Good Questions: The Virgin Birth, Spiritual Classes, and Veganism

Another View on the Virgin Birth

Dear Dr. Tom: What is the Unity outlook (or your own) on the virgin birth? My understanding of Jesus the Christ doesn’t rest on the virgin birth, but mainstream churches heavily depend on this doctrine.—Cdrgran, online submission

DEAR CDR: Actually, since the 20th century, mainstream/progressive scholars have classified miracle stories—like the virgin birth—as mythology designed to enhance Jesus’ street cred among people of the Greco-Roman world. Signs, wonders, and a miraculous birth were job requirements for the Lord of an Eastern mystery cult, like early Christianity. However, conservative Protestants and Catholic traditionalists still accept the Virgin Birth as history. Here’s the question I used to toss to my students at Unity Institute: What did the early church think Mary’s virginity added to Jesus’ resume? Did it boost his divine perfection, since Jesus avoided entry to the world by human lust? That works only if sexuality is sinful, which is not the viewpoint of most biblical authors, either Hebrew or Hellenistic.

Thankfully, Jesus sounded a joyful note amid the warning trumpets about sexual relationships. His first public “miracle” was to turn water into wine after the wedding at Cana. No one asked either bride or groom to certify their virginity before the wedding. Why should another young woman present at this ceremony, Mary the wife of Joseph, be scrutinized for her chastity?

The divine-human nature of Jesus—and of all of us— cannot be lost due to choices in life. Life is about trial and error, humanity and divinity learning to work in harmony. I’ve been involved with Unity for more than 25 years.

Spiritual Classes

Dear Dr. Tom: My minister keeps bugging me to attend an upcoming class she’ll be teaching. I’ve taken so many spiritual classes throughout the years—I feel there’s nothing new to learn. What do you suggest?—Saturated in San Diego

DEAR SSD: There’s always something new to learn, but we have eternity to work on perfection. Tell the minister that you have previous commitments that prevent you from taking her class. Wish her success, and let her know you’d be interested in a class on [fill in the blank with whatever you really, really want to study]. If she comes back with another offer, tell her you’re still not available—what a shame! Or take the course.

Veganism in the Religious Community

Dear Dr. Tom: I am 88 years old, and for more than 40 years I have tried to live a vegan lifestyle. There is no question animals are sentient beings—they have brains that think and solve problems, bodies that feel pain, and emotions that experience sadness, fright, loneliness, joy, and love. I just cannot understand why the religious community, who preach peace, love, and nonviolence, totally ignore this and actually contribute to the suffering of fellow living beings.—J.R., online submission

DEAR J.R.: Thank you for your thoughtful email. Many people, like you, find a vegan lifestyle to be both spiritually and physically healthy. Unity cofounders Charles Fillmore and Myrtle Fillmore were in fact vegetarians. However, I ask the staunch vegetarians among us to consider the evidence of evolution. It is no accident that humans are neither strictly carnivores nor herbivores. Homo sapiens evolved as omnivores, able to digest plants and meat. That’s how we survived the Ice Ages.

Some highly spiritual Indigenous peoples of the world have been primarily meat-eating hunters and fishermen. The Plains Indians, for example, lived off bison herds, which roamed North America in the millions. To this day, Native Alaskan people harvest fish and seals for food and clothing. Are they less “spiritual” than vegans who buy foodstuffs at a supermarket?

Humans are part of a symbiotic ecology. While sentimental feelings for animals are understandable, the actual world in which we live requires balance and harmony—sometimes vegetables, sometimes animal flesh. A better question going forward might ask whether we can feed the overcrowded planet Earth on our current combination diet of meat, fish, vegetables, and grains. The jury is still out.

This article appeared in Unity Magazine®.