How do religions differ on these things:?

Question

I was raised (actually forced) Catholic growing up, but now for various reasons have nothing to do with the religion, mostly because I do not agree with or believe in everything I was taught. Just out of curiosity, what are your religion's views on the following:

Mary being a virgin when Jesus was conceived
Mary staying a virgin all her life (and her husband putting up with that)
Mary floating up (forgot what the catholics called it) into Heaven
The whole crucifixion/ressurection thing
Those little wafers becoming "the body" of Christ

Anyone can answer, I just always wanted to know what other religions think of these things. If your religion does not do it or cover it at all, please also say so.

Answer 1

I was raised Southern Baptist & now attend a nondenominational church. I've been born again since I was 7 (not that you asked) & this is what I was taught (& believe)

Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived & up till the time He was born. She is/was not a perpetual virgin--the Bible mentions Jesus having brothers.

She died like everybody else does.

Jesus was crucified, died & rose again

the wafers (we use bread) represent the body of Christ

Answer 2

OK, first I want to tell you that I'm a Muslim, not a Catholic. But here goes! :)

Mary being a virgin when Jesus was conceived - Muslims believe that is totally true. Mary really wanted a child, but she didn't have a husband. God gave it to her, and that child was Jesus.

Mary staying a virgin all her life (and her husband putting up with that) - As a Muslim, we don't actually believe Mary had a husband. Straight and short. :)

Mary floating up (forgot what the catholics called it) into Heaven - Sorry, I haven't read enough on this. :)

The whole crucifixion/Resurrection thing - We believe Jesus just went up to heaven when the villagers tried to kill him. Muslims believe that God, at the last minute, placed someone else who looked like Jesus into the fire, which killed him. We believed that every prophet got a miracle, and Jesus's was not dying at that time. (We do believe that he'll come back, though.)

Those little wafers becoming "the body" of Christ - I'll just have to say this: HUH? Sorry. :)

Hope that helps, and sorry with not answering all of the topics.
:)

Answer 3

I respect much of what Catholics believe, but I am not a Catholic (am Mormon). As to the various topics:

I believe she was a virgin, much due to my understanding of society at the time, etc. (and faith of course, which is considered for all of these, because that's really what religion is based on).

I don't believe she stayed a virgin, because we know Jesus had siblings (at least half siblings), there was a brother who became one of the apostles (per the Bible). Joseph and Mary married, and therefore probably had plenty of whoopie.

I don't believe Mary "floated up" or anything of that matter. She died similar to the rest of us. However, I do believe she was a very special woman, as she was the mother to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. She should be revered and honored, but not worshiped.

I definitely believe in the Resurrection, but then I'm Christian and that's the center of my belief; that we are all imperfect, because of our free agency, and without Christ's sacrifice we would remain imperfect and would therefore be unable to return to God/heaven.

Transubstantiation (the whole wafers turning into the flesh and blood) is too much for me, but then others may say the same about some of my beliefs. I believe the sacrament is symbolic, and that is sufficient. It doesn't have to become flesh in my mouth. I'm not sure why they came up with this doctrine (because it wasn't that long ago), but it doesn't make me lose any respect. (I guess I do know they say when Christ was passing out the last supper He didn't say "here is bread, a symbol of my flesh", but He did say something to the effect of, "here, eat of my flesh" [bad quote I know]).

Religion is a difficult thing, because as I stated, it is based primarily upon faith. I have studed hundreds of religions, and respect them all. We each just need to find what works for us, after becoming educated and through prayer.

With or without religion we can be good people, but I have found I am more free with it. Good luck.

Answer 4

I guess I could be called a "Fundamentalist" Christian. I don't belong to any "denomination" but I believe that the "fellowship of the saints" is critically important. I like to take the Bible (King James Version and it's literal translations) at it's word. That being where I'm coming from, my answer follows:

According to the Bible, Mary was still virgin when Jesus was conceived. That is the condition that was necessary for the prophesy concerning the conception of Jesus to be fulfilled.

There is no Biblical evidence (or purpose) for Mary's "perpetual virginity" as she bore more children after Jesus.

There is no Biblical evidence for Mary being taken, bodily, into heaven. It's the view of non-Catholic Christians that such a dogma elevates Mary to godhood - confusing the prophetic "triune" Godhead.

Jesus said, "this is my body.", when he broke the bread, at the Passover Seder for the first Communion prior to his crucifixion. It's a matter of personal faith, or religious dogma, whether you believe in the actual "transmutation" (one thing changing into another thing) of the Host (wafer). There is no other Biblical evidence for that sort of thing other than Jesus' words.

The crucifixion of Jesus is an established fact of history and a fulfillment of prophesy. It was written about by not only the Christian witnesses but by non-believing historians of the time as well.

The resurrection of Jesus is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy as well as a matter of faith. The Bible and the eye witnesses said it happened.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen, the assurance of things hoped for. It's a conscious decision a person makes to believe something.

Answer 5

The Christian faith deal very little with Mary. She was a Virgin a conception, and stayed a virgin until after Christ’s birth, but she had other children with Joseph later. She did not stay a virgin.

