Post mortem forgiveness

Before we get started, please check out my previous article; In defense of the Deuterocanon

And please check out my latest on Locals; The mixed blessings of being a writer

You know, maybe it's because some of my mom's family is Jewish, but I still can't understand why the majority of Protestants reject the notion of Purgatory.  
And, lest I forget, I HAVE written about prayers for the dead; Remember to pray for your deceased friends and family
One might say, “Don't the Eastern Orthodox”? Well, it depends on what you mean. If you mean the idea that it's a purifying fire, then yes. But, Catholics don't actually have to accept that.
While I can't suggest everything Michael Lofton writes because of his seemingly contradictory view on Israel (he grew up there, now he condemns “Zionism”, even though he knows that Jews were already in Israel), I don't think that he has provided a usefully balanced view about Eastern Christian views on Purgatory, here;The Orthodox View of Purgatory Is Surprisingly Catholic (seriously, this is a good article).
Now, you might ask, well, “Didn't the reformers reject Purgatory”?
Question, are the reformers the Church fathers? PurgatoryAlso, while Jews might not call it Purgatory, they do pray for the dead,The Mourner’s Kaddish: A Memorial Prayer in Praise of God, Yizkor: The Jewish Memorial Service/.
And, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that I have a “Coffee and Christianity” episode about prayers for the dead. Coffee and Christianity: Episode 25: Prayers for the dead
But, I think, most importantly, isn't what I say, it's what Jesus says;
for context, it's in the section of Matthew dealing with anger.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable of judgment'. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to the hell of fire. So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny”. (Matthew 5:21-26)
Now, question for you, what is the last penny and how do you pay it?
Now, you could say, well, “That's if you're angry with your brother”, true! And, here's the thing, that actually fits in well WITH the definition of Purgatory;
“1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.604.The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:605
As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.606” (III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory)

So, what can we infer from this?  That prayers for the dead have a biblical, patristic, and Jewish basis, and that at least some sins are purified after death

 *All verses from ESV Catholic Edition with Deuterocanonical Books, Copyright 2017 by Crossway.