Cecil,
Re: Your (jocular) suggestion that “haploid” might have been the origin of the phrase “Jesus H. Christ”: Actually, in Roman Catholic theology the term “Immaculate Conception” refers to the conception of the Virgin Mary, not to that of Jesus himself. Mary, alone amongst mortals, was conceived without the stain (“macula” in Latin) of original sin.
I’m no biblical scholar, but I think “haploid” is a joke related to the claim that Jesus had no (mortal) father, so only had Mary’s DNA. It has nothing to do with the Immaculate Conception.
Welcome to the Straight Dope. As is custom around here, please include a link to the column in question when commenting on one of Cecil’s columns.
The quote from the column is
He’s pointedly saying that Christ’s birth was NOT the Immaculate Conception. Uncle Cecil is well aware of RC theology in this case. It’s a reference to the fact that there was no male contributed DNA, as RitterSport said.
Yeah. Even if Cecil had missed it (which he wouldn’t, being Cecil), Ed, a product of Catholic schools, would’ve caught it. And a cuffed ear for his troubles.
Oh, and deKypia, welcome to the SDMB. Please sample our smorgasbord of fora, though I suggest our guests avoid The BBQ Pit until they have received all of their shots, written their wills, and given up all hope of Final Redemption. Yeah, hate it as I may, I’m doomed to spend too much time there. 
ETA (Edited To Add): Recent rules remove my third proviso, don’t they? BIG , as much as I agree with their temporary imposition. (Honest to God, dK, I was around in the days of BBSs and you wouldn’t have enjoyed it. In those days the trolls and daemons ruled the online world, scaring off anybody who had ANYTHING like a human personality. It was like David Berkowitz ruled the online world. And at 300 Baud, which meant you were not only abused, but it was at a WPM that would embarrass Evelyn Wood.)
Besides, if Jesus had been jipped in getting only 23 chromosomes, HE would have been a SHE, because on cannot have just a Y chromosome, but they can have a X. If it happened to Mary, there would be a normal, scientific, though improbable, reason for its happening, though I fail to see any scriptural reference for Mary having been born without a father.
P.S. In the south, “holy” would not be blasphemous, save to those who worship a different God; to an atheist, no form of respect (such as holy) to any deity can be considered blasphemous, only impiety.