MOST CHRISTIANS today assume much but know little about their Christian religion. This generation assumes that Christianity’s two fundamental virtues are ignorance and self-interest. Sin is non-existent, God’s judgment becomes irrelevant and the Christian religion is an easy-to-break throw-away ornament.
BUT FOR Christians who cling to their religion while assuming much and knowing little, some real thinking about sin and judgment is needed and fast. If you are acting on the (even implicit) assumption that you can slipstream from this world to the next carrying a boatload of sins, expecting to offload them at God's throne and sail right into heaven because your "friend" died on a cross, you're not thinking.
(ACTUALLY, WILLFUL ignorance is not a virtue or bliss but stupidity. Neither is squalid self-interest a virtue in God’s sight but always wicked. Thinking Christianity has nothing to do with such stupidity and wickedness.)
THAT "SOMEWHERE else" is purgatory, a cleanup site where your soul is going to have to be scoured clean of debris and become presentable before you can sit down at heaven’s banquet table. We have known this teaching and taught it for 2,000 years. It is thoroughly attested by the Scriptures, the Magisterium and the Tradition—the three great witnesses standing on the rock of Peter. [cf. Mt 16:18]
THAT "SOMEWHERE else" is purgatory, a cleanup site where your soul is going to have to be scoured clean of debris and become presentable before you can sit down at heaven’s banquet table. We have known this teaching and taught it for 2,000 years. It is thoroughly attested by the Scriptures, the Magisterium and the Tradition—the three great witnesses standing on the rock of Peter. [cf. Mt 16:18]
THE SAINTS of heaven are persons reconciled to God on earth. What are the good works of the elect? They are the gold, silver and precious stones of the heavenly city Jerusalem. [Rev 21:18-21] What are not-reconciledsins but wood, hay and straw, cast forthand withered, gathered and thrown into the fire and burned. [Jn 15:6]
FOR NO other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire (purgatory) will test what sort of work each one has done.
IF THE work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. [1Cor 3:11-15]
