On Purgatory: A Reply to Leke Alder.

Dear Mr Leke Alder,I always respect your command of words and the erudite manner in which you untangle seemingly complicated issues, as most of your followers would equally attest. Recently, I stumbled on your postings on Purgatory and discovered a great many fallacies against which I would like to set the records straight.

Apologetic dialectics on church doctrines are what I had presumed that Christianity in my Country had outgrown; but a doctrinal accusation coming from a respected mind like you is one I cannot pass unnoticed, being aware of the sheer number of people that follow you on social media and their likelihood to be influenced by your thoughts, which this time I see as very flawed. I quickly remembered Christ’s words: ‘Call no man Teacher”.

What is the relevance? Why bother at all about a mundane medieval idiosyncratic issue as Purgatory? Because I am aware of the close connectivity between truth, freedom, destiny, and the grave danger that their denials pose to the masses. It is not simply for the sake of debate that I bring forth these issues, but that many whose freedom are likely to be affected by a distorted truth as this.

You may wonder how Purgatory, a universally repugnant idea, may be tied to freedom. I equally confess that the weights of things like work, pain, suffering, friction, gravity aren’t palatable. I would love a world where I wouldn’t have to face the consequences of my actions because I see daily the disproportionality of my acts with the goodness of God which calls for justice. This is the very reason I am and remain a Christian, because the Good News is that my absolute disproportionality with goodness is the very reason why Christ has died for me! (1 Timothy 1: 15).

In spite of the enormity of Christ’s action, why then do we still have to experience these pains? Why do we have to - as St Paul said - make up for what is lacking in Christ’s passion (Col 1: 24)? Why do we still have to pass through the friction and gravity of time and space within its errors and pains before experiencing the perfect glory He has won for us? Why do we have to ‘die’ like every other person when He has in fact conquered death for us? Why does the mystery of His resurrection seem so clouded? Shall I have to anastheasize the ideas of these realities as some are bent on doing? No, I wouldn’t, because I know why these still happen: it is because of love and mercy, love and mercy for us and for the whole world (2 Corinthians 4). Happiness is not to be found in much bothers about entering heaven, or of avoiding or denying purgatory or hell, but that of journeying upon this road of positivity and not of perambulation. Once we understand Mercy, every other issue become simple and uncomplicated.

Whilst I prefer that there is no such thing as Purgatory or hell, the reality is that they exist. To change anything, we have to accept its fact. If you deny a problem, the problem remains. I would like that Purgatory be emptied, and Hell be banished from man because it is not his portion (Mathew 25:41). Atheists have killed the idea of hell and some Christians have killed the idea of Purgatory, both happen for want of mercy. What is necessary is not to develop an alibi, but to be passionate about living, such that we can escape both hell and Purgatory.

Sceptics are likelier to experience reality in order to arrive at fullness of being, and this applies also to issues bothering on hell and purgatory. It would be as Morpheus told Neo in the Matrix film “Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself “. Alibi is no escape; it’s a complication of fact.

I must confess that the Church’s teachings are too deep for our modern mind; many would prefer a shallow a la carte faith than being bothered about perceived auxiliary doctrinal issues like Purgatory. We prefer the easier wider road by explaining uncomfortable truths away.God is merciful and just. It is up to us to realize how God’s justice is mercifully laden with mercy. The opposite of mercy is not justice, it is vengeance. What happens in Purgatory is far from Vengeance. Contrary to that which you quoted in your argument, the Church calls Purgatory a purification rather than a punishment (Catechism 1031), purification such that, even though it reflects God’s justice, is also full of His mercy.

Animists honour ancestors, Muslims remember loved one, nations keep in mind fallen soldiers, the electronic media are littered with historical channels, even scientists are getting more convinced about the reality of extra-terrestrials, yet some of my fellow Christians believe in a complete sever between life here and the hereafter. They block all contact, communications and experience of their departed loved ones from their memory, because it throws at them the reality and possibility of Purgatory, yet our Lord is the king of life and perpetuity. The consequence: Mediocrity and powerlessness as exists in our society.

