Is Virgin Mary a good 'feminist' figure?

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women and men have different rules are not misandrist. you can find that in almost all religious books. there is nothing wrong with conservatism.

I don't see how to be honest. The woman who started it all? What exactly do these people think she started? Christianity? I don't see what she did that was feminist.

Is it a celebration of motherhood? I don't see how she was so much better than all the other loving, caring mothers who have existed throughout time.


I don't necessarily agree. Feminism isn't about women having to be sexually active, it's about women having the right to do with their sexuality as they want.

From memory, in another thread, I believe it was mentioned that Mary was first consulted about being the "mother of God"...
If so, it wouldn't have been rape...
It would have been a case of having a child out of wedlock...
But hopefully not on social security benefits...

Mary raised Jesus. Jesus must have been a handful......

I believe the Bible portrays her as a kindly woman who kept the house together. That's the "strength" of her. It takes strength to maintain a good home for somebody.

I have significant doubts about the historicity of the story, the differences in childhood settings and non-existent towns also don't help all that much either. As for many of the Mary Queen of Heaven sightings... its a much more complex story and, like seeing Jesus in near death experiences, we're not making sense of the situation quite right.

As for figures of feminism? She's a dead-ringer for Isis, Selene, etc. which isn't necessarily wrong but it's counter-narrative to what people modernly think of as feminism. You'd probably be looking more for a Diana or Artemis. They're all parts of the lunar triple (ie. mother, maiden, crone) but it's mostly maiden that feminism focuses on.

OTOH if they WANT biblical stories of potent feminist heroes - they should probably consider Esther, Judith, or Deborah as that's more about plot-line active women doling out justice to male antagonists. With Esther it was complex wit and guile, with Deborah it was a tent spike, and with Judith she took a head (of her husband's murderer if memory serves) as a trophy.

Not necessarily. Jesus may have used his magical powers to do Mary's housework for her.

And where did I say anything about women having to be sexually active? Regarding female virginity as something to be treasured is not about women’s right to do with their sexuality as they want; it’s about shaming those who choose to be sexually active.

"Oh, you are awful...
But I like you"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJmg-879j5o

Can't recall which one, but one of the more recent popes insisted that angels are strictly male entities. Make of that what you might.

Never heard of it, I was always taught that angels were "pure spiritual beings", "bodyless" and "genderless". And I did study Thomas of Aquin angelology.

I can recall that Joseph Ratzinger (later known as Benetict XVI) in his Introduction to Christianity claims that even the God is not strictly masculine, he argues that the God is He not She mostly to avoid pantheism associated with Great Goddess cults but that the God carries both masculine and feminine characteristics.
So with the leading Catholic theologist stating things like that, I guess you need to carry some more substantial information backing your claim.

Like I said, mostly a half-remembered quote that's not exactly crucial from where I stand. I remember it because I remember thinking "Well, that messed up a whole bunch of classical artwork, didn't it?

I'll see if I can find what was said more precisely later.

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive"...

See as much as I dislike christianity, I don't think the implication was meant to be 'god raped her' so I don't think that is really the narrative. Intercourse isn't even mentioned, hence the whole 'virgin giving birth' idea....there is rape in the bible, but that particular story is not an example of it.

So conservatism is having different rules for men and woman?

If so then yes there is something wrong with it, why should men and women have different rules? What sort of different rules do you support?

I hate these bible-thumpers on Facebook that constantly try to force their beliefs on everyone. I don't go around posting stuff telling them why they should be atheists.

Errm...I do...