Is Joseph a paedophile?

Question

Marry a young girl it was also common in the Jewish society. The case of Mary the mother of Jesus comes to mind, in non biblical sources she was between 11-14 years old when she conceived Jesus. Mary had already been "BETROTHED" to Joseph before conceiving Jesus. Joseph was a much older man. therefore Mary was younger than 11-14 years of age when she was "BETHROED" to Joseph.
According to the Priest of Saint Mary's Catholic Church: "Mary was approximately 14 years old when she got pregnant with Jesus. Joseph, Mary's Husband is believed to be around 36. Mary was only 13 when she married Joseph. When she first was arranged with Joseph she was between 7 to 9 years old."

Answer 1

No he wasn't a paedophile. It was simply the culture. There are still societies today that arrange marriages when the girl is quite young and the man is older by like 20 years. It's normal for them. If the girl is still very young then the couple doesn't consumate the marriage until she is more mature.
For instance, the reason why Muhammad didn't consumate the marriage to Ayesha when he first married her was because she was far too young and also she hadn't hit puberty. She hit puberty at age 9 and therefore was now accountable for sins also (belief in islam) wheeas before she wasn't. He wasn't a paedophile for consumating the marriage at that age because the culture was such. In both Muslim and Jewish societies this practice was common and today in many villages it still is.

Answer 2

To answer you question. No.

There is much we do not know about the Holy Family. Much of want we know is speculation or comes from different account from the history of the time.

It is thought that Mary was 14 when Jesus was born. Most think that Joseph was an older man and that he had other children and was a widower. This would explain why some say that James was Jesus' brother. It also could be that in that culture cousins would be seen as brothers too, so we really don't know.

Most think that Mary was a virgin and remained a virgin. If Joseph was a much older man and married Mary to have someone to care for his children this would make more sense, since he would not have the sex drive of a younger man. Others think that Mary was a virgin before and at the time of the birth of Jesus, but later had relations with her husband and possibly other children.

Also another poster, Ania, is right in saying that there was at the time a rumor that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. The word for virgin and the word for soldier is only one letter different. So when they said Jesus of the virgin, it could have been Jesus of the soldier. Some say that this was just a rumor spread to discredit Jesus' claim to be the son of God.

Here ends your Religions Studies 101 lesson for the day.

Answer 3

What was custom then did not make one a pedophile. Girls were often married by 13-14 years old. And, usually the men were about 20 years old. Tho, it did not matter on the man's age. Often, a family would find an older man for their daughter, as he would have more wealth.

By Jewish custom of the day, Mary would have been betrothed a year before her marriage. Later, this was changed to the betrothal and the wedding ceremonies were conducted at the same time, as it was also the custom of the rulers (in any country) to rape the bride-to-be-------to demean her. Many think this is the case of Mary-that she was raped by a Roman soldier.

Answer 4

Our ONLY reliable source for information related to religious matters should be God's Word, the Bible. Scripture doesn't specify what age Mary and Joseph were when they became betrothed; we also don't know how long they'd been betrothed when Mary conceived. By Jewish tradition, a betrothal was never less than 9 months; during that time, the woman was carefully watched to ensure she was chaste. Regardless, you've based your conclusion on speculation.

God sent the Archangel Gabriel to Mary at a specific time in her life, when He determined she was ready to conceive. If God Himself felt Mary was ready, none of us is qualified to state otherwise. Whether she was 14 or 24 is immaterial. Whether Joseph was 36 or 56 is also immaterial. What really matters is that God made the decision and both Mary and Joseph were obedient.

Peace.

Answer 5

Your problem is you live in a society where older woman are doing the defining of terms and you are silly enough to accept their definitions. 75 years ago in many communities right here in the USA if a woman was unmarried by the age 15 she was considered an old maid. Women start,, even today, to begin planning their weddings by age 10 to 12.

Older women due to their jealous natures discourage marriage to young woman.

I do not pretend to know the right age for any particular person but the idea that we have the right to define a person as a pediphile because someone got married at age 12 is pretty preposterous.

