[UsnDadof8]

Because until very recently, all Christians believed that Mary was perpetually virgin.

Right. Yeah. Okay.

First of all your premise is wrong. But even if we assume it to be right, what you're saying is that we should let our opinions overrule the plain assertions of scripture.

[Tantumergo]

"First of all your premise is wrong."

Then perhaps you can enlighten me as to when any Christian first started to question her perpetual virginity?

"But even if we assume it to be right, what you're saying is that we should let our opinions overrule the plain assertions of scripture."

Ah, but your claim that it is the plain assertion of scripture is only your opinion. Why should your opinion have more weight than 2,000 years of consistent Tradition?

[Kolokotronis]

You clearly don't know koine Greek. The fact of the matter is that Greek speaking Christians from the beginning have always held that the "brothers" of Christ you refer to were cousins or, more likely, step brothers. Why would they have not understood their own language? It is just a little irritating to a Greek that native English speaking Christians, most of whom know no Greek (or at best have a "bible college" knowledge of it) and none of whom speak it as their first language, insist on squeezing koine into an English straight jacket.