force the hand of God. Attempting to force the hand of someone will great power over you, however benevolent, doesn’t strike me as a good idea. Anyhow, in the meantime, the rest of us sane Christians are shaking our heads and cringing in anticipation of derisive laughter from the rest of the world. (Thanks, No Religion Now)