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Friday, April 28, 2006
Gulle: Now, who is 'It'?
By Inocentes A. Gulle
Your Business is Our Business
TRADITIONAL Christians are unnecessarily excited about this (though fictional and without biblical basis) "Da Vinci Code", a story about Jesus having been married to Mary Magdalene. Similarly, they take umbrage over this "recently discovered" (not canon) Judas Gospel thing.
In my view, these things take a similar situation with the kids' game of Hide-and-Seek where somebody hides and the "it" shall go seek. But in this case it's hard to say who is "it"?
Most Christians (especially Catholics) maintain that Mary, the mother of Jesus, ascended to heaven. But if you will look for one single line that says anything near or similar to this statement anywhere in the bible, I'm sure you will find nothing there, not even a hint. On the same token, would they believe that the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven? I don't think so.
Likewise, they maintain that Mary remained a virgin throughout. On the contrary, the bible says Jesus had brothers and sisters. Matthew's gospel has this: "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us?" In the same passage, Jesus said to them, as answer, "Only in his hometown and his own house (meaning family) is a prophet without honor." The names of the siblings mentioned could not have been Jesus' disciples (apostles) since none of the 12 is named "Joseph."
Mark's gospel also relates: "Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent someone in to call him...The people sitting around him told him, 'Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.'" This is not meant to debase Mary. For what's wrong if she had children other than Jesus? Wasn't she legally married to Joseph? I'm merely trying here to bring to light something that most people do not want to know (or are hiding?). And then, elsewhere it says that Jesus was "firstborn". When somebody is a firstborn, he must not be an only child; he must be first of siblings born after him.
The problem with people is that they are overly zealous about the particular dogma of their particular sect or denomination. I think this is because each group has its own particular foundation based on one particular passage in the bible from which they read their own interpretation, or creed formulated long ago, also based on another passage of the same bible. Problem arises when we read our own interpretation into a text (eisegesis) instead of reading what the text actually says (exegesis).
Now, who is hiding what? Who is not telling the truth? Who is "it"?
For Bisaya stories from General Santos.Click here. (This section is updated every Monday)
(April 24, 2006 issue)
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