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Here's a question...

Did Jesus have older brothers??

hard to be the first born if he did

well it would have been hard for Mary to be a virgin if he did

He did! They were his 1/2 brothers.

Originally posted by debbiejo
He did! They were his 1/2 brothers.

And you know that.....because?

Let me answer for you...you pulled it out of your ass?

the old book I was reading called the bible states something else....this is the most reliable (which isn't a lot) source I know

In Matt., I think, Jesus was in the temple and the religous leaders asked his brothers why they weren't watching him....They would have to be older, eh?? Joseph must of been married before....

Isn't it hard to breath in there?

I doubt it.
Even james,who is considered his brother by most,is debunked of the relationship by paul in one of his letters.
Brother of jesus was a title used by early christian gnostics to declare who was reaching gnosis.
In pauls letters he mentions over two hundred brothers of jesus

Just remember this.... in the original aramaic, Mary wasn't a virgin.... just a "young woman..." it was long accepted that james and John were the actual, blood related "brothers" of jesus, and that he had several sisters as well.... it was only with the acceptance of the idea of a virgin birth (itself stolen from paganism) that the brothers and sisters of jesus became awkward to explain..... it is also almost certain that jesus was married, and had children of his own.... in first century Judaism it was the norm that Rabbis were married with kids, because otherwise they would not be helping to honour gods promise to Abraham.... one of the few objections never put forward in the Gospels is "How can he claim to be a teacher of God's Law... he isn't even married..." The jews would certainly have aimed this at him... if he was married, the jews would not have mentioned it, as to them it would be a given.... and the Catholic Church, with its bizarre celibacy rules would not have pointed this out, preferring to let the omission give the impression that jesus was a bachelor....

Originally posted by big gay kirk
Just remember this.... in the original aramaic, Mary wasn't a virgin.... just a "young woman..." it was long accepted that james and John were the actual, blood related "brothers" of jesus, and that he had several sisters as well.... it was only with the acceptance of the idea of a virgin birth (itself stolen from paganism) that the brothers and sisters of jesus became awkward to explain..... it is also almost certain that jesus was married, and had children of his own.... in first century Judaism it was the norm that Rabbis were married with kids, because otherwise they would not be helping to honour gods promise to Abraham.... one of the few objections never put forward in the Gospels is "How can he claim to be a teacher of God's Law... he isn't even married..." The jews would certainly have aimed this at him... if he was married, the jews would not have mentioned it, as to them it would be a given.... and the Catholic Church, with its bizarre celibacy rules would not have pointed this out, preferring to let the omission give the impression that jesus was a bachelor....

It is amazing how non believers think they know more about Jesus than Christians do or than the Bible tells us.

You need to study all the sources.

has it ever dawned on you that many non believers once believed, and being a christian doesnt automatically mean you know more about jesus than a non believer, maybe it is because a non believers know more than christians on that matter that makes them non believers

Sonnet...That's true. What finti just said.

yeah.Most christians are afraid to look beyond the Bible,even though they should.In studing outside the Bible you realize a lot,lot,more

Could the 'brothers' be referring to Jesus' disciples?

Originally posted by finti
has it ever dawned on you that many non believers once believed, and being a christian doesnt automatically mean you know more about jesus than a non believer, maybe it is because a non believers know more than christians on that matter that makes them non believers

"In some awful, strange, paradoxical way, atheists tend to take religion more seriously than the practitioners," Jonathon Miller.