Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute.

From the Washington Post: On Easter, Mary Magdalene will be maligned as a prostitute. Except she wasn’t by Petula Dvorak

This can not be repeated often enough:

Here’s who Mary Magdalene was: one of Jesus Christ’s original followers, the last to stay with him while he was nailed to the cross and, Christians believe, the first to see his empty tomb and his resurrection.

Here’s who she wasn’t: a reformed or forgiven prostitute.

Yet on Easter Sunday, Christianity’s holiest day, that’s exactly how she will be described in some sermons and how she continues to be portrayed in much of popular culture.  continue reading