Doctrines divide Western religions, but they share at least one common belief: This life is a sojourn on the longer road of eternal life. "What happens to the soul when it reaches God?" Rabbi Solomon Agin of the Reform Temple Shalom in Port Charlotte said.

It sounds too good to be true. Now, for a limited time — the year of St. Paul, to be specific, which ends in June — say a prayer, pop by a designated church and qualify for an indulgence that deducts time from your scorching sojourn in the cleansing fires of purgatory.