hey Joe O

what's a plenary indulgence? (do i have it right?)
jande
i didn't read the cadfael books,but i certainly enjoyed the pbs/tv series
lilHawk
isn't an idiot waking up sort of an oxymoron?

peace (Y) thosp

---

Thosp, a plenary indulgence is like a commutation of your sentence in Purgatory. You receive an indulgence for doing some sort of spiritual exercise or good work which atones for past wrongdoing. If you get a plenary indulgence, you get the punishment for all past misdeeds wiped off the slate.
Can't say I think too highly of the idea of purgatory or indulgences. They come from a quantitative measurement of the relationship between God and people, and I don't think in those categories. However, I do think that if you do good things, it makes you a better person. The idea of an indulgence gives some people something concrete to grab on, and maybe concrete can be good in this nebulous world.
-Joe Offer-