[boatbums]

Here is ALL of what I said on the topic:

The words "heaven" and "hell" certainly are in Scripture. The word "purgatory", though is NOT. There doesn't NEED to be unanimous consensus for Protestants on Purgatory since that dogma is REJECTED. Even the Orthodox reject it! My point is that if your religion is going to make something dogma, mandatory to be believed, invent "rules" for how to get people out and other associated doctrines like prayer to departed saints, the treasury of merit, Mary being used to get people out, etc. shouldn't it be expected to have some sort of detail figured out before it gets cemented as an infallible dogma??? Even the meager attempts to appeal to Scripture passages for proof texts is inadequate and it is already known that the Roman Catholic church says she doesn't NEED to rely upon God's word since truth is whatever they say it is.

Maybe that's just peachy fine for some people, but it isn't for me. I know that what God intends for us to believe about Him IS contained in His sacred word and it won't be dependent on some people centuries later finally getting around to figuring it out.

So, rather than addressing only a snippet of my point, why don't you respond to the ACTUAL point? If even many Roman Catholics disagree on the specifics of this place called "Purgatory" as well as what goes on there, then you will have to admit that the Roman Catholic church mandating a belief in it and inventing methods and other dogmas relating to the details, has no real leg to stand on other than the truth is whatever they say it is at the time they say it. That may be sufficient for some RCs, but it isn't and hasn't been for Protestants, Orthodox and other non-Catholic Christians.

[Heart-Rest]

"So, rather than addressing only a snippet of my point, why don't you respond to the ACTUAL point? If even many Roman Catholics disagree on the specifics of this place called "Purgatory" as well as what goes on there, then you will have to admit that the Roman Catholic church mandating a belief in it and inventing methods and other dogmas relating to the details, has no real leg to stand on other than the truth is whatever they say it is at the time they say it. That may be sufficient for some RCs, but it isn't and hasn't been for Protestants, Orthodox and other non-Catholic Christians. "

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Well, first of all, boatbums, I think it will work much better if you decide what you are going to focus on and address in your posts, and that you let me decide what I'm going to focus on and address in my posts.     :-)

Now, when a surgeon is removing a small tumor from someone's body, should the surgeon's attention be diffused over the whole body while they are operating, or should they focus on the small tumor they are removing?

(If you don't want a particular sentence in your post focused on and addressed by other posters for some reason, the best thing would be to not put that particular sentence into your post in the first place.)

You said that purgatory was "REJECTED", so I wanted to point out the truth of the matter, that it was not rejected by the Catholic Church, and is was also not rejected by some Protestant Christians, and it was also not rejected by some Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Regarding the vague and imprecise knowledge we have about purgatory, the truth is that we also only have vague and imprecise knowledge about heaven, and we also only have vague and imprecise knowledge about hell as well.    The Bible tells us:

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But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.    1 Corinthians 2:9

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.    1 Corinthians 13:12

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If you allow that vague and imprecise knowledge to disqualify purgatory, then logically, you should also disqualify any belief in a "heaven" or a "hell" for the exact same reason, since we only have very vague and imprecise knowledge about those two places/concepts as well.

The teachings and revelations of God and God's Church are not a matter of "consensus" of the members of the Church, or what all Catholics happen to agree on.    (We would probably never have any teachings then, as there is probably no teaching which everyone agrees on exactly.)

Rather, the teachings of the Church are based on the truth as given by God to His Church, whether that truth is accepted by people or not.    God does not authorize a vote to see which teachings people should be required to accept and believe in, but, rather, tells us what the truth is that we should all believe.    Everyone has free will and can choose to dissent from those teachings of the truth, but that does not invalidate those truths in the least.

As the Church plainly teaches, there is a "purgatory" or "purgative state" that some souls will pass through after their life on earth ends (on their way to heaven), and we do not know exactly what that experience will be like for them, or exactly how it will work, but we do know that it prepares them for heaven.