Where do you find Scriptural evidence that Jesus' "brothers" (actually His cousins, but I'll humor you. It's too late at night for a massive refutation of that idea right now) were non-believers at the time of His death? There is none. Cousins or brothers, there is not one shred of evidence that they were unbelievers. According to you guys, at least two of them were Apostles! The Apostles were to have all doubts removed three days later in the upper room, no? So what would have been the big problem?
If He had brothers, Jesus would have defied MASSIVE Jewish tradition against not favoring the eldest son in all things pertaining to inheritance. With Jesus dead, according to your theory, some OTHER man was now the eldest. He would HAVE to care for Mary in this circumstance.
Since this didn't happen, and her care was entrusted to someone we KNOW wasn't His literal brother (John was the son of Zebedee), there is compelling evidence that Jesus had no blood-brothers.
Besides that, we have the testimony of the early Church, which unanimously understood the situation in an identical fashion to modern Catholicism. You would discount testimony from those early days, even when that testimony starts within the lifetimes of those whose lives overlapped the Apostles themselves! Yet, somehow, it is the Catholic Church which is "ignorant" in this matter...
They ignored it when I've said it. Good luck.
Where do you find Scriptural evidence that Jesus' "brothers" (actually His cousins, but I'll humor you. It's too late at night for a massive refutation of that idea right now) were non-believers at the time of His death? There is none. Cousins or brothers, there is not one shred of evidence that they were unbelievers.
The wonders of knowing scripture ...John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.Tradition (there's a word you'll like) ... says that Jesus' brothers believed after He appeared to them following His resurrection.
2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
If He had brothers, Jesus would have defied MASSIVE Jewish tradition against not favoring the eldest son in all things pertaining to inheritance.
Jesus had already defied MASSIVE Jewish tradition.
That's why they don't believe in Him.