But the most catastrophic display of misogyny in all religion lies at the very heart of Christianityin the story of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was born of a virgin is a fundamental narrative upon which all Christianity is based. It is one that is carried through to Islam, where the Quran holds Mary in great esteem.The implications of this have historically been devastating to women....Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ as a virgin, with no man ever having touched her. She is therefore described as pure, chaste, undefiled, innocentbeing the product of an immaculate conception herself (as per Catholic doctrine), and now hosting Gods immaculate son in her unblemished womb.What does this mean for women who are touched by men? Are their conceptions corrupted? Are their characters and bodies now impure or unchaste? Have they been defiled?...Was all of Marys beauty, sanctity, chastity, and innocence confined to her vagina?Fetishizing Marys virginityas Christians and Muslims both dois a sickness that directly leads to a dangerous, unnatural glamorization of celibacy and sexual repression.Excerpt From: Ali A. Rizvi. The Atheist Muslim. iBooks.
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- Religion — Exploring belief systems, worship, and spiritual practice