[OLD REGGIE]

Uh Oh! Telling lies IS very important, and the consequence is grave. For example, saying that "Mary never intented to have sex with Joseph" while pointing to a verse that does not say anything of the kind is telling a lie and the consequence is very unplesant to the teller.

Also, how can it be telling a lie when Scripture says in many places that Jesus had brothers and sisters or that Joseph "knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son"? Who is really fabricating, the person who says Mary was a perpetual virgin (with no Scripture to back it up and only the statement that "Tradition" held to it) or the one who says she had a normal marriage and had other children (with Scripture)?

For the record, I do not believe annalex has ever lied on this forum. My comment is a "turnabout" of the words as used by annalex.

I do believe annalex is incapable of reading Scripture with an open mind and merely parrots the words dictated by the Magisterium and apologetics media (Catholic Answers, et al).

[annalex]

I do believe annalex is incapable of reading Scripture with an open mind

Then it should not be difficult to point out where I don't attend to the scripture I read.

For the record: I understand that one CAN interpret the "brothers" passages as literal brothers. What I say is that it is not the only necessary interpretation and the Church interpretation is valid as well: they are members of Jesus's household that appear like brothers to the speaker.

The "lie" that started this brouhaha is that the scripture is uncontrovertibly stating that Jesus had brothers by the same mother. As I show by citing many examples when we can see "brothers/sisters" used expansively, that interpretation is not the only one possible.