The Greek Fathers were looking at the exact same Scriptures as you and had all the same verses you could cite with the “brothers of the Lord” and “until she gave birth” and “firstborn” and all that.
There isn’t a single verse that was added to the Scripture from their day to ours.
The only difference is that they spoke Greek natively and you and I don’t.
Also, no one is saying that marital sex is bad. But the High Priest had to abstain from any relations with his wife an entire week before entering the Holy of Holies.
So now St. Joseph, knowing this as a devout Jew, is told by an angel that God would now be dwelling *in his own house*. Those rooms, that whole dwelling was now more holy than the innermost sanctum of the Temple! And Joseph couldn’t just visit it once a year either. From the day Joseph took Our Lady in till the day he died, he was dwelling in the direct presence of God continually. Does it seem credible that the High Priest would know his wife carnally in the Holy of Holies?
You have to look at this all as Joseph in his culture would have looked at it, not as we in our culture can piece together from a concordance and a dictionary.
See my post 66. Refutes your claim.
Your equating Jospeh and Mary’s house as the Hoky of Holies is a stretch at best.
Oh really?
Then why do Catholics have such a cow over the thought of Mary having sex with her lawful husband?
But according to the passage posted a few posts back, it only defiles and corrupts her, right?
And if it defiles and corrupts, then it IS bad. If it wasn't bad, it didn't defile or corrupt.
So now St. Joseph, knowing this as a devout Jew, is told by an angel that God would now be dwelling *in his own house*. Those rooms, that whole dwelling was now more holy than the innermost sanctum of the Temple! And Joseph couldn’t just visit it once a year either. From the day Joseph took Our Lady in till the day he died, he was dwelling in the direct presence of God continually. Does it seem credible that the High Priest would know his wife carnally in the Holy of Holies?
What convoluted reasoning. A great example of how when the plain meaning of something isn't wanted, interpretation follows.
Was this the same Joseph who was told by the angel sent with a message from God to not fear to take Mary AS HIS WIFE?
So having sex in the presence of God is wrong and sinful? Do you realize that God sees married couples having sex, and *gasp* ENJOYING it, as HE intended? It was HIS idea, after all.
Do you realize that we all continually live in the direct presence of God? Or don't you believe that He is omnipresent?
Do you believe that Christ lives in the heart of the believer? What about all believers who have sex then? Are they not doing it in Jesus presence too?
Should all believers become celibate when they get saved?
Again, every argument used for the perpetual virginity of Mary goes back to the belief that sex between a husband and wife is bad or sinful.