KCbob...just a few questions...
Since this was originally addressed to me I will answer it based on my understanding of Catholic doctrine.
1) Are you under the belief that EVERYBODY goes to purgatory regardless of whether they are saved or not?
3) Can a person that is not saved but has lived a good life "work" their way into heaven through purgatory?
There is a saved/not saved decision before Purgatory because Purgatory is for the saved who die with some imperfections or attachments to lesser sins. Such persons would not be cut off forever from God but would need further "purification" (what we Catholics traditionally call Purgatory) to stand in God's presence where
nothing unclean shall enter (Revelation 21:27). Just
declaring to be clean is not enough, we must
actually be clean.
2) Are you saying that people progress through purgatory at different rates?
To be honest the exact nature of Purgatory is unclear but the Catholic Church does not teach that it is a "place" like the earth or moon because those in Purgatory are spirits. Nor does the Church teach that there is a physical fire. The Catholic Church does not know, nor anyone for that matter, who might need Purgatory and since those in Purgatory are beyond earth's space and time it is not possible to know "how long" anyone might be there. What the Church does believe is that these spirits are not beyond our reach, that they can be helped by our prayers.
4)Assuming there really is a purgatory, why wouldn't Jesus have spoken specifically about it and/or had a name for it? Does it make sense that heaven and hell are named, referred to frequently and described in detail but that there would be no actual dialogue about "purgatory"? That to me is the biggest reason for not believing that such a place exists.
(Sigh) The verses I quoted, and others, ARE an actual dialogue about Purgatory, but it is not specifically named that in the Bible. Neither are the Trinity and the Incarnation "named" in the Bible by the way. Try to think about Purgatory this way, God's mercy extends even beyond death!
During my studies I always try and find out from the Bible or other writings just what the earliest Christians did, the ones that knew Jesus the Christ or the Apostles personally. I am driven by John 21:25,
there are many other things that Jesus did ..., that is not in the Bible. Well here are just a few examples of what the earliest Christians did; the earliest Christians during the persecutions inscribed prayers for the dead in the Catacombs. Some of the earliest Christian writings like the "Acts of Paul and Thecla" in the second century included prayers for the dead. Finally, St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, in the fourth century asked her son to remember her soul while he was saying Mass. None of the early Church writings ever offered any discourse on praying for the dead. The Bible also includes prayers for the dead; 2 Timothy 1:18 and 2 Maccabees 12:38-46.
In a heaven and hell only theology why pray for the dead? Those in heaven would not need our prayers and those in Hell would be beyond our prayers. Purgatory does not disparage the sacrifice of the Cross I feel it amplifies it. It shows a loving God, a forgiving God, a God of second chances, a God who loves us so much that he does not want to go to Hell for our sinful life so His mercy even extends beyond our death if we have imperfections remaining! His love,
saved by passing through fire, consumes our imperfections and makes us perfectly clean to stand in his presence, because
nothing unclean shall enter.
ope Damasus Canonized the New Testament (you and your wife's bible pal)that you follow..Another question is why do you follow that canon? There are hundreds of Deutero-canonical books that could be added to the second canon of the bible...if you hate the pope so much why do you accept Damasus' new testament? 
