Is Christianity the only religion with an immaculate birth - Maryʻs birth to chr

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   YogaKatposted 11 years ago

   Is Christianity the only religion with an immaculate birth - Maryʻs birth to christ.
   
   I recently found that American Indians supported a similair belief through prophet Dekanwida.  My christian friend says christianity is the only religion where God reaches down to man. I would love to learn more from hubpages international community.

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   eternals3ptemberposted 11 years ago

   If I remember correctly, Horus, Mithra, Krishna, and Dionysus. They could also do most of the things Jesus did, healing, raising the dead, walk on water, water into wine, teaching, and some were killed and rose, called the son of God, had desciples.

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      CJ Sledgehammerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I know of no false prophet who has claimed to have risen from the grave. It is true, however, that the magicians of Pharoh were able to perform magic tricks, counterfeiting the real miracles performed by Moses.

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      tussinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Those are excellent examples eternals3p. New religions are never created in a vacuum. They always borrow and steal from the older religions of the time.

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      eternals3ptemberposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I wasn't saying that they happened, just as I do not believe the birth of Jesus of Nazareth was immaculate, virgin. This is from a purely historical standpoint.

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      calynbanaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Mithra was born full grown from a rock. I guess you could call a rock a virgin but that is a stretch imo. Horus was birthed by Isis a married woman, who would have consummated her marriage. When her husband died she used him to conceive Horus.

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   CJ Sledgehammerposted 11 years ago

   The pagan cult of Mormonism has a similar story. But, in their twisted version, "Elohim" came down to earth and had sex with Mary and fathered "Jesus", even though Elohim already was married. In this stead, he was an adulteror and fornicator. So, if you want false doctrine and sex scandals, look no further than your local LDS "church".
   
   The Holy Bible clearly states that the "Holy Spirit" came upon Mary...not God the Father.
   
   It is important to know all these little nuances because they all add up in the end and are the difference between following sound doctrine and following doctrines of devils.

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      tussinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There are no devils.  The teachings of Mormonism are no more false than what you consider real Christianity.  It is all an invention of man.

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      CJ Sledgehammerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Oh...okay, tussin, thanks for the heads up. My mind was spinning in utter confusion until you came along and added clarity to my life. From now on, I shall look to you for truth and moral guidance instead of the Almighty and His glorious Son.

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   tussinposted 11 years ago

   The virgin/immaculate birth was appropriated from other pagan religions that were practiced in the Middle East.  Much of the Old Testament is really just mythology from other religions repackaged as stories about ancient Jews.  Esther and Mordecai = Ishtar and Marduk is the most well-known and blatant examples, they didn't even bother to change the names in that one.
   
   As for your Christian friend who claims that Christianity is the only religion in which  God communicates directly with man, he is obviously very undereducated about world religions and belief systems in ancient and modern cultures, or else very young and hasn't read much yet in his life.

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      CJ Sledgehammerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So many words...so little truth.

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      eternals3ptemberposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Are we talking about Tussin or the Bible?

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      CJ Sledgehammerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Tussin

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      eternals3ptemberposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      After 4 days to cool off I realize I was an ass. I would like to apoligize for my comment here, CJ.

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   CR Rookwoodposted 11 years ago

   The Immaculate Conception is a theological tenet of Catholicism that states that Jesus, though human, was born without original sin. This is one of the central mysteries of the faith.
   
   The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception does NOT mean that Jesus was conceived without Mary having sexual intercourse with anyone or anything (or any Deity), even though that's what most people think it means.
   
   I don't know about Christianity being the only religion where "God reaches down to man". I don't think I would describe the birth and life of Jesus that way, but I know some Christians do, and loudly.
   
   I would say that Buddhism is a religion that sees people as basically good, and therefore not in need of salvation. Suffering comes from attachment, and from a fundamental misunderstanding of what is going on. Freedom from suffering is available to every person who seeks it, and all Buddhists commit to releasing all sentient beings from suffering.
   
   So if you are asking  whether there are other religions that reach out to all, I would say, yes, most of them do--at least at the level of practice.
   
   It's at the level of theology, or thought, that people get into religious  arguments.

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   Ross Anzianoposted 11 years ago

   Christianity doesn't say to believe in trolls...but they exist. Tee hee.

