Purgatory: The Evidence

 

There are reasons to be suspicious of Near Death Experiences. There may be secrets that those who are ultimately going to return to life must not take back with them. Other secrets, shameful things, those returning might not want others to know. I imagine all we hear of is the vestibule of the next life. But such as it is, I learn from more than one researcher that people near death most commonly report a “life review,” in which they experience all the pain or pleasure they have caused others.

It has always seemed to me that, given a just God and a just universe, this must be so. This is what purgatory is about. One cannot enter heaven until the slate is clean. 

It also follows that anyone who has undergone great suffering in this life must be compensated in the next. This is promised, indeed, in the gospel of Luke, and in the story of Dives and Lazarus. 

“Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh…. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.”

Not at this point, in purgatory—it would delay entry into heaven, and so would be no compensation. Nor would it seem proper to elide any harms caused to others to compensate for this suffering. That would be an imperfect life review. 

Therefore, we must assume a hierarchy; some are greater than others in the kingdom of heaven, beyond purgatory. As, indeed, the gospels tell us. 

“he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

“anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

It all seems to fit, on the initial premise that there is a God.