Mothering Forum banner

World's Churches Seek Best Ways to Counter the 'Code'

1K views 60 replies 33 participants last post by  writermommy 
#1 ·
Quote:
The book has upset many Christians by suggesting that Jesus fathered a child by Mary Magdalene, the first in a line of Christly descendants still extant today, and that the Catholic church has covered this up for 2,000 years.

I find it soooo interesting that so many are getting this upset over a book/movie. Reminds me of all the hoopla over "The Last Temptation of Christ".

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...1974342&page=1
 
#3 ·
I don't understand why it matters. Why is it that Jesus life HAS to fit this specific timeline and mold that was created for him - why do people focus so intently on insignificant details rather than the words of peace and love that he preached??

Why is fathering children and being married a threat to religon? It doesn't change what he stood for and what he preached.

Maybe these musings belong more in Religous Studies, but this whole hoopla really bugs me. Its like everyone is missing the point.
 
#7 ·
I don't understand why people think Dan Brown is claiming his book is fact...it's called historical fiction for a reason... And how do these people know Jesus didn't marry and have children? How do we really know anything about his life? We have the Bible, but no first hand accounts to verify anything. And if I recall correctly, there is a long stretch in Jesus's life that isn't covered in the Bible.

Quote:
Why is fathering children and being married a threat to religon? It doesn't change what he stood for and what he preached.
I agree...this is especially strange coming from a belief system that puts so much emphasis on family life.
 
#8 ·
DH and I went and saw the movie yesterday afternoon. The theatre was packed with mostly older people which we thought was a bit strange. But as the movie went on some were getting visibly upset. As we were leaving there was a discussion about "church tomorrow" It was a church group.


I understand why it is so upsetting to some Christians. The very idea that Christ had a child makes him a man, not a God. This rocks the very foundation of everything that they have been taught and believe.
 
#10 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Pariah
I don't understand why people think Dan Brown is claiming his book is fact...it's called historical fiction for a reason... And how do these people know Jesus didn't marry and have children? How do we really know anything about his life? We have the Bible, but no first hand accounts to verify anything. And if I recall correctly, there is a long stretch in Jesus's life that isn't covered in the Bible.
I am pretty sure I read/heard/saw somewhere that in one of the "lost" books of the bible (you know the ones the Catholic church refuses to acknowledge) it did say something about Jesus and Mary Magdalene in it. I don't believe it actually said they had kids or anything but that they were "very" close.

There is also supposedly a book that says his mother Mary as also conceived to an older couple by immaculate conception, but allowing that to be known would make her more important, she is after all just a woman so we just cut that book out.
 
#11 ·
I think that gospel said something about Jesus kissing Mary M., but doesn't say where or what or how. So then they would probably also have to acknowledge that there were women disciples. I don't think it was unusual for Jesus to kiss his disciples.

But I agree, His marital status doesn't change his teachings.
 
#13 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by aniT
I am pretty sure I read/heard/saw somewhere that in one of the "lost" books of the bible (you know the ones the Catholic church refuses to acknowledge) it did say something about Jesus and Mary Magdalene in it. I don't believe it actually said they had kids or anything but that they were "very" close.

There is also supposedly a book that says his mother Mary as also conceived to an older couple by immaculate conception, but allowing that to be known would make her more important, she is after all just a woman so we just cut that book out.
Darylll, ooohhhh Darylll? She could tell you which book for sure.

I *think* though, that I have "The Lost Books of Eden", and its full of *gnostic* texts and that story is in there.
I think though. Could be completely wrong.
 
#14 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by aniT
I am pretty sure I read/heard/saw somewhere that in one of the "lost" books of the bible (you know the ones the Catholic church refuses to acknowledge) it did say something about Jesus and Mary Magdalene in it. I don't believe it actually said they had kids or anything but that they were "very" close.
Yep, it's one of the Nag hamadi books found int he deserts of Egypt (in teh 50s, I think?) It's the gospel of Phillip that says specifically that Jesus kissed Mary often on her [insert hypothesis here, there's a hole in teh papyrus so no one knows what it really says] It also alludes to the fact that the other apostles were jealous of Jesus and mary's closeness.

Quote:
There is also supposedly a book that says his mother Mary as also conceived to an older couple by immaculate conception, but allowing that to be known would make her more important, she is after all just a woman so we just cut that book out.
Actually, the idea that Mary (the Mother of Jesus) was also immacualately conceived is a Catholic/Orthodox idea. It's not found in any gospels (the cannonical gospels, nor any non-cannonicals as far as I know) But it's part of the Tradition, and that's why Protestant denominations don't believe it, because it can't be found in any gospels and they believe that it's "extra-Biblical" and just part of Tradition.
 
