[Scared to post] Serious misunderstanding about the Virgin Mary...

No offense at all.

According to my understanding of the Bible-
Mary conceived Jesus by a miracle of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus' father was God.
Mary and Joseph 'consumated' things after she was pregnant or after He was born.

 

not really a biblical scholar, but i suspect whole vigin birth aspects kinda renders the question moot.

 

Most Catholics belive that Mary remained a virgin her entire life and that she and Joseph never "consummated" the marriage. But I believe it's not an official Church position, it's just the commonly held belief. Personally, I don't think it makes a big difference one way or the other.

 

I thought Jesus had other siblings. I can't back it up. I would have to call my dad, the Sunday school teacher, for verification.

 

again, depends on who you ask. the Catholic position has been that he didn't. most Protestants would tell you that his syblings were half-brothers ans sisters. James is one, for example.

 

There are about ten instances in the New Testament where "brothers" and "sisters" of the Lord are mentioned (Matt. 12:46; Matt. 13:55; Mark 3:31–34; Mark 6:3; Luke 8:19–20; John 2:12, 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5)... most devout Catholics believe that in those passages the terms were used in a more broader sense (not regarding blood siblings).

Being Baptist Mary has no meaning to me other then the fact that she was chosen by God to be the mother of Christ. Bapists and most Protestants don't look up to Mary the way Catholics do and don't hold her post-Jesus-birth virginity in any regard. I'm not sure exactly how you would classify the way Catholics look up to the Mary (I'm not Catholic), but to my understanding they look at her just above how they look at saints. One area where my beliefs strongly disagree with those of Catholicism is their faith in Saints and the virgin Mary.

I believe since she married Joseph that she did indeed consumate the marriage and the "two became one" as the Bible dictates should happen. Either way, it isn't important to me or my faith because how she lived plays no real role in my faith... obviously she was a great person but what she did or didn't do in her life after the birth of Christ has no bearing on my belief system.

 

What, that you can ask Mary to pray for you like you can any other person? Why is that a big deal?

 

If he did, they'd have be in the biggest shadow of any celebrity sibling of all time. Eric Roberts and Frank Stallone would have nothing on those kids...

 

They probably would want it that way. Nazereth rejected Jesus, thus proving the saying "you can't go home again".

Imagine growing up with Jesus as your brother. Hey does he really think he is the Messaih? Why can't you be more like your brother. Hey bring your brother to the party in case we run out of wine.

 

I don't think Jesus would qualify as a b*stard since Joseph and Mary did marry. Whether Joseph sired Jesus or not, he was understood to be Jesus' father. In fact, in some of the geneologies, they describe Joseph's descent even though he isn't supposed to be a blood-relative.

 

I thought Benico Del Toro explained it all at the beginning of "Snatch"?!


Catholic stance here:

http://www.catholic.com/library/Brethren_of_the_Lord.asp
http://www.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq/yq16.html

Honestly, studying Mary has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. If anyone is intrested, there is this wonderful work by the theologian Hans Urs Von Balthazar by the name of "The Threefold Garland". Mary is very important to us Catholics, so its important that our stance is understood by youze guys...

 

I never said it was a big deal, Catholics have their beliefs and I have mine. To me, Mary is already in heaven so she has no reason to pray for me. The only people "up there" that can help me are the father and the son. The others in heaven have fulfilled their duties and shouldn't be burdened with the worries of the world.

 

So you have never talked to someone who has died? You don't know anything and are just making stuff up.

 

No, I've never talked to anyone who has died... I'll see them soon enough.

Simply because my beliefs are different then yours I am "making it all up?" I mentioned above that I disagree with Catholics beliefs in saints and them holding the Virgin Mary to a higher presence then any other Christian... but there are millions of protestants that disagree with that too. I've been dating a Catholic for 3 years now, and we discuss this all the time, there are many ways where our beliefs differ but I'm not going to say "you're wrong and I'm right" because when all is said and done the only thing that matters is if you believe Jesus is the son of God and was sent to die for our sins. All the other "stuff" is just beliefs and interpretations passed down from generation to generation and in the grand scheme of things they don't really matter. The Bible is "The Living Word" and many of it's meanings and interpretations come down to the individual's relationship with God and how He decides to use it in their lives.

Also, you have offered NO input as to what you believe or why you believe it throughout this entire topic... fell free to fill us all in on what you believe rather then bashing what I believe with your well thought out one line posts.

 

Actually Chris Rock explains it all in Dogma. I just find it hard to believe that God is actually Alanis Morisette.

 

Mary's mother was a virgin, as well. Mary didn't just have sin removed from her by God, but she was created without it from the beginning.

 

No way could God be Canadian!

 

Looks like we are going back to the metaphor thread: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=104142&page=2&pp=30

Didn't God hold her up to a higher presence?

 

Conception was from God, and God is always with us, then no, Jesus is not a b*stard.