Why Protestants dont believe in Purgatory?

R. Eric Sawyer
21 August 2014
I am not Roman Catholic, but Episcopalian/Anglican. I am by no means up-
to-date on current Catholic teaching, but a little bit on church history, and the
case on my own side of the aisle.
The most fundamental answer is that this doctrine of purgatory, or perhaps its
misuse and corruption in certain places, was the match that touched o the
powderkeg of the protestant revolt/reformation. That memory is pretty deep in
our DNA, even if most protestants dont remember what it was about.
One of the ways the church used early on in describing how a person could
benet from the perfect life of Jesus was called the "Treasury of Merit" in that
good works could be applied, or credited, to the soul of one in need. Sort of
like the story of the "Good Samaritan" taking care of a wounded stranger, and
leaving money at the inn to pay for whatever was needed for the wounded mans
recovery. That merit can be applied to me, to "cover my account" so to speak,
even though I dont deserve it. That "unmerited favor" is a denition of grace,
and is (or was, I am giving the historical teaching as best I understand, I know
little of current thought) available through the sacraments.
If I were to die with unconfessed sin, with a "negative balance" so to speak, there
was a way to tidy up my account, through my suerings in purgatory. Or, if my
friends and family cared for me, they could do good works, or pious deeds in my
name to shorten my time, and hasten my release into heaven.
Now, so far, I have disagreements. But hear comes the match to the powder
keg...
Of all the possible good deeds, who could deny that the giving of money to the
work of the Church was of high order? And of what worth was it to pray for
dear Aunt Agetha (or ones mother), if one was not also willing to sacrice for
her? Is that not a sorry sort of prayer? At least, this was the tone taken by
certain men empowered to go among the people as pardoners - collecting funds
for one work or another, good or bad, to rell the coers of the vatican on the
peoples love and fear for their family -or for themselves. Johan Tetzel (one such
man) saying "As soon as a coin in the coer rings, a soul from purgatory springs"
is an example. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ind... Martin Luther objected
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vociferously, and included it as one of the points of his complaint against the
Church.
I understand that Roman Catholic practice has moderated a great deal -although
I dont myself know how far, just because I dont follow the issue. It may be
totally renounced. But this is the form of doctrine to which protestants usually
object, if they can identify it at all.
My own branch of the Church, originally formed as the Church or England has
an interesting take on it in our "Articles of Religion," one of our foundational
documents. In these Articles, there is a denouncement of "the Romish doctrine
of purgatory..."
Some have always taken this to mean that purgatory is a doctrine belonging
to Rome, and is denounced. Others, including myself, read this as saying that
the "ROMISH doctrine" is denounced. It is silent as to whether there might
be other ways of undertstanding purgatory that make more sense. The view
articulated by Tim Lockwood in this thread is one such view from a modern
Roman Catholic.
My own take is one that C.S. Lewis, a prominant member of the Church or
England, led me to. The idea is that although our perfect transformantion into
a tting likeness of Christ, growth into the Holiness apropriate in the will of
God for us will not happen in this life -we will grow and improve, but we are not
likely to get there. And yet, we are promised in the bible what it will happen.
Jesus is "the Author and Finisher of our faith" and "we know that we shall be
like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." It will happen, and not by my eorts,
or working the right program -it is a gift from God to those who will allow it.
So--- how is this done? Is it a process? If so, that process could be called a
purgation, a purging of the old me that is left, a cleansing; that could deserve a
name like "purgatory." Or perhaps it takes no time at all. But if we are talking
about a mode of existance that is somehow beyond time, is there a dierenct
between "instant" and "having duration" ?
And I have to confess that I dont know. I am so dependant on "time" that such
questions are meaningless to me. At least the answers are over the horizon.
Lewis picture was of an orphan showing up, bedraggled and muddy, at door to
a party in a grand house. The hosts are very kind and welcoming to him -"come
in! no one will mind in the slightest. We are overjoyed that you are here!" and
the person at the door says "thank you sir! but would you mind terribly if I
washed up rst?" That would be purgatory.
Why do Protestants do not believe in Purgatory (R. Eric Sawyer, Quora)
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