“Fruitful and multiply does not always mean children. Otherwise, childless couples would be accused of failing to obey the law through no fault of their own.”
It does mean sex is happening.
“The command to be “fruitful and multiply” is not functionally equivalent to a command to have sex. “
Oh, I don’t think you are having kids without having regular sex. It has only ever happened once without sex.
“The vast majority do, but it is not the only way.”
Sex is involved in the way God created humans. Read Ecclesiastes and you will see how God approves of sex, as the Creator of sex.
“Mary and Joseph were on a mission, and it did not require that they have sex. Anyone is free to think they did, but it does not make sense to me given the particulars of this situation.”
So is your argument that your personal opinion trumps God’s command to all married couples? I’m not buying that as a logical argument.
“I submit that Mary and Joseph not having sex,”
No evidence in Scripture to support that claim.
“and not being disobedient,”
they would have been. I believe the best about them - that they regularly came together for married physical love.
“are not mutually exclusive propositions.”
Again, a personal opinion only.
“Abstinence”
purported based on opinion.
“in this case is not in opposition to God’s command.”
Scripture is silent “in this case” as being anything other than a normal marriage of two people who have sex after Jesus’ birth.
“Jesus was the focus here, not the couple.”
They ain’t paper doll cut-outs and not idols.
Now wait a minute there, you may have gone too far. I'm sure they are still available a the Vatican gift shop.
you have obvously never heard of an older man being "incapacitated"....