Virginity in History and Religion

Virginity Religion Mythology

Define the Humanities Concept

Humanities may be denoted as: a study of the way individuals process as well as record human experience. Mankind has utilized language, music, arts, philosophy, literature, religion, and history for understanding and recording the world, ever since it has been able to do so. The aforementioned means of expression assumed the form of disciplines traditionally categorized under the main group, 'humanities'. Knowledge regarding human experience records offered humanity a chance to feel connected to both its antecedents and contemporaries (Stanford University). Time, space, place, change, systems, and global interactions are the major humanities concepts (Waterworth).

What area of the Humanities is represented?

The topic under study represents the classic, cultural and religious facets of Humanities. Mythology of the ancient days of Greece and Rome overflows with similar tales; the 'virgin birth' doctrine was well-known to everyone in those days. In regard to Plato, history relates that Perictione, his mother, was virgin, and he was immaculately conceived by Apollo, the Greek God of the Prophecy, the Sun, the Music, and the Light. Apollo himself is believed to have divulged the circumstances surrounding Plato's conception to Perictione's betrothed husband, Ariston.

Oddly, this veneration of virginity appears to have occasionally coexisted with the large-scale institution of sacred prostitution. There, in fact, appears to be no cause for why this mustn't have occurred, (in spite of looking incongruous to modern-day people), since such sacred prostitution was viewed quite differently in those days from how it would be viewed now.

What is the Historical, Cultural, Religious, or Literary Background of your Topic?

There has, in the context of Western Spirituality, been a shift from subliminal memories of heathen rituals to the format and structure of the religion as well as the society of current times, including the previous century. All cultures, societies, and religions have contributed some bits of color, uniquely plowing the field and causing the rut to deepen (Transpersonal Lifestreams).

Since around 80 A.D. until the present day, a majority of Christian groups believe and preach that Jesus Christ or Yeshua, was conceived when Mary, his mother, was a virgin. The belief is that this occurred by the Holy Spirit's actions, without sexual intercourse. The story of a Virgin Birth, however, wasn't a novel concept during the time of the Messiah's birth. Such stories are commonly found in mythology. A tale of a Virgin Birth in Egypt, which was narrated around two millennia prior to the Messiah's coming, was filled with several details matching those mentioned in the Bible. A majority of contemporary learned theologians have largely rejected the notion of virgin birth, considering it to be a Biblical myth, included in Christian beliefs during the latter part of the 1 stcentury; they claim that it was generated as a result of a translation error, when the book of Isaiah was being rendered into Greek from Hebrew. The purpose behind it was increasing competitiveness of the Christian religion against modern Mediterranean pagan religions, which mostly featured founders conceived by virgins. Several have doubts regarding whether Christianity would have continued to this day if there was no 'virgin birth' claim. Multiple surveys have revealed that nearly 80% of adults in the U.S. believe that the Messiah's mother was virgin when she conceived him. This figure surpasses the overall number of adults in America who claim to follow either Christianity or Islam. Indeed, 47% of adults who aren't Christians believe in Jesus' virgin birth (Keyser).