Ideas

Regardless of your religious affiliation, you share something in common with all other believers: faith. Devout people of every religious persuasion encircle their faith with unique doctrines, practices and beliefs, but faith remains at the very core of every theology.

Christian Life

Holiness and fire seem to go together.

God is always right.

Holiness is purity from evil conduct or thought.

The Family of Christ

OK, I had a vague understanding that Jesus Christ had blood siblings -- although I knew my Catholic mother-in-law finds the notion abhorent.

So I did some research. To Catholics, the idea of Mary having other children flies in the face of their belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary. I'd have to spend a whole lot more energy than I have trying to understand why perpetual virginity has any theological significance. (If any Catholic person would like to explain it to me, please drop a note to me at virginmary@writerspost.com.)

Y'enyway, the scriptures say the Mary had four sons in addition to Jesus Christ, as well as multiple daughters:

Matt. 12: 46 (Mark 3: 31; Luke 8: 19)
his mother and his brethren stood without.

Matt. 13: 55
is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas.

Mark 6:3
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.