excreationist

That group of books is called the Apocrapha ("hidden things"). It is in the Septuagint, which is a Greek version of the O.T. (rather than an original Hebrew version).
The Latin Vulgate includes the O.T., N.T. and the Aprocrapha.

[ June 02, 2002: Message edited by: excreationist ]</p>

Marduk

The "pseudopigrapha" refers to a book like "the book of Enoch" it is a work attributed to someone who did not write it. Enoch lived before Noah but the book he "wrote" did not appear for a thousand years after he died.
These books are pretty cool, very sci-fiish The book of Noah, the book of Adam etc. all non cannon.
Ancient astronaut/alien guys like Van Daniken & Sitchin get a lot of mileage from this stuff.
a quote from one of the "Apocalypse of Abraham"
"and two beings, neither man nor animal, took me into the air, as if with wings, and placed me aboard a great ship which rotated on it's own axis"

Eudaimonist

When I was little, I was a Catholic kid who went to a Catholic elementary school complete with Bene Gesserit style nuns. I was taught by the nuns that Purgatory was a "dreary, dark place sort of like a prison cell". Not exactly in those words, but that was the idea. It was supposed to be a place where you do nothing but pray and wait for your turn to enter Heaven. No mention of torture.

I wonder if some Pope had changed his mind about Purgatory? Does anyone know?

Queen of Swords

When I was little, the nuns showed us pictures of people in a pool of fire, which rose to waist level for the men and shoulder level for the women. All the people were praying to go to heaven, and we were told that Purgatory was like that.

In case you're wondering about the difference between that and hell, in the picture of hell demons mingled with the people, and there was more flaying than praying.

braces_for_impact

I remember hearing something about purgatory a long time ago. I remember reading somewhere that the old catholic church instituted purgatory as a means to make money. People who were too good for hell but not good enough for heaven went there. It was supposedly not as bad as hell, but certainly not heaven. A priest was somehow able to tell you when your recently deceased relative was in this place. How do you get 'em up to paradise? Easy! Just go to church say a few prayers and drop some money in the plate. You get a note for your efforts. A 'pergatory note'. Collect enough notes, bring 'em back to the priest when you have whatever amount he told you was required, and whammo! Instant heaven for your relative! Anyone confirm this?

beachbum

I would imagine that the worse you make purgatory sound the easier it would be to sell "indulgences" which many catholic church leaders did. Each indulgence moved a soul out of purgatory just that much quicker.
Also doesn't every candle that is lighted for a soule also shorten the time and aren't the candles sold (donations) at the church? I am a former protestant so my knowledge of catholocism is vague.

Veil of Fire

I always liked the river of boiling blood, myself.