Mary (virginity, tradition, bible, Mary, Biblical)

Lycan · #1 03-18-2005, 11:55 AM

I don't know if this goes here and this may have already been covered but...

How did they know whether or not Mary was a virgin?

Scott1 · #2 03-18-2005, 12:00 PM

Well, I guess I'd have to know if you believed in the Biblical account:
Luke 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

Lycan · #3 03-18-2005, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Well, I guess I'd have to know if you believed in the Biblical account:
Luke 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

What I mean is, is she know to be a virgin just because the bible calls her a virgin, or because there is a reference in the bible of her being examined and proven to be a virgin, or are there references in the bible of witnesses that knew she was a virgin?

Scott1 · #4 03-18-2005, 02:09 PM

I don't believe anyone in the Bible put Mary in stirrups and checked to see if her hymen(sp?) was intact..... short of that..... I don't know what you'd consider evidence.

Lycan · #5 03-18-2005, 02:32 PM

Quote:

I don't believe anyone in the Bible put Mary in stirrups and checked to see if her hymen(sp?) was intact..... short of that..... I don't know what you'd consider evidence.

I am not trying to be tacky, I am just asking. I am not asking for proof that she was a virgin, I am merely asking what the bibles basis is for the virginity of Mary.

Scott1 · #6 03-18-2005, 04:01 PM

Verbal/Apostolic tradition...... which eventually was written down and become = the Bible.

Lycan · #7 03-18-2005, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Verbal/Apostolic tradition...... which eventually was written down and become = the Bible.

So they just took her word on it, or they just assumed she was?

michel · #8 03-18-2005, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lycan

So they just took her word on it, or they just assumed she was?

Lycan; I can see why you are having trouble with this; you are trying to find out how, why, what evidence......

As far as I know, you will never get it. There is no statement typed by a doctor who examined Mary so that the scriptures could be proved to be accurate. This is why religions are often reffered to as 'Faiths'; I realize that you may have a problem with accepting facts which cannot be 'proved', but that is your choice.

If you want to talk about this further, PM me by all means, and I can tell you how I personally 'cope' with this facet of religion.

Green Gaia · #9 03-18-2005, 06:10 PM

Didn't 'virgin' also mean a young, unmarried girl? Not to say Mary wasn't or couldn't have been a virgin as we think of it. But maybe we're putting too much emphasis on the fact that she hadn't engaged in sexual intercourse. Maybe the Bible just means she was a young, unmarried woman?

Scott1 · #10 03-18-2005, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maize

Didn't 'virgin' also mean a young, unmarried girl? Not to say Mary wasn't or couldn't have been a virgin as we think of it. But maybe we're putting too much emphasis on the fact that she hadn't engaged in sexual intercourse. Maybe the Bible just means she was a young, unmarried woman?

You are quite right Maize.... Mary was in fact a young, umarried girl at the time the time the Angels announced to hear that she was to bear a son.

Take a look at these verses from Luke:
[26]In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
[27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary
[30] And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
[31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
[32] He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
[33] and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
[34] And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"

I take a few things from this.... one, Mary was betrothed to a man.... she was going to be married to Joseph.
When the Angel says to her that she, a woman "engaged" to be married will conveive a child Mary asks "How shall this be.." .... so, Mary was a rather stupid woman or she was never given the "birds and the bees" talk, right?
I choose a third option.... she was a virgin.... and planned to remain so, even after marriage..... notice the angel does not tell her that she is pregnant at the present moment, but tells her that "you will conceive" (in the future) ..... one can reasonably assume from this that Mary intended to stay a virgin after marriage..... at least that's my take on it.