Was Jesus ever married (Jesus Christ, Moses, Earth, Messiah, gospel)

[Snowbear]

Originally Posted by Djamila

Yes, I don't know how the structure of these American denominations works. I've never heard of them existing in Europe. But the Roman Catholic Church in America had some of the most infamous sex scandals of the Roman Catholic world, and the... Anglican Church? Has that split because of the gay bishop. I forget the rest.

We're overlapping each other's responses here

But as I said in my other response, the non-Catholic churches here in the US are not at all similar in structure to the Catholics.

But yes, there have been some very unfortunate and ugly scandals here, usually involving various levels of church leadership and children. This in no way implies that all priests are gay or that gay men join the priesthood to 'fit in' with society.

Originally Posted by Djamila

like I'm being condescending? I make people so defensive and I really don't mean to.

Maybe a little... but I think it's more of a misunderstanding of cultural and religious differences and misconceptions. I don't get the impression you are deliberately trying to go on the offensive

[Djamila]

Originally Posted by Snowbear

We're overlapping each other's responses here

But as I said in my other response, the non-Catholic churches here in the US are not at all similar in structure to the Catholics.

But yes, there have been some very unfortunate and ugly scandals here, usually involving various levels of church leadership and children. This in no way implies that all priests are gay or that gay men join the priesthood to 'fit in' with society.

Maybe a little... but I think it's more of a misunderstanding of cultural and religious differences and misconceptions than it is you deliberatly trying to go on the offensive

In Europe it was just... saying gay men joined the Church to be accepted is like saying... housewives drank cough medicine to deal with life in the 30s. There was lots of cough medicine in everyone's cabinet, and there was lots of homosexuals in the church - can we say without a doubt the reasons for it, of course not. But it's generally accepted.

But paedophiles, I agree, have nothing to do with homosexuals. Homosexuals like men. Paedophiles like the androgenous bodies of small children, their non-sexual attributes is what paedophiles are attracted to and for most boys or girls work just as well.

Oh, my God - offensive, really? LOL Oy... I get defensive fairly easily. It takes me a while to notice if someone is trying to have an honest conversation with me or if they're just spouting their prejudice in polite ways, but I can say honestly I very rarely go on an offensive. My mind isn't closed, and I do enjoy discussing these things.

[Snowbear]

Originally Posted by Djamila

Oh, my God - offensive, really? LOL Oy... I get defensive fairly easily. It takes me a while to notice if someone is trying to have an honest conversation with me or if they're just spouting their prejudice in polite ways, but I can say honestly I very rarely go on an offensive. My mind isn't closed, and I do enjoy discussing these things.

Oh No!! I said I DON'T think you were deliberately trying to go on the offensive (In other words, I DON'T think you were attacking). It's not your style at all.

I know what you mean, though. I'm a pretty crappy communicator and folks quite often take my meaning to be the complete opposite of what I actually tried to say. Even just asking a question the wrong way gets perceived as an attack. It's been cause for some folks to take a pretty strong dislike to me on this board. Unfortunately, I'm not as good as you at defusing it, though.... so it usually just gets worse

[Djamila]

Hahaha, oh I'm the same, Snowbear. I'm very stubborn. If I've been nothing but nice to someone, and they think I'm a horrid *****... lets just say I make sure their expectations are not dissappointed.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Djamila

If I've been nothing but nice to someone, and they think I'm a horrid *****... lets just say I make sure their expectations are not dissappointed.

You too, huh?

[exgirlfriend]

I like to think that he was married. It helps me relate to him better. If I don't think of him as married, then he really seems untouchable to me. I have a lot of problems relating to Jesus, and thinking of him as married brings me closer to him. That's just me though.

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by exgirlfriend

I like to think that he was married. It helps me relate to him better. If I don't think of him as married, then he really seems untouchable to me. I have a lot of problems relating to Jesus, and thinking of him as married brings me closer to him. That's just me though.

It's not just you. I feel the same way.

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

What makes Matthew any less reliable than Luke or John?

I do not believe I suggested such a thing. I personally find it to be somewhat more absurd, but certainly no less reliable.

[James the Persian]

The Orthodox Church does not, and never did, teach that St. Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. She is one of our most important saints, is considered to have preached the Gospel both in Ephesus and to the Emperor (which is where the story behind our red Paschal eggs comes in) and was never considered to be the same person as the unnamed sinful woman. The conflation of the two women was the mistake of Pope St. Gregory the Great and whilst the idea became popular in the west it was never taken up in the east. St. Mat=ry Magdalene is, in fact, known as 'Equal to the Apostles'. Even if she had been a prostitute, though, this wouldn't have been a reason to denigrate her in any way. Another very important saint, Mary of Egypt, was a prostitute and St. Moses the Ethiopian was a bandit and murderer, both obviously prior to their conversions. We do not believe, though, and nor do I know of any evidence to suggest it (other than in some apocryphal Gnostic writings), that Christ was ever married to anyone, whether St. Mary Magdalene or anyone else.

James

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by JamesThePersian

We do not believe, though, and nor do I know of any evidence to suggest it (other than in some apocryphal Gnostic writings), that Christ was ever married to anyone, whether St. Mary Magdalene or anyone else.

This again raises the interesting question: What constitutes probative evidence?