Perpetual Virginity of BVM

[HabemusFrancis]

I know it is a Church teaching of Mary’s perpetual virginity.

My question is, why does it matter, and why is there one to begin with?

Part of me can’t help but think that the Church Fathers who speculated about it should have “minded their own business” and the question of virginity seems like something that people shouldn’t speculate on it being not the sort of question " a gentleman asks?"

Does anyone know why that teaching is so essential? And why people made such a big deal out of it?

It seems in improper matter to discuss one way or another!

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I know it is a Church teaching of Mary’s perpetual virginity.

My question is, why does it matter, and why is there one to begin with?

Part of me can’t help but think that the Church Fathers who speculated about it should have “minded their own business” and the question of virginity seems like something that people shouldn’t speculate on it being not the sort of question " a gentleman asks?"

Does anyone know why that teaching is so essential? And why people made such a big deal out of it?

It seems in improper matter to discuss one way or another!

Because it’s a matter of who Jesus is.

Either Mary was the spouse of the Spirit, engaged in a true relationship, and remains ‘married’ to the Father of her Son. . .

or she is just another in the round of ‘human women’ in myth who were married to mortal men, then impregnated by a god, gave birth to a half-human half god, and then went on to have ‘just human’ children with the mortal spouse. IOW, a woman who either willingly committed adultery, or who was RAPED by a god and whose human husband was then a cuckold.

So yes, it’s important. it’s important enough that there are no records whatsoever of any ‘son or daughter’ of Mary other than Jesus, and that as early as the SECOND CENTURY AD prayers were addressed to her citing her as perpetual Virgin. She was the Mother of GOD --not 'the Mother of God, and also of Tom, Dick, and Harry human.

 

[HabemusFrancis]

Hmm…

That makes sense… So she was not thought of as one of Zeus or Poseidon’s many consorts?

Didn’t some of it though have to do with the early Church Fathers viewing sex as “unclean” and that non sexual people were superior to the sexually active? Could they also have been just a tiny bit misogynistic and fearful of women and the “temptation” they posed, and perhaps viewed a perpetual virgin as a safer being to venerate, as opposed to a non perpetual virgin woman?

Or my above questions just reflections of liberal myths?

 

[Ophelia23]

Hmm…

That makes sense… So she was not thought of as one of Zeus or Poseidon’s many consorts?

Didn’t some of it though have to do with the early Church Fathers viewing sex as “unclean” and that non sexual people were superior to the sexually active? Could they also have been just a tiny bit misogynistic and fearful of women and the “temptation” they posed, and perhaps viewed a perpetual virgin as a safer being to venerate, as opposed to a non perpetual virgin woman?

Or my above questions just reflections of liberal myths?

I just wanted to say… I read these forums every day, so I start to recognize people and their question-style. While I know you are Agnostic/Searching, you are a great thinker and incredibly open minded to reasonable, logical answers. Good on you for that. Keep it up.

And yeah, the above question is just a reflection of liberal myths.

 

[JimG]

We call Mary the Mother of God, because the Person to whom she gave birth is the second Person of the Trinity, the Divine Word.

If Mary had other children, then we would also have to title them as “brother of God,” or “sister of God.” But she didn’t.

It is thought that Mary took a vow of perpetual virginity even before her betrothal to Joseph. He was to be her protector. This can be deduced from her reply to Gabriel, “How can this be, since I do not know man?”

She was betrothed to be married. An announcement that she was to be the mother of the Messiah would not be met with puzzlement, had there been no vow of virginity.

 

[Robyn_p]

Here’s a really great article about this topic. mark-shea.com/pv3.html

 

[thistle]

Of course I believe in Mary’s perpetual virginity but I would be cautious about using the Protoevangelium of James as any sort of evidence. It was not written by any of the Church fathers and it is not accepted by the Church as being an inspired writing.

 

[fred_conty]

I know it is a Church teaching of Mary’s perpetual virginity.

My question is, why does it matter, and why is there one to begin with?

Part of me can’t help but think that the Church Fathers who speculated about it should have “minded their own business” and the question of virginity seems like something that people shouldn’t speculate on it being not the sort of question " a gentleman asks?"

Does anyone know why that teaching is so essential? And why people made such a big deal out of it?

It seems in improper matter to discuss one way or another!

It had been foretold in the Old Testament in Isaiah 7 that the Messiah would be born of a virgin. This was one of the signs to recognize the Redeemer. How many people were born of a virgin? So this is one proof that Jesus is who he says he is (present tense intended).

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.