Purgatory Doctrine Essay Example

Despite the rise of contemporary religious beliefs that threatens to eradicate certain Christian beliefs, people continue to practice particular principles in their quest for eternal life. Catholics conduct religious rituals in commemorating certain doctrines attached to the church's beliefs and traditions. For instance, the church acknowledges life after death for the righteous and believes in God's mercy to the extent that the dead get prayed so that their sins can get cleansed and receive eternal life thereafter. It is on this Catholic's Christian foundation that the purgatory doctrine got established and continues to get observed world over by Christian churches. Purgatory doctrine informs the basis for the prayer offered for the departed souls despite the emergence of contradictory teachings.

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The origin and emergence of purgatory doctrine can get traced to the teachings and scriptures attached with the Old Testament. It is construed as a physical place where the dead serve preliminary punishment while awaiting their judgment. Purgatory principles take cognizance of the levels and degrees of sins. Even though God's wrath targets sinners regardless of their magnitude, His Merciful nature provides for a reprieve for people that fall asleep in the hope of resurrection. The doctrine aims at rewarding people that continued to serve the Lord but died with some forgivable sins (Bathrellos, 2014). It gets supported by Biblical scriptures as showcased in the book of Maccabees in which it elaborates the essence of praying for the dead so that their sins can be cleansed. The vulnerable nature of humans compels them to sin despite their purity aspiration. Some people serve the Lord during their lifetime but fall into temptations which taint their soul and require a temporary place for purification when they die. It is out of such an insatiable desire for soul purification upon death that the relevance of the purgatory doctrine gets established.

Scholars contradict their understanding of purgatory doctrine with some painting it as a Catholic traditional faith devoid of biblical foundation. Most Protestant churches often shun the practice and associate the dead with an evil spirit that does not require further recognition. However, Catholic congregants that ascribed to the teachings of purgatory construe it as final sanctification in which people that served the Lord but slightly committed deeds that cannot merit righteousness get cleansed. Ideally, it serves a useful purpose despite its reactionary nature. St Paul acknowledges sanctification purpose for Christians that endeavor to attain Christ's purity. Purgatory responds to the contradictory sermons regarding sin (Corbett, 2014). Even though the Bible accounts that God forgives those that confess their sins, it contradicts on the magnitude of sins. The Bible synonymously resemble a constitution that serves a rightful purpose but on a contradictory stance. For instance, one would wonder if God would treat a murder equally with a petty thief or someone that sin simply by telling a lie unknowingly. Purgatory doctrine acknowledges that not every sin can get forgiven as there is absolute wrongdoing in which the perpetrator acknowledges consciously before succumbing to it (Corbett, 2014). People that committed sin in their deathbed due to human's weakness can get prayed during their staying at purgatory so that they get forgiven and inherit eternal life.

The usefulness of purgatory doctrine lies with the human weakness that drives them into sin. It should get understood that many people found their actions between good and evil. The doctrine allows for people that believe in God to enter heaven if their souls get cleansed while in purgatory. The pain endured during purgatory serves a useful purpose in living Christians to advance a lifestyle of purity knowing that harsh punishment awaits the wicked once they die. It also demonstrates God's love for humanity in preserving their souls for eternality despite their shortfalls while on earth. However, there exists a section of Christians that oppose purgatory and acknowledge only one judgment premised on purity and righteousness. Such a faction magnifies the salvation sermons in which moderation is shunned while extremities get encouraged. The teachings of such followers demand that one chooses either purity or sin and not falling in between (Pasulka, 2014). Even though the doctrine demand that people offer mass and alms among other religious rituals while interceding for souls in purgatory, the protestants that belief in salvation refutes its claims. Their belief only acknowledges the holy souls who conducted their ways in accordance with righteous practices of Christ but does not intercede for the departed souls and, therefore, they oppose purgatory doctrine.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the foundation of purgatory gets associated with the teachings of the old testament that acknowledges eternal life. However, it is perceived as a reactionary approach in ensuring that forgivable sinners enter heaven despite their shortcomings while on earth. The doctrine allows the dead to suffer temporary while awaiting favorable judgment from the merciful and forgiving God. Nevertheless, some followers that opposed Catholic's traditions refute claims of its foundation as they focus on salvation scriptures. Therefore, this paper has discussed purgatory from the standpoint of its summary origin, usefulness and those that opposed it as espoused herein.

References

Bathrellos, D. (2014). Love, Purification, and Forgiveness versus Justice, Punishment, and Satisfaction: The Debates on Purgatory and the Forgiveness of Sins at the Council of Ferrara-Florence. The Journal of Theological Studies, 65(1), 78-121.

Corbett, G. (2014). The Christian Ethics of Dante's Purgatory. Medium Aevum. Retrieved from https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/8055

Pasulka, D. W. (2014). Heaven Can Wait for Purgatory in Catholic Devotional and Popular Culture. Oxford University Press.