Who Was Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus? Was She Really a Virgin?

Why is the Doctrine of Perpetual Virginity Important?:

Mary's perpetual virginity means that she is the one human to be both a mother and a virgin; unlike other women, she escapes the curse of Eve. Other women are cursed with a sexuality that forces men to control and restrain them.

 This created in Christian tradition the virgin-whore dichotomy: all women are either virgins who follow in the footsteps of Mary (like for example becoming nuns) or who follow in the footsteps of Eve (by tempting men and causing them to sin).

 This, in turn, helped limit opportunities for women throughout Christian society.

Why was Mary Important in Christianity?:

Mary has become the focus of feminine aspirations within Christianity, much to the chagrin of those Christian leaders who would prefer to keep Christianity a male-dominated religion. Because Jesus and God are typically described in exclusively male terms, Mary has become the most immediate female connection to divinity that Christians have had.

 The strongest focus on Mary has occurred within Catholicism, where she is an object of veneration (many Protestants mistake this for worship, something they consider blasphemous).

Why was Mary important?:

Mary has become the focus of feminine aspirations within Christianity. Because Jesus and God are typically described in exclusively male terms, Mary has become the most immediate female connection to divinity that people have had. 

The strongest focus on Mary has occurred within Catholicism, where she is an object of veneration (many Protestants mistake this for worship, something they consider blasphemous).

In Catholic tradition, Mary is most commonly referred to as the Virgin Mary because of the doctrine of her perpetual virginity: even after giving birth to Jesus she never had sexual relations with her husband, Josephus, and never gave birth to more children. Many Protestants also believe that Mary remained a virgin, but for most it’s not a doctrine of faith. Because of references to brothers and sisters of Jesus in the gospels, many believe that Mary did not remain a virgin.