Our culture of purity celebrates the Virgin Mary. As a rape victim, that hurts me.

Washington Post ^ | December 16 | Rev. Ruth Everhart

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

This opinion piece is by the Rev. Ruth Everhart, a pastor and the author of two spiritual memoirs.

Church culture tends to be fixated on sexual purity year-round, but during Advent, I'm tempted to blame it on the Virgin Mary. After all, she set an impossibly high bar. Now the rest of us are stuck trying to be both a virgin and a mother at the same time. It does not seem to matter that this is biologically impossible. Can you at least try?

[JennysCool]

You’ve been lurking since ‘98 and don’t know why things like this are posted?

How are we going to know what the other side is thinking and doing if we don’t read their stuff?

[Daffy]

Re: #33, 34, 36

Thank you all for your excellent commentaries.

[mom of young patriots]

Your welcome. Thanks for posting. It was a deep topic.

[tbpiper]

Is this woman saying Gd raped her?

Some feminists have said as much and this woman has hinted at it. You have a good basic grasp of the essence of the story so don't feel like you don't belong here. If you have genuine questions ask them. God is always willing to answer. He even says "..come, let us reason together.." (Isiah 1:18)

And have a very Merry Christmas.

[ModelBreaker]

Excessive purity is such a problem in America.

[Yaelle]

Thanks! Feminism sure doesn’t mix with religion, which has built in reverence for how Gd made men AND women! Merry Christmas to you too!

[wardaddy]

I looked it up too

You’re right but why then would she even care about Mary?

Strange....

We don’t venerate Mary...but we respect her as Christs earthly mommy

I agree...don’t ordain women...

[wardaddy]

Why would you go to libtard churches and post here

You like aggravation?
Or the old lady dragged u?

Man...I set foot in a Disciples of Christ church once...get it...once

Ditto a Lutheran church in Seattle once.....gag

And a reformed baptist church again..once
Perfect church for me is an old white wooden missionary or primitive baptist or southern Methodist or PCA church in the cotton states

My only complaint might be the pews are hard or the church goes on a bit

[Flaming Conservative]

Has this woman actually read the Bible? (NEVER ASSUME) Since God only needed one virgin Mary, it’s a pretty good conclusion that He wants other women to be normal, every day women. The purity in Mary, was in her obedience. (I’m not Catholic, and I do not agree that Mary was Immaculate, and a perpetual virgin, and certainly not a co-redemptor). But I do believe it is obedient to God for women and men to remain virgins until they’re married. But, if you haven’t, God will forgive you, and for goodness sake, rape does not make a woman impure. The only religion that ascribes to that is islam, and they’re not just nuts, they’re evil. Years ago, I spent some time with a Catholic nun, whose ministry was to young women who had lost their virginity willfully, (not by rape). Her concept was to give these girls a way to become spiritually virginal again. It was an interesting concept. She was a very compassionate, down to earth woman. She said it made the women feel clean, as it were, whereas the women who were interested in the program, felt they had sinned by having sex outside of marriage. I don’t suppose there are a huge number of virginal adults these days, but this program apparently helped the women to feel absolved. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing.

[LurkingSince'98]

Jenny......

You didn’t know that protestants believed this???

Well guy you are obviously not Catholic since they’ve been saying thus in one firm or another for more than 500yrs

[JennysCool]

Huh?

I was responding to your question as to why the article was posted, not referring to Protestant beliefs.

I was merely mentioning that articles we may not agree with are posted so we know what the other side is thinking.

[Pelham]

“You’re right but why then would she even care about Mary?”

cuz she’s a busybody