Do Christians really believe Mary was a virgin?

[Anonymous]

You would think there would be more known and written about the supposed mother of god, before giving birth?

But yes, Christians and Muslims believe Mary was a virgin, although there is debate about the linguistic game of telephone in how ancient words are translated - many believing that "virgin" is stemmed from words meaning "young woman" or unmarried." That it doesn't explicitly have the meaning of "never had sex" that we understand today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who knew catholicism made people so angry?

The US had a long history of anti-Catholicism before the late 60s and early 70s. It was an issue in Kennedy's election. It has faded with time, but it remains a nasty thread in some Protestant churches. I had a law firm secretary explain to me in all sincerity once that Catholics aren't Christian and that the Pope is an agent of Satan. I refrained from telling her that she was white trash.

It's annoying when people repeat anti-Catholic myths, such as "Catholics really worship Mary, not Jesus." It's not true and it's designed to "other" Catholics and prove the superiority of the speaker. It's bigoted bullying.

If you don't understand anti-Catholic bigotry, Wikipedia is a place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Catholicism#United_States

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christians or Catholics? Catholics definitely yes. Can't speak for all Christians.

I thought Catholics were Christian too

They are but they don't like to be called Christians. They are "Catholic".

Educate yourself. I am Catholic and happily call myself a Christian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a big difference between Catholics and some Protestant denominations is that Catholics believe Mary always remained a virgin, while many Protestants believe she was a virgin when she carried Jesus in the womb but did not necessarily remain "ever virgin." Many Protestants, in fact, believe that Jesus had (half) brothers and sisters.

Imagine poor Joseph, doing his best, humping away, working up a sweat. Afterwards, "how was it?"
"Meh. It was OK. But not as good as God. Now there was a guy..."

[Anonymous]

She really pulled the wool over people's eyes!

[Anonymous]

For more on current anti-Catholic conspiracy theories from wingnut Evangelicals, you can read the summary at Rational Wiki:

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Anti-Catholicism#Wingnut_fundamentalist_Protestants

So annoying.

[Anonymous]

Former Catholic who now attends a Unity Church because frankly, I don't care. Was she a virgin? Maybe. Again, who cares? God sent Jesus into the world as a perfect example of goodness and light. We are supposed to look to him as an example of how to become closer to God. He demonstrated over and over again love, compassion, faith, kindness, and sacrifice. Those are the things we are supposed to be working on. Arguing about whether or not his mother was a virgin seems pretty messed up to me.

[Anonymous]

I am Catholic, and can't speak for all Christian denominations, but yes we do believe in the Virgin Birth. It's what makes the birth of Jesus a divine miracle.


On the other question being bandied about, Catholics are Christians, not all Christians are Catholic.
Funny but sad and true story highlighting that not everyone understands this. We got a fundraising letter from a friend last year who was raising money to go on a mission trip to Africa with his fairly conservative, evangelical Baptist church. The letter mentioned that it was important because the three biggest religious denominations in the country at issue were Christianity, Catholicism and Islam.

[Anonymous]

What Catholics believe (and other religions can confirm or deny if they believe the same) is that Mary was born without "original sin", she was visited by the angel Gabriel and told she would have a baby and that he would be the son of God, Gabriel visited Joseph and told him that Mary was pregnant but it was God's child and that she was a virgin (basically... I don't read the original text nor do I care to), Joseph married Mary and believed that she was a virgin.

It was considered a miracle, Catholics believe in miracles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What Catholics believe (and other religions can confirm or deny if they believe the same) is that Mary was born without "original sin", she was visited by the angel Gabriel and told she would have a baby and that he would be the son of God, Gabriel visited Joseph and told him that Mary was pregnant but it was God's child and that she was a virgin (basically... I don't read the original text nor do I care to), Joseph married Mary and believed that she was a virgin.

It was considered a miracle, Catholics believe in miracles.

Or, to paraphrase Sarah Silverman: Jews believe they are the chosen people; Christians believe Jesus was magic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What Catholics believe (and other religions can confirm or deny if they believe the same) is that Mary was born without "original sin", she was visited by the angel Gabriel and told she would have a baby and that he would be the son of God, Gabriel visited Joseph and told him that Mary was pregnant but it was God's child and that she was a virgin (basically... I don't read the original text nor do I care to), Joseph married Mary and believed that she was a virgin.

It was considered a miracle, Catholics believe in miracles.

Or, to paraphrase Sarah Silverman: Jews believe they are the chosen people; Christians believe Jesus was magic.

Jesus wasn't magic until much later. This is when Mary was magic.

"I think he made the statue of liberty disappear in the 80s or something." - Sarah Silverman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christians or Catholics? Catholics definitely yes. Can't speak for all Christians.

I thought Catholics were Christian too

They are but they don't like to be called Christians. They are "Catholic".

Educate yourself. I am Catholic and happily call myself a Christian.

But Evangelical Christians have co-opted the term Christian.

When an evangelical Christian asks if you are Christian, they are asking if you are also an EC. To respond that you are Catholic will confirm to an EC that you need evangelizing.

I know. This used to be my tact on elevators and airplanes to avoid being evangelized.

[Anonymous]

Wasn't Mary married? Why would she be a virgin as a married woman? Or was she supposed to have been impregnated before she was married?

Why would anyone have believed her? If your daughter came to you & said, "Guess what mom, I'm pregnant and it is God's baby not my boyfriend's." Would you believe her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wasn't Mary married? Why would she be a virgin as a married woman? Or was she supposed to have been impregnated before she was married?

Why would anyone have believed her? If your daughter came to you & said, "Guess what mom, I'm pregnant and it is God's baby not my boyfriend's." Would you believe her?

Just go read the gospels, and then believe them or not as you see fit. This was already explained by a PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wasn't Mary married? Why would she be a virgin as a married woman? Or was she supposed to have been impregnated before she was married?

Why would anyone have believed her? If your daughter came to you & said, "Guess what mom, I'm pregnant and it is God's baby not my boyfriend's." Would you believe her?

Just go read the gospels, and then believe them or not as you see fit. This was already explained by a PP.

Not helpful. One poster said unmarried, one eluded to her being married, one said virgin may not mean virgin. I'm on my phone so searching for the gospels is not that easily done right know. Should not be surprised that a request for information is meet with resistance when it comes to religion.

I thought she was married. Wouldn't a married woman have had sex with her husband. Thought the bible encouraged sexual relations in a marriage. Didn't see an answer to the would you believe your daughter.