[ATLian]

Have you guys heard about the novel "The Da Vinci" code, that's currently the number one book on the New York bestseller list. It's a fictional detective novel, but it touches on an aspect of the Christian religion that's quite controversial.

In a nutshell: There's always been a theory out there that Mary Magdalene wasn't just a woman that Jesus cured of 7 demons and eventually saved, but that she was actually an ex-prostitute who became his wife, and they even had a child - a daughter named Sarah. After his crucifixion, they fled to France, and Sarah even performed some healing miracles in her teenage life, before eventually marrying into the French royal family. So, there are some people with Jesus' blood (literally) in this world. References to this are no longer in the bible, because when the Catholic church assembled the various writings that became known as the Bible in 400 AD, they intentionally left out the references to marriage. Also, as Magdalene's role became more and more holy, they finally dropped all references of her being a prostitute. That makes a lot of sense, since Christians would be pretty vexed at the idea of Jesus not only having a wife, but hearing that she was an ex-prostitute. These people who believed in this theory had to go underground because them days, anything contrary to what the Church said was blasphemeous and punishable by burning to death. The book is called "The Da Vinci Code" because when Leornado Da Vinci was in his last days, he was living in France, and he encountered and joined these people, and he wrote and painted about the groups' beliefs using secret code.

One of the secret codes concerns the Holy Grail, which is, the "thing" that contained the Blood of Christ during the Last Supper. Legend has it that the holy grail was smuggled to the South of France after the last supper, and was never seen again. Most people of course believe that this holy grail is the chalice/cup from which the disciples drunk wine (the figurative blood of Christ) during their last communion. It can be seen being passed around in most paintings of The Last Supper. In Leornado da Vinci's famous painting of the same in some Chrch in France, there are some differences, e.g. there is no chalice, the person on his right appears to be a woman (all other paintings show 12 men), who people argue is Mary Magdalene, etc. These people think that the Holy Grail (and hence the literal blood of Christ) was Jesus' baby that was growing inside Mary at that time and that was of course smuggled to France with Mary. Quite a thought provoking argument.

ABC had a special on it yesterday (Monday 4th Nov), with various people arguing for or against the whole Jesus marriage issue. Some people argued that Jesus was too holy to get married. Their main beef with marriage is it automatically means that Jesus had sex, which seems to rub people in the wrongest way possible. There are some people who also argue that after Mary got Jesus, she never had sex with Joseph, never got any other kids, and in fact died a virgin. Others argue that she had other kids, and Jesus had brothers and sisters who are mentioned in the Bible. (Anyone know anything about this, and where in the Bible this is mentioned?) Others believe that Jesus could have been married without necessarily tainting his perfect holiness. They say that Jesus went through every normal human emotion: hunger, pain, tiredness, sleepiness, anger, temptation, cold, confusion, etc. Therefore, why would love and marriage be excluded. Also, copies of some of the books that the Cathlic church rejected and burnt were discovered in Europe. These Gnostic Gospels (as they are now called) say that Christ was indeed married to Mary, and report of great jealousy from the apostles, especially Peter, because of the preferential treatment Jesus gave his wife, and the fact that she's the one he chose to first appear to after his resurrection.

All in all, it's a pretty interesting topic, I'd like to hear other people's views on this.

[O_D_D]

ATLian, the evidence that Jesus had brothers and sisters is in Matthew 13:55. Then again, with the way the Bible was written, "Brethren" can be you and me.

Also note that there is a difference between Mary, mother of Jesus and Mary of Cleophas. Now, if you search for this evidence from a Jehovah Witness bible..you'll be changanyishwad into oblivion(No offence).

If I remember correctly this Jesus & Mary Magdalene was featured in either the Discovery or History Channel. According to them, the evidence is in the Gospel of Philip, one of the Secret Gospels of Jesus Christ discovered in Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt, in the 1940s.

Part of the text (which was actually shown on TV) stated that he used to chapilia her some serious lip-locks hadharani mpaka the other oteros(disciples) became jealous and/or offended.

Do I believe this? YES! The guy was as human as we are hence the same basic primal instincts that we so possess would be in order.

[Onyango72]

What blasphemy, that the Holy Son of God had a wife. The fact that this book is a fictional book sums it all up. Jesus did not have a wife, let alone a prostitute at that.

