jesus of nazarene

[ultraman]

why do so many people find it hard to believe that jesus had children?

[askyourgran]

Naomi. That is really interesting. From what I can remember there is no mention of marriage or children, but then there seems to be so many gaps you almost have to be a detective to make sense of some of it. Of course Whickerman could be right if He was called Rabbi he would be a married man.

[naomi24]

Gran, you're right. You do have to be a bit of a detective. Just call me Miss Marple! :o)

[ll_billym]

In answer to the question, a lot people don't believe it because it isn't in their favourite book, that being the Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, according to the Wu Tang Clan). Some peoples favourite book is called The Da Vinci code and they do believe Jesus had children.

[mibn2cweus]

I suppose if a virgin could do it, then why not a man? Jesus was a man ~ right? Do you suppose he did it with his socks on?

[naomi24]

We're back to socks again? Arrrgh! You were definitely at the back of the queue when the romance was being handed out! :o)

[chakka35]

As naomi says, we are told nothing about Jesus' marital state so we can only speculate.

On the one hand (as naomi also says) , it was very unusual for young Jewish men to be umarried. On the other, he seemed happy in the company of his two girlfriends, Mary and Martha of Bethany, and, to some extent, Mary of Magdala.

At the crucifixion and aftermath we have various women involved in the story but no mention of any wife, which is surely odd.

But then it is only a story with no historical basis at all, so all we're doing is playing games. But it's fun.

[chakka35]

society, I was interested in your observation that naomi is more knowlegeable about these matters than you, a believer.

This isn't as odd as you think. There is often a connection. I was a Christian in my childhood, youth and young manbood until, by chance, I started studying the origins of the Jesus story and discovered how appalllngly ignorant I was about the religion I was supposed to be part of. And what I learned told me that the story was pure fantasy.
I would now venture to suggest that a prerequisite for being a Christian is to know very little about the basis of Christianity. To believe, for example, that the "Matthew" and "John" of the gospels are the two disciples of that name, which is nonsense. Again, not to know that we have no idea who wrote the gospels and that not a word was ever written about Jesus in his supposed lifetime or by any supposed eye-witness at any time.

I'll start a separate thread now. Cheers.