manwithdream

I don't understand why there is no mention of Mary being accused of blasphemy for saying she had a child with G-d. I doubt that Jewish people would have just not noticed if someone actually claimed this. Supposedly, everyone got upset that J was from a certain city or area, but nobody in the NT got upset about his supposed virgin birth. I don't even think the NT ever mentions any debate about Isaiah 7:14 or the meaning of almah (virgin or young woman). How do people explain this?

ApostateAbe

If Mary made such a claim, that may be a good point. But my personal understanding is that neither Mary nor Jesus ever claimed that Jesus was born of a virgin. Christians never even thought of Jesus as the messiah until after he was dead. The virgin story is not contained in the earliest gospel, and that is a hint. It is a post-Jesus Christian invention.

Toto

I'm not sure that it would be blasphemy in any case. What is your understanding of blasphemy?

rlogan

More precisely it was a development that took place after the first mythological gospel was in circulation. Given that there was no Jesus.

It is a solid point.

manwithdream

I was just guessing that it would be considered blasphemy which I think is when anyone says something bad about G-d. I think to Jewish people back then saying that G-d had sex or somehow impregnated a woman would have been considered a bad thing. I think the NT says that the people were mad that J called himself the son of G-d, so that would show that they didn't like that, so they probably would not have liked if his mother said she had a child with G-d. I am not sure about the details of what the NT says about how the people reacted to J saying he was the son of G-d (if he did say this).

Toto

Skeptics who make fun of the gospel stories say that Mary had sex with God. What the actual gospels say differs - IIRC it is more that the Holy Spirit came over Mary. If you believe that God is all powerful, God can cause a pregnancy without doing anything dirty.

Minimalist

That's pretty kinky right there, boss.

PinkZinc

I can`t figure why Christians don`t boast of how Jesus was the only man in history to take his mother`s cherry----------------from the inside.

Or if we go along with the virgo intacta legend, did He ooze out in a form of osmosis?

Hang on,I know, He used the immortal words 'Beam me out, Scottie'.
PZ

semiopen

The virgin birth wastes a promising story line.

Rabbinic Fantasies by Stern and Mirsky tells the story of Ben Sira's birth on page 169.

http://books.google.com/books?id=ABx...sult#PPA170,M1

His father is Jeremiah who is forced to masturbate by Ephraimite homosexuals he criticizes in a bath house. His daughter was impregnated when she took her bath.

aa5874

If Jesus did live and Mary claimed he was the offspring of the Holy Ghost, they might have just thought she was mad.

An hypothethical census.

"Is this your son?"

"Yes"

"And who is his father?"

"The Holy Ghost of God"

Pause......"Ok, what is your husband's name?"

"Joseph"

"Let the record show we have a family of three."

Pulling Joseph aside, "Your wife seems a bit stressed."

"It all started after she spoke to the angel called Gabriel."

A long pause......."Anyone-else to be registered?"