It scriptures teach that Christ was the infinite God-man. This means that Jesus was 100% man in his humanity and also 100% God. In his humanity he could identify with pain, sorrow and thus he can identify with our feelings. In his deity as God himself he was able to calm the storms and rebuke the wind which obeyed his command. He was also able to forgive sin, for only God can do that.

[O_D_D]

>What blasphemy, that the Holy Son of God had a wife.

Twisting words to suit your own conviction/s, I see. A companion NOT a wife!

>The fact
>that this book is a fictional book sums it all up. Jesus did
>not have a wife, let alone a prostitute at that.

Forget about the fictional book, the Gospel of Phillip does exist and the evidence of the above is right thurr.

>It scriptures teach that Christ was the infinite God-man. This
>means that Jesus was 100% man in his humanity and also 100%
>God. In his humanity he could identify with pain, sorrow and
>thus he can identify with our feelings. In his deity as God
>himself he was able to calm the storms and rebuke the wind
>which obeyed his command. He was also able to forgive sin, for
>only God can do that.

May I suggest that you indulge yourself in some research/awareness. Better yet, please read the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. Halafu rudi papa hapa and we'll take it from there.

[ATLian]

>What blasphemy, that the Holy Son of God had a wife.

How is it blasphemy? He had every other part of what constitutes a family - brothers, sisters, mum, dad, cousins, etc, and that's not blasphemeous. What makes a wife blasphemeous?


>The factthat this book is a fictional book sums it all up. Jesus did
>not have a wife, let alone a prostitute at that.

The book IS fictional, but it borrows a lot from real history. How do you know he wasn't married by the way, since the bible doesn't mention it, it could have been either way, ama?


>Jesus was 100% man in his humanity and also 100%
>God. In his humanity he could identify with pain, sorrow and
>thus he can identify with our feelings.

Since he was 100% man in his humanity, and marriage is one of the essential components of humanity, doesn't it logically follow that he'd have been married?

[patapata]

The Holy Grail features alot in European mythology and continues to be one of the least understood aspects of history/ legend (?).

There's another book on a similar topic, but this one claims to be non-fictional. It's called "Holy Blood, Holy Grail:, and its authors are Michael Baigent, Henry Lincoln and Richard Leigh. It was published in the eighties, I believe. So it is interesting that the same theme should be just as popular now.

[Onyango72]

>Since he was 100% man in his humanity, and marriage is one of
>the essential components of humanity, doesn't it logically
>follow that he'd have been married?

@ ATLian

The bible makes not mention of Jesus Christ having a wife and that's why I said it is blasphemy. Sure Jesus did have other brothers and sisters. You forget how Christ was conceived in the womb of Mary. He was not conceived like any ordinary human being. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Anything that you think is "logical" when it pertains to God may not be so. The bible says God's ways are higher than ours and his thoughts are higher than ours too. So what may seem logical in our finite minds my not be so with God. God is infinite and we are finite he can do anything he pleases.

[Mi$$ Thang]

Yes I have heard about that Mary Magdalene saga. The origin of the bible and Christianity as a whole is a very fascinating subject for me. Yes I have read that there’s bits or verses of the bible scriptures that were left out (by the people who wrote it and re-wrote it) because those verses would be too scandalous, and would compromise the fundamental beliefs of the christian religion as we know it today. One of the most fascinating topics I have come across is that Jesus himself was a myth, and that some of the events that we are told took place in his life, were later rewritten and tied to an existing human being and later edited to fit the holyness (sp). That’s when the marriage etc was left out. Other sources say that over 1000 BC, there was already a mythical story about a male child, born of a virgin woman, gifts given to him by 3 wisemen who followed the star to where he was born etc. Basically, saying that there was a “jesus” before “our” jesus was born ……. Very intriguing stuff. @ the moment I am reading The big secret by David Icke and The truth shall set you free. Can’t put it down!

[heathcliff]

fascinating stuff..

[Nanosh]

He wasn't Mary & Joseph's only child.
Galatians 1:19

Mary had other children after Jesus. The only thing spectacular about Jesus birth was that Mary was a virgin. After that she was free to do whatever

http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/JESBRS.TXT