Mary Magdalene

[Jolixte]

What do you think is the truth about Mary? Was she a prostitute? A lover of Jesus? Do you think the Catholic Church had an agenda regarding her?

[LacyRoze]

I've never believed Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and in 1969 the Catholic church officially repealed Pope Gregory's labeling of Mary as a whore although that image remained in public teachings. I do think Mary shared a special relationship with Jesus, though I don't believe it was a physical relationship. I think they shared a deep spiritual relationship and he may have shared things with her that he didn't with the 12 disciples. I came to this way of thinking after reading "The Gospel of Mary Magdalene" and "The Woman With The Alabaster Jar". I still hope to read more on this...

[VelvetBlade]

I think Mary and Joseph were lovers and that there are descendants somewhere.

[Moonlite Faery]

I think that Mary and Jesus did have a relationship together in a physical sense. It would have been normal for him to get married and to be an authority figure and to have children.

[Rasenna]

Furthermore, the Catholic Bible never mentions her being a prostitute. Neither does the Protestant one that I was raised with. Those are assumptions made by leaps of the imagination. Yes, there was a prostitute in the New Testament which Jesus saves from stoning, but she was a separate person from Mary Magdalene. Read the scriptures more closely and you'll see what I mean...
-R

[Shield_Wolf]

I think that Mary and Jesus did have a relationship together in a physical sense. It would have been normal for him to get married and to be an authority figure and to have children.

I agree with Moonlite Faery on this one. Back then though alot of males didn't like it when a woman was in high standings so it would make sense that the might say soming like she was a prostitute.

[LadyCelt]

I was told 4 or 5 people named Mary are in the Gospels! So its very confusing. Its possible things were abridged and badly translated too. I find it interesting people think of her as a prostitute, but she is officially a saint. I liked her most of all the women in the bible really.

[Morr]

Magdalene probably wouldnt have been mentioned at all in the NT at such prominant scenes (crucifixtion; ressurection) if she hadnt played a big, distinct role in Jesus' life.

She is the second important female in the NT, after Mary the mother.

In those days EVERYONE married. It was a Jewish law. Jesus was Jewish. There are no evidence that he was part of the Jewish cult that lived in monestaries down by the Dead Sea. He wouldnt have been walking about and around with deciples and ESPECIALLY NOT with women followers, if he had anything to do with that sect.

I tend to agree that Magdalene and Jesus were probably married. As for the whole "Holy Blood" theory, I'm a bit sceptic about that. Though I wouldnt be surprised if other details of Mary's flee to Southern France and founding of a Christian cult there, after his death, was true to some sort of degree.

She was not a prostitute, that title was later on given to her by Pope Gregorius. Her character was mixed with another character in the name of Mary.

[Cain]

Jesus would have been married to be considered a Rabbi, I have heard. If he hadn't been, there would have been much more in the way of scandal surrounding him. And as he had a wide, technical knowledge of the Bible, it doesn't seem that great a leap...

[Morr]

"Rabbi" = "Teacher" in old Hebrew.

There are Rabbies who are single. But they are young Rabbies.

Either way, back then -- Rabbie or not, once you hit early adult age (17-18), you would be married. And dont forget that back then, the marriages were arranged by the families and parents. So it would have happened whether you wanted or not.

[Cain]

Ah, thanks. I had read something on it, but it was a dry text a while ago, so it wasn't clear in my head. The arranged marriage point is a good one too.

[Garm]

If you look at the gospels that didn't make it into the Bible the situation is a little easier to understand. They potray MM as being especially close to Jesus.

And Peter hated her guts.

And as the texts that were chosen for the bible were selected by the Apostilic line that was founded by Peter, well, the rest is history as they say.

[LadyCelt]

I wonder if Mary was chosen to be Jesus's successor in the faith and not Peter. I don't know if he changed thigns or others did to justify it and maybe to put down women. I find Paul to also write things to put down Romans and not so much due to sin. I have the Complete Gospels with the gospel of Mary, but I"m not sure how legitimate the book is. I've heard she and James got his message the most. I"m not sure if James was Jesus's brother or what. Its very confusing with all the Mary names.

[Little Billy]

I think Mary Magdalene WAS Jesus, and they changed the story because they needed a male in the starring role.

LB,
Has more conspiracy theories than Katheryn Harris.