What is your opinion of the Virgin Mary?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

[MrBenchley]

1. A lot of fun at a cocktail party

once she loosens up....

[HereSince1628]

I thought a VM was a Bloody Mary with no booze.

but then it coulda been a V8.

[underpants]

She can convince a LOT of people about almost anything

the stranger the story the better

[scarlet_owl]

2. I love her.

I like to pray the rosary often. I find great peace in it.

[soothsayer]

26. me, too (n/t)

[slutticus]

56. Mary Jane? n/t

[Beware the Beast Man]

3. Don't make me go here. Not again.

While it's quite possible she immaculately concieved Jesus, I find it hard to believe that she and Joseph had a long and happy marriage without ever consummating their relationship.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

4. Apparently Joseph had already been married, had kids and was much

older than her - she might have been more of a companion and helper than a lover.

[underpants]

7. Huh? have you forgotten about his brother James?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1021_021021_christianrelicbox.html

The 2,000-year-old ossuary—a box that held bones—bears the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Until now, all references to the three men have been found only in manuscripts.

[truthspeaker]

15. That ossuary was exposed as a forgery over a year ago

[TeacherCreature]

42. the debunking was debunked

Same as with the shroud of Turin. They just keep debunking back and forth. So feel free to think and others will do the same.

[soothsayer]

30. first of all, it was Mary's conception that was immaculate, not Jesus'

(That's true, look it up.) Secondly, the bible seems to say that Jesus had brothers and sisters (for instance, Matthew 13:55-56, in which the neighbors wonder where Jesus gets off with all this preaching: "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?").

Of coure, it could be that's referring to Joseph's other kids. But the best stories are in the Apocrypha or the dead sea scrolls or something where young Jesus turns his brothers and sisters into goats or something and locks them in the basement. I just love the imagery of the young God working out his powers..!

[bigwillq]

53. My thoughts exactly

And that's all I want to say on this subject. I guess I'm not a "believer". I don't go to church anymore. After 21 years of being Catholic, I gave up going five years agao which is ironically the time when I "came out".

Believe what you want though. I'm not here to knock your personal religious beliefs. I just don't buy it (religion in general).

[truthspeaker]

5. three possibilities:

1) She and Joseph claimed it was a virgin birth to hide the fact they had had premarital sex

2) She claimed it was a virgin birth so Joseph wouldn't find out she'd slept with another man

3) No one during Jesus's time thought he was born of a virgin; that was added to the story later to make Jesus seem more "holy".


My bet is on #3.

[trotsky]

17. Yep.

"Later embellishment" is the most reasonable explanation.

Many religions at the time had born-of-a-virgin savior myths, so in order to market your new cult, you had to appeal to the existing product base.

[RebelYell]

6. I don't understand why she is deified in the Catholic religion

"Thou shall have no other gods before me" doesn't apply? Can someone explain this to me? I have always wondered why they pray to her. Serious question. Excuse my ignorance.

I would also ask the same question of other Christians who pray to Jesus. If God says he is the one and only God and praying to anyone/anything else is a sin, this would seem to be a blatant sin to me, unless I'm taking this commandment too literally.

If this thread was intended as humor, I apologize.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

11. Catholicism holds Mary and Saints in high regard but we pray TO God

through the saints. We rely on their "constant intercession" to God.

[RebelYell]

16. Stupid question

Why do you need Mary and Saints to pray to God?

I was raised Lutheran, that might explain my stupid question. Thanks for your patience with me.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

19. Don't need them.

But they can't hurt :)

[Burma Jones]

23. I think it has something to do with the "romanization" of a Jewish cult

Christianity started out as a Jewish Cult. In order to sell Christianity to Pagans, they had to have a Goddess figure, and a whole lot of demi-gods, hence the Saints. Also had to have festivals at the Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox. Of course, Judiasm also has these festivals, but their Pagan counterparts were a lot more boistrous.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

27. Ah yes - Goddess worship

Lovin' it!

[bleedingheart]

29. She is the Goddess figure replacement

my Catholic priest confirmed this for me.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

31. "Goddess figure replacement"

Your priest told you this?

[bleedingheart]

48. yes the priest told me this

it was around the time I was getting married and my hubby is a protestant who was seeing the similarities and differences between the way he was raised and the catholic faith...

the priest explained how the different traditions etc were adapted as the word of christ spread through europe...

[LibertyLover]

45. Mary in Catholicism

According to the Church God, ie the Trinity, is to be accorded latria. The saints are to be accorded dulia. Mary is to be accorded hyper dulia. In other words God is to be worshipped, the saints are to be honored and Mary is to be super-honored, but not worshipped. Of course, in actual practice . . . me I always figured that if I had to obey my mom, so did Jesus, so I always went to the BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) first. LOL

[indigobusiness]

8. She gets more love than me...

and I'm easy.

[gWbush is Mabus]

9. I think Joe knocked her up and she didn't want to tell her dad,

so she made up this whole immaculate conception story.

JOe was like, "Yeah, that's the ticket. Immaculate conception."

[ClintonTyree]

10. I love it...............

when she chooses to reveal herself in squeegee residue on the window of some financial building. She works in STRANGE ways!