The crucifixion was very important. Jesus was executed in the most demeaning way back then, like a lynching now! He also did nothing wrong. They put an innocent man to death, because they didn't like what he said. The Priests didn't like that he was forgiving sins, let alone for free. See back then you had to see the priest to buy animals for sacrifice to be forgiven, the Church was using that for its own good not to glorify the Lord, and those who couldn't pay wouldn't be forgiven, says the Church. At the time of the crucifixion & resurrection, the Bible states that the veil was torn in two... Mark 15:38 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. That curtain was in the Jewish temple and only the priest could go behind it and speak to God. Once it was torn it was symbolic of not needing anyone to intermediate between you and God, not even a Catholic priest in confession. You are able to pray directly to God yourself, for forgiveness! The Catholic Church as well as some Jewish Church still wants you to need them, when actually they need you, more correctly your money!

Most non-denomination Christian churches teach you that it is through your personal relationship with Christ that you may know Him. No repetitive prayer, like many other religions including Catholics do, with the hail Mary’s & our fathers, etc. I have barley scratched the surface, but there are huge differences even between the Catholic, so-called Christian faith and non-denominational Christians! Keep searching for the truth… As a catholic did you ever read your Bible? Try even just reading one book of the Bible, the book of Romans in the New Testament, and see what it says versus what the Catholic Church tells us.

BTW My husband was Catholic as with his whole family that still practice Catholicism, I have seen first hand what is taught. I am a non-denominational Christian, and my husband too, now, that he has heard the truth.

Answer 6

I was once where you are... many moons ago, except Byzantine Catholic, so I know how you feel. Buddhism eschews the idea of a creator god, period. Through Buddhist teachings and other studies since my childhood (studies in Catholicism, Islam, comparative religions, archaeology, logic, philosophy, etc.) I've come to the conclusion that Jesus was more like Prince Siddhartha, who both were altruistic guys who saw "suffering", wanted to find an end to it out of compassion, meditated upon how in their various ways and came to very similar, logical conclusions, then taught according to the understanding abilities of their followers. Both had teachings (original) that were many-layered in significance and meaning... only somewhere along the line a sect of Christianity got more powerful than the more "gnostic" ones and got to write the rules and eventually wound up as the Catholic Church, everything else branched off of that as dogma, additions, etc. to a being who probably was a simple human being like Siddhartha, who achieved enlightenment and brought his mother Mary along with him, teaching her too. They continue to teach, appear (just like it's said the Buddhas do when people are karmically ready and need them to) to people who are karmically able to see, understand and need them.

Prince Siddhartha became the "Buddha" or Awakened One
Jesus became "Christ" the Pantocrator... or teacher

Just my theory on Jesus and Mary. You've got to come to your own conclusions though. Just letting you know you're not alone... a 37 y/o fart preceded you a little bit. Either way, whatever you practice is up to you as long as you use it to become more altruistic and wise!

_()_

Answer 7

I am a non-denominational Christian. I hope I can help. I am not into religion per say. But I do believe.

In my faith, I believe Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus.
Mary was not a virgin her whole life. She married Joseph and had many other children.
Mary is in Heaven but not floating up. (Artist rendering)
Jesus was crucified on the cross. He rose from the dead the 3rd day from the tomb they buried him in.
The little wafers symbolize Jesus's body which was broken for us when he was beaten and nailed to the cross. The wine symbolized his blood.

Remember, religion is not what is important, rather what is in your heart and how you live your life.
God bless you.

Answer 8

I don't know a lot of details about Mary because I'm Baptist, but the little cracker things, that's a SYMBOL of the body of Christ. I don't believe that it really IS Christ's body.

I'm not sure what you mean by "The whole crucifixion/Resurrection thing" but I believe that Jesus was crucified and then rose from the dead to tell his disciples to keep preaching his word and believing.

Answer 9

First, I believe the Christian religion is biblically based. Now, to answer your question. 1. The Bible teaches about her virginhood before the birth of Christ. 2. The Bible mentions other brothers and sisters. No continuing virginhood. 3. there is no mention about her ascension. 4. The Bible teaches crucifixion and resurrection. For some Churches, if its not biblically based, its not correct. Consequently, it is not something they give any credence to.

Answer 10

I'm Mormon.
We believe that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived.
We don't believe that Mary stayed a virgin all her life because in one of the Gospels (either Matt or Mark) it talks about how Christ's mother and brothers came to Him, and in Mark it actually gives their names. Christ had four half-brothers who are named in the scriptures.
We believe that Christ was crucified, that He did Atone for our sins, that He did rise on the third day and eventually assended to Heaven.
As for communion/the Lord's Supper/Holy Eucarist/the Sacrament, we do not believe that what is blessed/prayed over as the body of Christ, is in fact or becomes after we eat it, the literal body of Christ. We believe it is a symbolic representation, and that we need to reflect on what Christ did for us (the Atonement, all the lessons He taught us, His example, etc).
Whether Mary specifically assended into Heaven is not our focus. We focus on Christ and His teachings, not on who has or hasn't returned to Heavenly Father.