#15 ·
Gospel of Philip

Quote:
And the companion of the [...] Mary Magdalene. [...] loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on her [...]. The rest of the disciples [...]. They said to him "Why do you love her more than all of us?" The Savior answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her? When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness

[...] are holes in the original
 
#16 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyRED
I understand why it is so upsetting to some Christians. The very idea that Christ had a child makes him a man, not a God. This rocks the very foundation of everything that they have been taught and believe.
Well, what the heck did I miss? I don't recall being taught that Jesus was a God.


I find the whole uproar rather amusing actually.
:
 
#18 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by tayndrewsmama
Well, what the heck did I miss? I don't recall being taught that Jesus was a God.


I find the whole uproar rather amusing actually.
:
Yea I never learned that either, but then I heard of the "trinity" when I was in my late 20's and told my mother how stupid that was, (I must also tell you my grandfather was a Baptist Minister
) my mother looked at me like I had two heads and asked me where I had been when I was supposed to be at church. Ummm helping out in the nursery. The babies were much more interesting.
 
#19 ·
Well, I think there's a whole lot of faithful "church-goers" that seem to have added in their own beliefs. I had never even heard of the rapture until like 5 years ago and did some digging only to find out that the word rapture isn't even in the bible! But, holy cow, there are some people in our area that are hell-bent on what's going to happen when the rapture comes. Whatever helps ya sleep I guess.
 
#20 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by tayndrewsmama
Well, I think there's a whole lot of faithful "church-goers" that seem to have added in their own beliefs.
Yeah, like the monks that transcribed and re-wrote the bible over the centuries


There's another book called Misquoting Jesus by Bart Erhman that looks at/studies how the transcriptions over the centuries have severely altered the original texts

Kathy
 
#21 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by ma2maya
Yeah, like the monks that transcribed and re-wrote the bible over the centuries


There's another book called Misquoting Jesus by Bart Erhman that looks at/studies how the transcriptions over the centuries have severely altered the original texts

Kathy
Hmmm, that looks interesting. I'll have to look for that book. Thanks!
 
#23 ·
I haven't had any problem with this movie. I know it's fiction and I really wouldn't care one way or the other if Jesus had children. So what? He was fully human as well as divine, so it wouldn't be out of the question. One thing did bother me. I read in a few different places that the book asserts that Jesus didn't die on the cross. I haven't seen it, so I don't know. Maybe someone can enlighten me. I did read it in 3 different places and I may choose not to see it for that reason. I still don't really care what anyone else does, so I wouldn't want it banned.
 
#24 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by writermommy
I haven't had any problem with this movie. I know it's fiction and I really wouldn't care one way or the other if Jesus had children. So what? He was fully human as well as divine, so it wouldn't be out of the question. One thing did bother me. I read in a few different places that the book asserts that Jesus didn't die on the cross. I haven't seen it, so I don't know. Maybe someone can enlighten me. I did read it in 3 different places and I may choose not to see it for that reason. I still don't really care what anyone else does, so I wouldn't want it banned.
Many religions and historians believe that Jesus did not die on a cross. At the time of his death Romans routinely put people to death on a stake not a cross.
 
#25 ·
What gets me is the fact that their faith in the Bible/God/Jesus is so fragile that the IDEA of Jesus having a wife and child is too much. Why is that?
This goes for all the major religions (at least in my eyes) is your faith so weak that someone questioning it can destroy it? How great is your religion then?

I loved the idea that maybe the Church had it all wrong, or was hiding something, that women are NOT evil and bringers of sin, but that Jesus loved one so much as to have a child with her, that she was his favorite. It would be nice to see women in the Christian community having a stronger more loved roll. (But this is all coming from someone who is not a Christian... so take my musings for what they are worth.
)

I wanna know where Jesus was kissing Mary....


H
 
#26 ·
Referring back to a couple of earlier posts, the Catholic Church doesn't teach that Mary was conceived without sex--they teach that she was conceived "without sin", which means that she was born without original sin. The concepts sound very similar, but to Catholics mean very different things.

And I'm not sure what the uproar is about anyway. We have a number of friends who actually went out and protested. It just seems kind of dumb to me, because they didn't actually convince anyone of anything. They just look intolerant (which was probably their point--they aren't tolerant of the movie). And they looked hot--because it's really hot here.
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top