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   YogaKatposted 11 years ago

   CR Rockwood - Thanks for your answer.  I did not know that Catholics had a different view of the Immaculate Conception . . . or is it YOUR conception that Christ was possibly not born of  "Holy Spirit" as the Bible says. If you believe differently from MOST people, as you say, write an interesting hub to share your veiws. I would love to read it.  I love Buddhism and meditation as a way of reaching UP to God.  Godʻs reach DOWN through Jesus is another path in my eyes.
   
   CJSledgehammer -  Letʻs see if anyone has a prophet like Christ who has "risen from the dead."  I would like to hear about him.  I am totally with you on the Holy Spirit and Virgin Mary conception, that is what MY bible says. As far as your thoughts against Mormon theology - you should write a hub . . . I kinda agree with you and would love to hear your thoughts.
   
   Eternals3ptember, Calynbana - Thanks for chiming in . . . are you talking about the Greek Gods before Christ?  What an awesome hub that would be.
   
   Tussin - Thanks for your comments, could you please show me some history or sources that support your views?  Write a hub about them.  My Christian friend is an elderly lady fighting leukemia, she has found peacefulness through Christ all her life and her glass is half full.

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   SidKempposted 11 years ago

   Yogakat, your question has several dimensions.
   
   First, in Catholicism, where these terms were defined, the Immaculate Conception is the birth of Mary (not of Jesus). It holds that there was no sin in the sexual activity of Mary's parents, and so Mary was the first person born (after Adam & Eve) without original sin. Being sinless, she was an appropriate mother to Christ through the Virgin Birth. Some sects of some religions (Catholicism being one) create structured theological systems & want them to be logically coherent. This theological line is an attempt to explain how a sinless man, 100% Divine & 100% human, could be born to a world where every human carries the burden of the sins of humanity at his or her origin.
   
   Not all Christianity requires such theology. And not all Christianity needs to take the Bible literally. So one can be a Christian without agreeing with the Catholic doctrine of Original Sin. Once that happens the Immaculate Conception of Mary is irrelevant. And the idea that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born is also disputed; the word translated as "virgin" can simply mean "young woman."
   
   In all religions that have a God, God reaches down to humanity in many ways. In Judaism, God reached down through Noah, Abraham, and Moses, & lifted up the prophets & the kings. He inspires great teachers, like the Ba'al Shem Tov, and, 36 saints in each generation.
   
   In Greek & Roman religions, gods made love to women and men, giving rise to great Heroes, and also elevated great men to the status of gods. Indeed, for those who do not take the Bible as a purely Divine creation, the Virgin Birth can be seen as a story to make a Jewish religious figure, Jesus, more popular among Greeks and Romans.
   
   In Hindu tradition, every generation has Avatars, pure expressions of the Divine living a human life.
   
   In modern New Age religion blending both Hinduism and Christianity, both Mary & Jesus are seen as Avatars. This is certainly a non-Christian faith that holds that Jesus was an immaculate birth, and so God is reaching down to man through Jesus, but not only in Christianity.
   
   In Islam, God reaches down to every man and woman in response to prayer, and has sent the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Koran, the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, and Mohammed.
   
   Some Buddhism holds Buddha as God, and so see the historical Buddha as one way God came to us. In all Buddhism, the Divine reaches us through every breath, every flower & natural thing, & our own hearts every moment.

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      YogaKatposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      SidKemp, thanks for taking the time to answer ALL the dimesions of my question and the facets raised by other commenters here as well. Your excellent and  thorough response leaves me spiritually enlightened.

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      CR Rookwoodposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Wow thank you! I had that almost (but not exactly) right. I learned something. Go, Sid.

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      SidKempposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks YogaKat & CR. After I get out of the Apprentice Bonus program - 7 months - I hope to write more like this. In the meantime, know that their are aspects of Buddhist practice that parallel Christian models of grace, faith & works/

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      waxiposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The Absence of Sin in Sexual activity in Mary's parents that qualify her the candidate to bear Jesus as son is totally confusing Plz Sidkemp explain -Many Thanks

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   waxiposted 10 years ago

   my lady friend who is an associate professor reported to me a few weeks ago that there are at least 60 ladies traced in history who were mother virgins If that is correct then Mother Mary was one of them.
   That;s all for now
   Waq

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