I am a world traveler and there are many countrys where woman get married at these ages and often to men older than 35. I have met and talked to a few of these couples and I could not detect any less happyness or fulfillment than I find in older marriages.

Women have decided careers and power are so important that they would restrict choices for everyone just so they can get a lower (not my idea of fair but still true) paying job, mostly with little job security, or adequate choices for making a family latter, and accepted many circumstances that restrict their own freedoms as a group, and brought upon their gender all the health problems and stress only men used to have, and lost much previously available protections and all this for what?? the opportunity to experience the same hardships as a man, and at the cost of even the lives of a nations children.

I watch amused as woman have won all the freedoms man never wanted, and the opportunities to think they have power that in actuallity only money can buy.

Genetically speaking a woman is ready to marry somewhere between the ages of 10 and 13, and if mankind thinks they know better than the creator then I guess I will just watch while we pay the price over and over and over again.

1950 one spouse worked and maintained an average family of 5 on that one salary, with medical benefits, the Dr came to your house, vegetable soup was made of vegys not noodles, families spent way more time together than today. many 12 year old women got married (in some states), when you drove up to the pump a smiley face greeted you and filled your tank, wiped your wind shield and checked your oil, Divorce was rare, SAT scores were higher and I could go on for a coupla pages. Many of the negative changes are directly attributable to a small group of vocal women who wanted power, and apparently for the right of woman everywhere to endure hardships men had but did not want from the beginning

Do you really think giving women the right to vote was a good idea??? Perhaps this was a corporate idea and not the idea of what is good held by most woman. I know plenty who would go back if they could.

pediphile is just a word used to restrict some freedoms so we can all work harder for less. I am not in favor of abusing children (especially in sweat shops) there is too much of it going on but this whole idea of what a pediphile is has gotten way out of hand. The Bible spells out exactly where sex is wrong and we should just stick to that and quite adding to those. If parents did what is right and properly supervised their children much of this would disappear overnite but oh wait we can't do that cuz both parents are working. Wonder how that happened??

sorry you just hit the hot button. Joseph nor Muhammed were not in any way sexually deviant. Our new ideas are sexually deviant, and repressing and who do you suppose ushered these ideas in??? Jealous old women seeking power.

Answer 6

Hello shadowofe... :)

I do not know your age..but we also in this Country allowed 12 year girls to wed..

In Jesus Most Precious Name..
With Love..In Christ.. :)


ADDITIONAL: http://www.coolnurse.com/marriage_laws.htm

New Hampshire: A female between the age of 13 and 17 years and a male between the age of 14 and 17 years can be married only with the permission of their parent (guardian) and a waiver. A female below the age of 13 and a male below the age of 14 are not allowed to marry under any conditions. If both parties are nonresidents of NH and are below the age of 18 they cannot be married in NH under any conditions.

This is still in effect now..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent

Social (and the resulting legal) attitudes toward the appropriate age of consent have drifted upwards in modern times; while ages from ten through to thirteen were typically acceptable in the mid-Nineteenth Century [1] (Pg7), "fifteen through to eighteen" had become the norm in many countries by the "end of the Twentieth Century".

Answer 7

You are going to offend a lot of people with that question. It sort off offends me and I am Jewish. Those were different times and they had different customs then. Notwithstanding, Mary had made a good match a man with a trade. He was an excellent surrogate father so why soil his memory?

Answer 8

Are you high? Where did you go to school? Was it accredited? Are you sure?

Older men marrying younger girls was the norm for much longer than not.

This is just how it was done and it was not seen as perverted or wrong.

Your point is ill conceived and you need to read more about history and arranged weddings.

In our culture, you are right. This would not be appropriate but please remember that there is a great big world out there with different cultures and beliefs.

Answer 9

well it makes a change from Mohammed i suppose

but these things were done in those days... a 11 year old would be like a 17 year old now ... things have changed and children have changed
and what was ok then would not be ok now
no he was not a paedophile ... not any more than anyone else at that time

Answer 10

You need a stronger grasp of the customs practiced in the biblical times. Reasons existed for such contrasts in ages and their way of selecting mates.

Haven't you noticed that these customs are still in existence in the Middle East and elsewhere? Get a grip.