Comments | bible_heretics: The Virgin Birth

reginaterrae in bible_heretics

The Virgin Birth

Aug 29, 2009 18:05

I think it's a shame that the Virgin Birth story has gotten to be such a big honkin deal in Christianity. Now let me quick say that I don't have any problem suspending disbelief enough to accept that it could have happened that way. Heck, if you can believe in the Incarnation at all -- if you can believe in GOD at all, for that matter, then how can ( Read more... )

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reginaterrae August 30 2009, 12:05:20 UTC

So maybe I'm being too vehement about this. I do see the beauty of the metaphor ... it's just imperfect, that's all, as are all metaphors about God. I guess my problem is with taking it so FAR. Not only was Mary a virgin when Jesus was conceived, she was a virgin forever. OK, fine, but that includes in the act of giving birth. (Catechism 499). The Catechism doesn't define "virginity" in this context, but presumably it means that her hymen wasn't torn by the baby coming through.

The Protoevangelium of James has Joseph go find a midwife (Salome) to assist Mary in the cave.

"They stood in the place of the cave, and a dark cloud was overshadowing the cave.... The cloud withdrew from the cave, and a great light apeared in the cave so that their eyes could not bear it. After a while the light withdrew, until the baby appeared....

The midwife went in and placed Mary in position, and Salome examined her virginal nature; and Salome cried aloud that she had tempted the living God--'and behold, my hand falls away from me in fire.'"

Granted the theological significance (though metaphorically imperfect) of the virginal conception of Jesus, what does the virginity in partum teach? Wouldn't it have played into the hands of the Valentinians who denied the Incarnation? I'm indifferent about the virginity post partum, though I don't see it being argued in a way that teaches me anything about God and His Incarnation.

What do y'all think?

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