Aibu to think wombs, virgin or otherwise, are not abhorent?

[PencilsInSpace]

Just got back from midnight service where we sang o come all ye faithful which praises christ for not abhoring the virgin womb.

I'm an atheist but culturally Christian and have sung those lyrics throughout my childhood without a second thought but they're awful aren't they?

Is a belief in the abhorrence of wombs central to Christianity or is it time to bin that verse, just as that verse from all things bright and beautiful about everyone staying in their place was binned?

He might have been a bit different, what with being the son of God and all - I think that's what they're implying

i love this..great teacher and fantastic for saying it!!

The mother of God

Isn’t giving birth in silence a Scientology thing?

Not to nit-pick but the stable isn’t Biblical. The manger was a standard feature in the one roomed family home of a first century common inhabitant of Bethlehem. (They kept one or two animals in their house over night).

I always thought the gift was given when Mary was impregnated.

Some churches have already got rid the abhorrent womb. Very God is just archaic.

We ditched that verse entirely, with 7 verses to choose from I avoid any with lyrics that cause choristers to snigger

It means with out pomp and ceremony or fanfare.. just an ordinary woman giving birth in an ordinary way...

These were times before contraception, so there was probably a lot of womb abhorring going on...

All religions are male dominated and misogynistic. Is it really worth picking out little bits when the entire concept is a shit show for women anyway?

Do you understand the concept of translation and how words evolve, OP?

@AgileGreenSeal thank you 😊. I don’t imagine it to be how it’s depicted in modern culture.
Bethlehem was always on my bucket list…

There are multiple nuances to words that have been lost over time. Viewing everything through a 2024 lens is very limiting.

They had all sorts turning up in the stable didn’t they? I don’t think it means that.

No, it's that he does not avoid the virgin's womb, unlike other babies.

There's plenty of misogynistic stuff in religion but this phrase seems ok to me. As another poster said, it's just praising God for being prepared to gestate inside a woman like humans do. Nothing to do with wombs being abhorrent. And I read the reference to the 'Virgin's womb' as a description of Mary. I.e. Mary is typically described as the Virgin Mary. Which although annoying is important, as if she isn't a Virgin then Jesus would not be the son of God. So I don't think there's any implication wombs are inherently abhorrent, or that virgin's wombs are less abhorrent. It's just saying God you're amazing for stooping to our level.

This. Language changes, social views change. That doesn't mean we should just bin tradition and the past offhand.

I abhorred my womb. To be fair though, it was riddled with cancer. Quite glad to be shot of it.

Many of the words of hymns, and indeed the bible, are not exactly pleasant.

Yes, the wonder of God becoming human.

This.

Atheist, goes to church …complains about words in Carols (that they don’t properly understand). Your hypocrisy offends me much more

‘Very’ just means ‘truly’. It is a direct translation from the Latin original , made at a time when the language was closer to English.

Do you always harden your heart?

Although these days it is perfectly possible for a virgin to have a baby, via donor insemination or IVF!