Denial is not reality, it is not truth. We are not alone, life is a continuum, heaven is here, mercy is perpetual, reality is positive. Cut off memory and you have no progress. Christ has come so that we can experience the utmost depth of this reality. Live this reality intensely and be free! Do not be deceived and disappointed, cut your loved ones out today and somebody shall cut you out tomorrow, Even God succumbed Himself to our memory in other to reign in us. `Do this in memory of Me`. Memory is the force of future reality.

You mentioned that Mortal and Venial sins are Catholic doctrines; but they are well biblical too; read 1 John 5: 16-17. You claimed that the Church believes mortal sins are unforgivable; that is fallacious. All sins are indeed forgiveable, except the likes of that which you rightly mentioned: A conscious rejection of Christ’s sacrificial act might well put one in such grave danger of rejecting forgiveness; and this calls into question the rejection of the sacrificial dimension of the Eucharist by many Christians today.

Purgatory, like Easter, Christmas, Trinity, Incarnation and many other coined names by the Church are attempts to explain already known mysteries; it does not refer to the establishment of a new doctrine, as you tried to establish in your write-up. Purgatory was not formulated during the 12th century; the teaching has been, right from the time of Christ. Do not be confused by the word itself, look at the process, experience, witnesses and teachings.The Church, like medical sciences, has a good grasp at creating names. We spiritualize all ailments that we do not know their names in Africa and their cures remain out of grasp. When you call something by name, you already acknowledge its existence and so doing you’ve solved half the problem, it is part of the enabling beatific permission granted to Man before the fall and such is the power that Christ has bestowed on His Church,Purgatory is deeper a mystery to be simply explained out. Look beyond the name, perhaps you’ll get less scandalized. Many people have personal experiences of other worldly contacts with relatives and friends, for how long will you demonize their experiences? Anyone who says the prayer: ‘Rest in Peace’ subconsciously acknowledges this state needing prayer for liberation.

Christ, our one supreme Master described- amongst many such like descriptions-this process in Mathew 18: 23 – 35. He hinted at the possibility of ‘getting out’, but only when justice has been satisfied. Remember that Christ in His days did not explain away cultural realities of His times, realities like Ghosts, reincarnation, natural forces or the existence of spirits. He transcended them by His person, so faith in Him does, not by their denial. You tarnish truth by denial!

You mentioned at a point in your writing that the story of Lazarus and Dives (The Rich man) suggested Christ told about the existence of hell; but even with this story, many scholars have suggested that Christ’s dialogue about this event tells more about Purgatory than hell. Dives was still able to dialogue with Abraham; he was concerned about his 5 brothers (because he saw this relationship as a last resort of escape, he realised he wasn’t an island).

In hell, all communication with goodness shall be cut out, every hope of salvation shall be lost, all cares about others are not there; hell is too gory a place for an altruistic dialogue of love to abide, all breathes hatred and curses that live in hell! If we but realise the gravity of hell, we would be better placed to consider the merciful redemptive power of God in permitting the transit process of purgation than for man to rot in hell, for nothing unclean shall see the face of God. Ephesians 5: 5.

You spent much effort explaining away the scriptural depiction of Purgatory in 1 Corinthians 3: 10-15. A truth so blatant that I am sure much of your readers would struggle to understand your contra point of argument. Many approved it simply to authenticate the error they have held as truth all along. Truth is tough, but it is simple, you don’t need so much an effort at explaining it away. Until we take up the challenge of the possibility of unlearning what we have held as true, we shall remain stuck in falsehood and our society shall continue to suffer the menace of lies. Few people find it palatable to find out they have been ‘wrong all along’. Change is herculean, and without grace, it is impossible!A simple truth would not require the help of a complex ‘arguing away’, such that you attempted.

Take this comparison: In John chapter 6; Christ said ‘I am the Living Bread come down from heaven’. You can permute and combine the statement in whatever terms, like the Jews would want Christ to do, but it would not remove its direct simplicity and depth. When I see with what passion ‘Holy Communion’ is budding within our brethren churches today, my spirit is exalted for I am devotedly ecumenical and would love all Christians to come to the unity of faith. 20 years back, the practice of Holy Communion was almost non-existence within many of this block, and I can only pray that as they journey through the sacramental nature of the Church it would soon lead further to a deeper realisation about the ‘Real Presence’ and its ‘Sacrificial nature’. The case with the Eucharist is similar to what you are doing with Purgatory as you attempt to explain uncomfortable truths away. Truth always have a way of resurfacing, and the Church is the bulwark of truth 1Timothy 3: 15.

