On New Year’s Eve I
was listening to a radio talk show host, and the discussion turned to the
difference between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. The host’s guest, a
college president, observed that the Catholic doctrine of purgatory had the
advantage of being “more fair.”
His example: think
of Ted Bundy, a serial killer, and let’s say he had a death-bed conversion to Christ. He
goes to heaven. And then consider a person who lives a good life, but never
believes in Jesus. He goes to hell. At least in purgatory
Bundy would have to suffer a while before going to heaven.