Roman Catholic Beliefs- Part 19- Mary's other children...

Part 19 of "Cathechism Chat"

Jesus said, "Search the scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting; and the same are they that give testimony of me. And you will not come to me that you may have life."
(John 5:39,40; Douay Version)

To experience God's life is truly awesome. Religion doesn't really satisfy. I'll be speaking concerning Mary again. We seen in an earlier article that Jesus Christ defeated Satan by his death on the cross, his burial and resurrection from the dead not Mary. Now I would like to discuss Mary's other children. Having sex with your wife and having other children isn't sin as the Roman Catholics Church seems to think especially regarding Mary. Even the priests in the Roman Catholic Church would be better off married if God gave them the gift of marriage than stay single and burn because higher orders told them they had to stay single. The bible says that "...in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" and two items mentioned were 'Forbidding to marry and abstain from meats. Check 1 Tim. 4:1-5. Interesting to say the least.

Now to Mary. I was reading in 'A Catechism for Adults' by Rev.(?) William J. Cogan in Lesson 14, question 7 says,
"Did Mary have other children besides Jesus?
(Answer) No, she and Joseph lived as brother and sister, although they were legally married.
"The angel Gabriel was sent from God... to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph... and the virgin's name was Mary... and the angel said to her... 'Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and and shalt bring forth a son!" ... But Mary said to the angel, 'How shall this happen, since I do not know man?" [Luke 1:26-34].

Then at the end of that chapter, it says under Practical Points, #2
"2. The brothers and sisters of Jesus mentioned in the Bible were not the children of Mary but were only cousins. The words "brother" and "sister" were used by the Jews to mean cousins, because there was no word in Hebrew for cousin. [See Lev. 10:4, 1 Par. 23:22, Gen. 12:5 and Gen. 14:14.]"

Now I would like to make a few comments. The Roman Catholics and I agree that Mary was a virgin until Jesus was born but that is where our agreement stops. Mary did not stay a virgin and neither did Joseph. They had sex within marriage just as God ordained in Gen. 1:27,28. Adam and Eve were perfect, sinless and God told them to multiply and replenish the earth and that holds true for all marriages including Joseph and Mary's. They were born into sin just like all were after Adam and Eve's fall. Under Practical Points he said the brothers and sisters of Jesus were only cousins because there was no word in the Hebrew for cousins. I will let him have that but the New Testament was written in Greek and there was a word. Time after time the bible speaks of Jesus' mother and his brethren. Check Matt. 13:55,56, John 2:12, Acts 1:14. The plain, clear interpretation of these scriptures would be that they were Jesus' half-brothers by the sexual union of Joseph and Mary after Jesus was born. Jesus was called Mary's first-born in Luke 2:7, which implies others followed. Also in Matthew Chapter 1, v. 25 we see that Joseph knew her not until she brought forth her firstborn son. This is the same knowing as in Gen. where Adam knew Eve and she conceived and brought forth a son.

In conclusion God didn't put Mary on a pedestal to worship, she is blessed among women, she had the privilege to bear the Lord Jesus but we read these words in Luke 11:27,28; Douay Version-
"27. And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps that gave thee suck.
28. But he said: Yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it."

Did you hear what Jesus said? He said, "Yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it." The Douay version of the bible says, "He that believeth in the Son hath life everlasting: but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36 Come to to the Lord Jesus Christ for life, for answers, for hope. for peace, love, joy. Mary can't give it neither can dead saints, a false church, the Pope or priests, only Jesus can give what you so desperately need. That being the highest form of life possible for all eternity, freedom from sin, etc.

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