You wrote:
” And just like Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, there is no mention of Mary in the entire passage.”
There doesn’t have to be. Again, scripture doesn’t contain all truths. It was never meant to.
“The Word does not say Jesus ALONE was the son of Mary.”
Actually it does. Jesus is called the son of Mary. No one else is. Also, Jesus, dying on the cross, gives Mary to John and no one else. There were no siblings to Christ.
“She didn’t give birth to one, but a total of 7 or more, and raised them all.”
No, she had one son - Jesus Christ.
“My wife says her motherly instincts would not have overlooked the location of her ONLY child for an ENTIRE day. She says that, “Yeah, you load me down with an infant and some toddlers, and I could possibly be so occupied I’d not notice my oldest child missing in the crowd.””
And as I said - if your son was God - you wouldn’t simply forget Him no matter how many children you had. You would, however, if He wished to stay behind and be forgotten in His Father’s house for some time.
“Really. So you have Mary and Joseph walking all day like they’re on a date, only one child to worry about, and don’t think take a gander until evening to find their only son.”
I don’t think they worried - for they believed Jesus to be with family.
“You’re painting Mary to be a less than concerned mother.”
No, I’m portraying God to be God and Mary to trust He would stay with His cousins and friends.
“I think her hands were full of kids to care for.”
Nope. Not a single one - just as God has always taught, and all orthodox Christians have believed, for 2,000 years.
I suppose pride of tradition through the centuries would make one think no other way. The Mary adoration is big business; lots of images, trinkets, etc. Just like the big business that the silversmiths had concerning Diana of the Ephesians.
**..just as God has always taught..**
Here’s what God taught, and still does teach: The Christ said, “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body THOU hast prepared me........I come to do thy will O God”. No mention of Mary the mother by name, there or anywhere else in the epistles. Yet you folks probably mention her name 10 to 1 over Jesus’ name.
**..and all orthodox Christians have believed, for 2,000 years.**
Jesus said “few there be that find it”.