# \[Accuracy of claim that\] Christianity is unique with the virgin birth \[story?\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 3, 2015, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871 "2015-08-03T10:26:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/1 "2015-08-03T10:26:53Z")
In a service I attended the pastor said that Christianity is unique with its idea of the virgin birth. I was surprised because according to the Zeitgeist movie I had watched, virgin births and other elements of Jesus were a common myth. [http://www.catholic.com/blog/jon-sorensen/was-the-virgin-birth-of-jesus-grounded-in-paganism](http://www.catholic.com/blog/jon-sorensen/was-the-virgin-birth-of-jesus-grounded-in-paganism) > [@](#): > > - The pagan god is not born of a virgin mother. > - The birth of the pagan god is the result of a sexual encounter. > - The parallel exists, but the Christian tradition antedates the pagan mythology. Wikipedia seems to basically agree with this: > **[Miraculous births](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraculous_births)** > > Miraculous births are a common theme in mythological, religious and legendary narratives and traditions. They often include conceptions by miraculous circumstances and features such as intervention by a deity, supernatural elements, astronomical signs, hardship or, in the case of some mythologies, complex plots related to creation. > The Assyrian and Babylonian concept of origins expressed procreation first in "relationships between gods and goddesses resulting in other gods and goddesses",\[This q... ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/2 "2015-08-03T13:15:38Z")
Your thread title is misleading. When I saw it, I was ready with counterexamples. But you seem to be saying that the pastor was wrong in claiming “Christianity is unique with the virgin birth”, and backing this up with Wikipedia site claiming the opposite. You might want to change the thread title, although perhaps you want top stir up controversy. It’s actually a little unclear to me what you want to do – you evidently agree with the Wikipedia site. Do you want Believers to challenge this? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/3 "2015-08-03T13:34:51Z")
The pastor was incorrect. Virgin births are not an idea unique to Christianity. Once again, you’ve raised an argument you didn’t believe and then refuted it. In debate, this is known as a _strawman_ argument. In general, debate flourishes when opposing sides each have a proponent that genuinely advocates for the truth of the proposition they are advancing. Now, it’s true that Christianity’s virgin birth contains a combination of specific elements that other traditions do not. Whether that specific combination make it “unique,” I leave up to you, OP, to define just how “unique,” you’re looking for. But the general story of a pregnancy and birth to a virgin is not unique, _per se._ ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/4 "2015-08-03T14:09:20Z")
Perhaps, but Greek myth is unique with the male thigh pregnancy, so there. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/5 "2015-08-03T14:10:28Z")
It’s only a strawman if you ascribe the view you disbelieve to a debate opponent. The OP is clearly ascribing it to an outside source - the pastor. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/6 "2015-08-03T14:11:36Z")
Your pastor seems to be wrong about a lot of stuff. Maybe it’s time to find a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/7 "2015-08-03T14:28:27Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > In a service I attended the pastor said that Christianity is unique with its idea of the virgin birth. I was surprised because according to the Zeitgeist movie I had watched, virgin births and other elements of Jesus were a common myth. > > [http://www.catholic.com/blog/jon-sorensen/was-the-virgin-birth-of-jesus-grounded-in-paganism](http://www.catholic.com/blog/jon-sorensen/was-the-virgin-birth-of-jesus-grounded-in-paganism) > Wikipedia seems to basically agree with this: > [Miraculous births - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraculous_births) If you read that article carefully, not all of those supposed Virgin births are really virgin births. I can’t vouch for every religion out there, but certainly Hinduism has none that I’m aware of, and the supposed virgin births in Hinduism don’t qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/8 "2015-08-03T14:44:24Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > If you read that article carefully, not all of those supposed Virgin births are really virgin births. I can’t vouch for every religion out there, but certainly Hinduism has none that I’m aware of, and the supposed virgin births in Hinduism don’t qualify. Were any of them? All it takes is one other for the word “unique” to be disqualified. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/9 "2015-08-03T14:57:02Z")
A number of them are not “virgin births” as such, but “impregnation by deity,” with the question of the mother’s virtue pre-deity-sexy-time left unanswered. We know Krishna’s mother was not a virgin; she was married, and already had eight other children. Off the top of my head, though, I think Danaë/Perseus qualifies as a true virgin birth, but Perseus was only a demigod and remained among mortals until his death. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/10 "2015-08-03T16:15:16Z")
Well sure but at least \*he \*became king of Mycenae, while all Jesus did was have some \*kids \*that went on to found the Merovingian dynasty. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/11 "2015-08-03T16:21:01Z")
I’m sure the myth of the virgin birth has been around as long as there’s been unexpected pregnancies. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/12 "2015-08-03T16:23:27Z")
Does Anakin Skywalker count? He’s got no babydaddy, but it’s sort of implied the midi-chlorians built him from scratch for their own amusement. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/13 "2015-08-03T17:21:16Z")
The movie _ **Zeitgeist** _ help spread what has become a popular meme: that everything is Christianity is just a rehashed version of some earlier pagan myth. In reality, the OP’s pastor is closer to the truth than _ **Zeitgeist.** _ There are surprisingly FEW genuine parallels between Jesus and the various and sundry pagan deities and heroes we’re often told are just like him. For example, Mithras and Jesus have practically nothing in common, despite what Bill Maher may have told you. Many people will tell you that Mithras was born of a virgin. No, actually, Mithras was born of a rock… though I suppose it’s possible, even likely that the rock had never had sex, so technically… ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/14 "2015-08-03T21:48:58Z")
Sorry I wasn’t clear in my post. I am saying that before I thought the pastor was wrong but now I think he may be right. The first link explicitly says the pastor is right and the wikipedia link seems to agree as well with the first link. I was wondering if people think that the pastor is wrong (e.g. like in the Zeitgeist video) ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/15 "2015-08-03T21:50:18Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > …You might want to change the thread title… I don’t think I can do that… ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/16 "2015-08-03T22:12:01Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Perhaps, but Greek myth is unique with the male thigh pregnancy, so there. Not forgetting _Forehead_ Pregnancy (hi, Athena!) ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/17 "2015-08-03T22:19:19Z")
BTW if the pastor is wrong please provide examples of virgin birth stories that predate Jesus ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/18 "2015-08-03T22:39:25Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > Sorry I wasn’t clear in my post. I am saying that before I thought the pastor was wrong but now I think he may be right. The first link explicitly says the pastor is right and the wikipedia link seems to agree as well with the first link. I was wondering if people think that the pastor is wrong (e.g. like in the Zeitgeist video) Is that because you went back and read [your thread from 2 years ago on this exact subject](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=706321)? ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/19 "2015-08-03T22:45:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is that because you went back and read [your thread from 2 years ago on this exact subject](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=706321)? I forgot about that thread. Anyway it is now just about the virgin birth ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871/20 "2015-08-04T02:28:31Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > BTW if the pastor is wrong please provide examples of virgin birth stories that predate Jesus How exactly is the Holy Spirit triggering a pregnancy different from Zeus bedding a young girl? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accuracy-of-claim-that-christianity-is-unique-with-the-virgin-birth-story/726871.md?page=2)