Back to the discourse on Purgatory, I need not mention 2 Maccabees 12: 42- 45 because you argued, in your opinion, that the book of Maccabees is not canonical, but at least no serious intellectual has denied its historicity because it gives a good awareness about the Jewish practices of praying and sacrificing in the hope of Resurrection of the dead, and yet, we the children of Resurrection (Luke 20: 36) are rejecting this fact. Paul himself aligned with the Pharisees who have hope in resurrection and believe in angels and existence of spirits (Acts 23: 6-8). As Hamlet tells Horatio I also say to you: ‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy’.

Have you heard about the Church Fathers, those great men of God who received instructions directly from the Apostles and whose writings persist to our time? Time will not permit me to detail their numerous teachings regarding realms of existence requiring prayers for those who have slept in Christ. Purgatory is far from being a middle age doctrine. Go, read the teachings of Church Fathers, the likes of St Irenaeus, St John Christotom, Origen, St Gregory the Great and St Athanasius; complement these with the Acts of the Apostles and you will improve your awareness about the reality of what the early Christians believe.

We can also see broad traces of devotion to departed Christians by the early Christians with the various Catacombs of Rome dating back to the first century. St Peter himself was buried beneath the present basilica of St Peter’s. Visit the Eastern Churches of Greece, Turkey and Egypt and you will find similar traditions dating back to the early Christians. It is just a weighty burden of irresponsibility for any Christian to deny the reality of practices and beliefs that are obviously Apostolic.

I tell you what happens when you deny Purgatory, you break off contact between here and the hereafter, and you see those who die in Christ as ‘dead’, not as ‘alive’, for you would prefer to have nothing to do with them. You become subconsciously judgemental of anyone who dies and you place them in a compartmentalized heaven or hell based on your caprices and you lock them up there forever. You forget history by killing memory. You become incredulous and become scared of the continuum of life. You cannot be a sustainable Christian that way, for you have watered down faith in the resurrection. A society that kills memory ultimately corrupts and gets absorbed by one which sustains memory. You see why your idea, albeit widespread, is very fatal and unhelpful to posterity.

The Church affirms belief about the Communion of Saints, and this is what it means, that the Church is 3 parts in 1 body of Christ: The Militants (Me and you on this plane of existence), The Triumphant (Those on the glorious plane in heaven) and The Suffering (Those souls being purged in Purgatory). Purgatory does not nullify the 4 last things (Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell) for it does not last.

Your view was very much alien to Christian belief until the 16th century when Martin Luther objected the sales of indulgences and denied in totality the ‘Purgatorium’ experience that fostered these sales. The doctrinal root cause of the Reformation crisis was the over exaltation of ‘work’ and its dare consequence by those Pastors who needed money. Since then, every descendant of the Lutheran revolt has perpetuated such hatred and denial of work in its extremity. Balancing, not denial, is what makes Christianity thick; after all, the cause of your objection against Purgatory is principally based on 1 Corinthian 3: 10-15, the gist of which was about ‘works being burnt’. Read 1 Peter 1 : 7 and you’ll realise that this work which is to be tested by fire is nothing but our faith, the basis of which Luther lauded as a prerequisite for salvation. Do not destroy work, for faith, that through which we shall be justified (Galatians 2: 16), is also work (John 6: 29), and it is a supernatural gift of God. Resurrection does not spare us the journey, if you ignore the work (which is laden with mercy for a man of faith), you are simply postponing your job of atonement and it is tougher across the bridge.

Your challenge of Purgatory, like Martin Luther’s challenge of the sales of Indulgence, risks the event of throwing away the baby of truth together with the water of superstition. The superstition and corruption involved in the sales of indulgence shouldn’t have warranted the entire denial of the reality of Purgatory. You may ask where the Lutheran Church is today and how widespread they are. Lie does not last.

The Sales of indulgence issue is similar to the Tithe and Offering issue happening in our society today. Many today are angry with our Pastors regarding the scandals of tithing and offerings and, like Luther, some attempt to argue away their biblical necessities. It is not tithing that are wrong; it is the scandals caused by our Pastors through their selfish propaganda.

The scandal of tithing is there, but stopping it will be unbiblical, so will be your effort at explaining Purgatory away.