Do Christians really believe Mary was a virgin?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you read the one about Apollo being born from the head of Zeus?

Or was that Athena?

[Anonymous]

A bit of Wikipedia: Apollo and Artemis were twins, whoe moother was Leto. Leto gave birth to Artemis, who then served as midwife in the birth of Apollo. That was one precocious lady!

It was Athena who came from Zeus's head, because he swallowed her mother to hide his fooling around from Hera. But Hera knew, and in revenge she conceived and bore Hephaestus on her own. So Mary was not the first to do it on her own, although Hera was not a virgin at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mary was Jewish and she was married. In a Jewish marriage ceremony you immediately go to a room where the marriage is consummated. She was not a virgin.

This doesn't say immediately:
http://www.bible.ca/marriage/ancient-jewish-three-stage-weddings-and-marriage-customs-ceremony-in-the-bible.htm

Stage 1: signing the "ketubbah" contract (Creating the marriage bond)
i. The bride would chose her husband and her father would sign a legal contract with him called a "ketubbah".
ii. Once this is signed the couple is 100% married but do not have sex yet.
iii. Young children were often married, (arraigned marriage) but did not consummate until of age.
Stage 2: The "chuppah": sexual consummation.
i. Up to 7 years later, the groom is able to raise the money as set out in the ketubbah contract and notifies the father of the bride, who then sets a date to consummate the marriage at the bride's home.
ii. The bride waits with her maidens, for the arrival of the groom and his companions.
iii. The couple enters the chuppah room and consummates the marriage while the companions of the bride and groom wait and celebrate outside or in the next room.
iv. The groom hands the bloodied "proof of virginity cloth" to the witnesses chosen by the bride's parents, who then give it to the bride for safekeeping.
Stage 3: The wedding feast
i. After consummation, the entire wedding party walks to the house of the groom in a procession for a wedding feast.
ii. At the conclusion of the wedding feast, the couple has completed the ancient ritual of marriage.

You might want to look at a Jewish source for these types of things. http://www.aish.com/jl/l/m/48969841.html?tab=y
The yichud room is where the consummation takes place right after the ceremony.

But what about the "Up to 7 years later . . . " segment? If the groom has the money from the start, then consummation is a no brainer. If not, then there's a waiting period? Is this still followed by Hasidic Jews?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm Catholic and know Mary was an unmarried woman known as a virgin. Why are you people so obsessed with what anyone believes ?

Because it is a little scary if people believe these weird things, without thinking them through. If she was a virgin, did Jezus only get her DNA? That is rather revolutionary.

Would be great if we can recreate this: imagine all the possibilities this would open up to infertile couples? No donor-sperm needed.

From a genetics standpoint, I'd be interested in figuring out what Jesus's DNA is made of. Does the "father" (god) have DNA? Isn't Jesus technically also god, so does he have 100% of God's DNA, and none of Mary's? Or does he have 100% of Mary's, and none of God's? Where did he get his Y chromosome from? Does he have half human DNA (from Mary), and half something else? Muslims don't believe Jesus was god but they do believe in the immaculate conception - so where did Jesus's other genetic half come from?

I'm not Christian or Muslim (though I was raised Muslim) or some smaller branch religion, so I obviously don't believe in Jesus being divinely inspired (as a god or prophet), nor do I believe in immaculate conception or Mary's virginity when it comes to conceiving Jesus. But from a religious standpoint, I'd be curious how Christians, Muslims, or other smaller groups explain the genetic background of Jesus.

bump - are there any religious explanations for the genetics of it all?

[Anonymous]

I would think that when Joseph accepted the word of the angel and took Mary as his wife, he also took the child as his own, making Jesus a descendant of all Joseph's forebears.

That's coming from an atheist, but one trying to look with the eyes of the faithful.

[Anonymous]

The bible stories predate an understanding of genetics.

So perhaps te virgin birth is just another thing that Christians take on faith -- there being little choice to do otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would think that when Joseph accepted the word of the angel and took Mary as his wife, he also took the child as his own, making Jesus a descendant of all Joseph's forebears.

That's coming from an atheist, but one trying to look with the eyes of the faithful.

Did they have adoption in those days? ANy other mention of such a thingin the Bible?

[Anonymous]

Moses was adopted by pharoah's daughter, IIRC.

[Anonymous]

Can any scientists explain incorruptibles like Saint Catherine of Bologna?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm Catholic and know Mary was an unmarried woman known as a virgin. Why are you people so obsessed with what anyone believes ?

Because it is a little scary if people believe these weird things, without thinking them through. If she was a virgin, did Jezus only get her DNA? That is rather revolutionary.

Would be great if we can recreate this: imagine all the possibilities this would open up to infertile couples? No donor-sperm needed.

From a genetics standpoint, I'd be interested in figuring out what Jesus's DNA is made of. Does the "father" (god) have DNA? Isn't Jesus technically also god, so does he have 100% of God's DNA, and none of Mary's? Or does he have 100% of Mary's, and none of God's? Where did he get his Y chromosome from? Does he have half human DNA (from Mary), and half something else? Muslims don't believe Jesus was god but they do believe in the immaculate conception - so where did Jesus's other genetic half come from?

I'm not Christian or Muslim (though I was raised Muslim) or some smaller branch religion, so I obviously don't believe in Jesus being divinely inspired (as a god or prophet), nor do I believe in immaculate conception or Mary's virginity when it comes to conceiving Jesus. But from a religious standpoint, I'd be curious how Christians, Muslims, or other smaller groups explain the genetic background of Jesus.

bump - are there any religious explanations for the genetics of it all?

This is like asking if communion bread has DNA because it is the "body" of Christ. In the words of my pastor, no, we do not have explanations for this stuff. That is why it is a "mystery." The DNA of Jesus is not one of the questions the church (I'm assuming ALL churches here) is even interested in asking. Maybe someone on this thread can start a more scientific church that can ponder these questions.

[Anonymous]

a more scientific church would not even consider transubstantiation and virgin birth worth pondering.

"It's a mystery" is another way of saying it's BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can any scientists explain incorruptibles like Saint Catherine of Bologna?

So let say for the sake of arugument that scientists agree that the body of St. Catherine is "incorruptible." How does that make religion true?

[Anonymous]

The virginity of Mary may or may not be a physical one. That is irrelevant in my opinion because the Bible is very allegorical and interpretetive, and not a plain recitation of historical facts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The virginity of Mary may or may not be a physical one. That is irrelevant in my opinion because the Bible is very allegorical and interpretetive, and not a plain recitation of historical facts

So, was Jesus the son of God or is that just an allegory? How can you tell? Who decides?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can any scientists explain incorruptibles like Saint Catherine of Bologna?

So let say for the sake of arugument that scientists agree that the body of St. Catherine is "incorruptible." How does that make religion true?

It doesn't but it does show that not everything can be explained by science.