Pete..in my workshop I mostly make stuff from wood... mostly things like this... that is, woodturnings. I do several craft shows each year.

I read a lot of things about Mary & Joseph and the various opinions regarding what Mary's 'status' was at various times...and also who & what Joseph's status was. The various factions don't seem to agree... even reading the same basic Bible. My concern, as it always is, is that there *IS* continuous basic disagreement about interpretation & translation, and they simply cannot all be correct. THAT situation was the beginning (almost 60 years ago) of my skepticism about the whole story.

I don't know whether you appreciate jokes on the topic, but I once saw on TV a comedian, Emo Phillips, tell a version of this:

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(this was also done with Lutheran references...) ---------------------------------------------------------
I was walking across a bridge one day and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said, "Stop! Don't do it!"

"Why shouldn't I?" he said.

I said, "Well, there's so much to live for."

"Like what?" he said.

I said, "Well, are you religious or atheist?"

He said, "Religious."

I said, "Me too! Are you Christian, Buddhist or Muslim?"

"Christian"

"Me too!" I said "Are you Catholic or Protestant?"

"Protestant"

I said, "Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"

He said, "Baptist"

"Wow, me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?"

He said, "Baptist Church of God"

I said, "Me too! Are you original Baptist Church of God, or Reformed Baptist Church of God?"

"Reformed Baptist Church of God!"

I said, "Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1889, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?"

He said, "Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915."

I said, "Die heretic scum!" and pushed him off!
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Pete... there ARE people who think like that about details...including Mary's supposed virginity. It kinda scares me.