First of about the debt/purgatory thing. I think I said what you said but didn't say as much when I said it. Or at least I tried to.

Second, about the sleeping thing:
1 Thess 4:13-18 (NIV)
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.

New Revised Standard, New Living, and probably some others say "those who have died" NIV, KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB, say some version of those who have fallen asleep. The greek seems to indicate Paul is using a euphemism for "Those dead guys" but it seems to me that being dead, to the Christian anyway, is more like taking a nap than anything else.

I'm going with asleep. God's grace is sufficient to keep us out of Purgatory or we're all in a world of hurt.

Josh
"...the word of God is not bound."--2 Timothy 2:9