In Defense of Mary

 A priest was telling us the story about the time he was talking to a class of Jewish students and he was completely taken aback when one student asked him, "How can you base a religion on a rape?"

The student was referring to the pregnancy of Mary.

The priest just said it was a matter of faith.  Well, I thought that was a lame answer.  I still think so but I understand the priest was blind-sided. I immediately thought that I would have answered that a virgin giving birth was predicted in the Old Testament.  So I googled it and only found one reference.  ONE!!! That's all.  I was so disappointed.  

14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.     Isaiah 7: 14

This morning, I came across another prediction. I am reading Cardinal Ratzinger's book, God is Near Us, and refers to Genisis 3:15: 

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

There can't be any more enmity between evil and God than Jesus.  This verse is referring to Jesus.  But it mentions "the woman."  The woman is Mary. 

Bible hub also has another:

Jeremiah 31:22
How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

Mary does encompass every human, except Jesus, but they both share the same DNA.

Religion Based on Rape

 A priest was telling me that he was asked to talk to some Hebrew students.  This was a seventh/eighth grade.  One boy challenged the priest with the statement, "How can you follow a religion based on rape?"

He was blindsided by this question and couldn't think and finally muttered something.

This story has been echoing in my mind ever since.  How would I have responded?

I would have said that the Blessed Virgin Mary was predicted.  Scriptures prove the virgin birth and it certainly wasn't rape.  The angel Gabriel asked Mary if she would consent to the conception of the Son of the Most High.  

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

Mary's consent is called her FIAT.  

Back to the prophesies that this would happen:

But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathat least among the clans of Judah, from you, shall come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.  There the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne...  Micah 5: 2

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel.  Isaiah 7: 14

Open to argument is Psalm 45. This psalm is a song for a royal wedding.  When I read Psalm 45 I see the praise for Mary.  How do you read it?