DH, SIL, and I are over MIL's home to celebrate MIL's birthday.

SIL (who is extremely loud) told us that the scriptures say that "Mary was lifted up towards heaven and was artificially inciminated which created Jesus in her womb." SIL was serious.

DH's version: A wayward martian came with a turkey baster and did the deed.

MIL just couldn't comprehend as to how we could treat such a spiritual doctrinal topic with such disdain. She just sat their shaking her head.

We thought it was funny as all heck.

As a nevermo Christian, the ideas (that Mary was artificially inseminated by (a) God or (b) Martians) sound equally ridiculous. I believe in the Virgin Birth, but I don't believe insemination was involved, LOL

I also think this is hilarious. That's pretty mild to Thomas Paine and "The Age of Reason."

...is that the concept of a virgin birth was a common myth back in the day. It was cut-and-pasted onto the Jesus story.

I got that from a religion professor many years ago.

Imagine if a sperm bank got ahold of a vial of THAT goo.

Virgin, or divine, birth is a very normal belief, and if you know anything about science, you can see that it is a possibility. God knew what he was doing when he did this and we shouldn't be mocking it.

We should be mocking fringe doctrines such as blood atonement or undergarments with masonic symbols, not this. It is a cherished belief held by millions.

I'm sad that we have stooped to this level.

Mormonism is a cherished belief held by millions...so is Islam...so was tree worshipping or whatever....who cares how many people believe it, if it's ridiculous (which virgin birth is) I'm going to laugh at it.

Also "if you know anything about science, you can see that it is a possibility." Explain THAT please. I'm laughing so hard I might get a stitch in my side, and I'm guessing your explanation will only be funnier....

I really hope you are saying this in jest.

"Virgin, or divine, birth is a very normal belief, and if you know anything about science, you can see that it is a possibility"

Hahaha, funniest thing I've read all day!

We can mock anything we want, or anyone either. Virginal birth stories are not "normal" but not uncommon in mythology from many cultures. Hercules, Pericles (I think), Horus, Theseus, Mithra, to name just a few. There are many more. Why not google virgin births in mythology to widen your viewpoint a little, if you're not too scared to get an eyeful! I find it fascinating and kind of funny.

This is more what I was going for:

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Poe's_Law

I guess it worked. I thought it would be interesting, but I actually kind of feel bad for provoking you all.

I'm glad at least some of you thought my comment was humorous :)

You can believe it all you want since you know nothing of science.

I await some examples of your so called "virgin births".

I was told in the Mormon church that God lifted Mary to the clouds and used his own bone to get her pregnant. I am not joking.

Religious scholars agree that the "Virgin Birth" was an idea that first appeared in documents dating around 400 AD

Jesus' divinity (son of god) didn't appear until around 100-200 AD.

A very good reference for this which is really hard to read, since it keeps quoting parts in aramaic and ancient greek is:

The Virgin Birth, by Bill Scheide Princeton