Ever a virgin?
From Gordon Villars Sir: How disconcerting to see such an intelligent writer as Christopher Howse defending the incurably mediaeval, profoundly irrational and completely unscriptural doctrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary CA reasonable assumption', 16 August). That this dogma was made an article of faith only in 1950 Mr Howse admits; that it was believed by many Christians in ancient times can only be ascribed to the pagan baggage inherited from the Greeks — the cult of Artemis and Diana of the Ephesians.
There is certainly no justification for this doctrine in the New Testament. In Matthew i, 25, for example, it states that 'Joseph did as the angel directed him; he took Mary home to be his wife, but had no intercourse with her until her son was born' (New English Bible). This assumes that Mary and Joseph had a normal marriage after Jesus' birth, which effectively disposes of the notion that Mary was a perpetual virgin.
Other passages in the New Testament state that Jesus had brothers and sisters; in fact, James (the Lord's brother, known as 'the Less') was bishop in Jerusalem in the early days of the Church. The definition of this doctrine in 1950 did much to set back the unity of the Universal Church, as did the definition of Papal Infallibility in 1870; as has, on the Anglican side, the ordination of women priests, and the possible ordination of homosexual priests and bishops.
Gordon Pillars
Hove, East Sussex
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