[gpandas]

37. look-itsa madonna-she'sa cry n/t

[matcom]

12. we call them 'bathtub Mary's' when they are in the yard like that

and there are a TON of bathtub Mary's up here in MA

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

13. I love a bathtub mary - they're the best kitch around

I'm getting one as soon as I can.

[tigereye]

39. I'll have to send you a pic of a beautiful shrine

that used to be near some friend's old house. It was torn down, alas, but we have it immortalized on an album we made. :) I have always thought that Mary was an interesting, if polarizing, figure ( at least for feminists), as the church sadly needed some female "perspective."

[alfredo]

14. It's bad manners to speak ill of the dead.

Of course if you do, it won't matter to them.

[jukes]

18. i no longer

bait xians in this forum. but i've yet to see her face on a tortilla.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

20. I love tortillas too

:)

[matcom]

21. my coworker is wondering why i am laughing so hard and have tears

should i tell him?

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA

[jukes]

22. go for it, matcom

show 'em a little ass!

[lastknowngood]

24. She's the most She's been had by the holy ghost

sittin on the dasboard of my car

[UrbScotty]

25. Pretty fine woman, if I may say so myself.

:D

[noonwitch]

28. My devoutly catholic g-grandmother used to say: "Either it's true or...

she had a very smart mother".

[bleedingheart]

32. My daughter used to babble at Elmo.....yet because this kid

talks to the Virgin it is somehow divine?

By the way I have always wanted a more Goddess like statue for my garden...mother earth worship and all...

[jukes]

35. greenmen

are very cool:


possibly based on 'nam vet type recluses, undoubtable added to folklore such as trolls, werewolves, etc.

[GCP]

58. Greenmen are ancient European pre-Christian spirit-dieties

Such as the god of a wood, or of a stream, that kind of thing.

Nothing whatsoever to do with 'Nam vet-type recluses.

[mondo joe]

33. Modern Mythology Needs a Goddess

Patriarchal religions did a pretty good job of stamping out goddess worship, but it keeps creeping back in. The semi-worship of Mary is one of those ways.

Seriously - I really do think the myhthology of the day is missing something feminine. I thik it's one reason the deatyh of Princess Diana hit so many people so hard.

[DinahMoeHum]

34. She was an unwed, teenage mother.

n/t

:evilgrin:

[jukes]

36. probably

a goddam liberal welfare mom.

[amazona]

38. one of my friends is a follower of Mary

I hope I am explaining this right. He's Catholic but he doesn't accept the divinity of Jesus, or rather, he believes we are all the children of God, not just Jesus. However, he does have a shrine to Mary and keep the rosary and other rituals of respect toward her.

[TexasSissy]

40. That's a really cute kid. (But kids will talk to anything, I think. Even

statues.)

[Connie_Corleone]

41. "Virgin" Mary

Pfft! She wasn't so "virgin" in school! She slept with my boyfriend!

[Endangered Specie]

43. Only person ever to get knocked up by a ghost.

[Bridget Burke]

44. She's been around a long time, in one guise or another.

Sometimes it's easier to pray through a mother figure or a friendly saint. The Old Man is remote & a bit scary, so intercession is helpful.

In Europe, many churches to Our Lady were built on shrines to various goddesses. It's thought that some of the famous Black Madonnas of Europe are actually old statues of Isis, whose cult was popular throughout the Roman Empire. The lady on the left is the Virgin of Guadalupe (in Spain).

Her shrine in Mexico was built on a hill where the Aztec goddess Tonantzin had been worshiped. The image revered there has real meaning for many people. (To the right is her chapel in The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Definitely worth a visit for those interested.)

[Dookus]

46. She's OK

but not nearly as much fun as her sister, the Slut Sarah.

[NashVegas]

47. As Catechized, An Impossible Ideal

The churches have used the "immaculate conception" to fuck with little girls' heads long enough, in setting us up with a castrated role model.

[Dookus]

49. I don't see how

the doctrine of immaculate conception merely states that Mary's mother conceived Mary without original sin.

[NashVegas]

57. There Were Two

I think you know what I was getting at, Dookus.

[Cybergata]

50. I love Our Lady of Guadalupe

I'm not a Christian, and despite being Hispanic, I was not raised as a Catholic. With that said, I must add that the story of Guadalupe & the impact this story as had on people of Mexico & the Southwest, I can't help but love the whole concept of her. If I believed in gods, she would be my one true godd

:hippie:

[Padraig18]

51. I'm devoted.

I ask her intercession often, and find great peace in the rosary.

:)

[kodi]

52. mary? her and I go way back. i knew her before she was a virgin

.

[redqueen]

54. I have an Our Lady of Guadalupe candle

and one with Mary... can't help it. I love! :)

[rene moon]

55. I go to her in times of comfort

I am not be all that religious but she has always been there for me.
I love her.

[GCP]

59. Macca seems to be a fan

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.


And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

[Mr.Green93]

60. she's hot

[mitchum]

61. Apparently, she was VERY persuasive

Or was Joseph just extremely gullible?