A fragment has caused a global flutter about historic
Christianity. The claim that Jesus was married has flashed
around the world, saturating newspapers, online sources and TV
news shows. It has sparked unbridled speculation about the
future of Christianity. Karen King, a Harvard Divinity School
professor, appears in a scene from "The Gospel of Jesus's Wife,"
which aired on the Smithsonian Channel. (Photo:
SmithsonianChannel.com) The New York Times broke the news on
Sept. 18 with the headline, "A Faded Piece of Papyrus Refers to
Jesus' Wife." The Times reported that it had seen the papyrus
scrap four days earlier. Within a few paragraphs, the paper said
the discovery "could reignite" the debate about celibacy in the
Catholic Church, women in the priesthood and "boundaries of
marriage." An excited reporter for ABC's "Good Morning America"
introduced the breaking news that morning. "The discovery, if it
is validated, could have major implications for the Christian
faith. The belief that Jesus was not married is