The Virgin Birth

I don't think the "Virgin Birth" violated any laws of physics or biology. A miracle is merely something we can't explain. That does not mean a miracle has to break or suspend natural law. A voice coming from a cell phone would have qualified as a miracle a few hundred years ago.

Sperm is but a unique molecular arrangement of atoms. All the atoms required for sperm creation would have existed within Mary's body. All God would have had to do was arrange them properly in order to create sperm.

Now, the Mayo Clinic cannot do this (yet), but we are talking about God and the Holy Spirit here -- the Great Physician. Therefore, I have no problem with the Virgin Birth.

It could be argued that part of his humanity (his maleness) could not have come from Mary. Mary would not have been carrying the chromosome for males. Only males have it. Well, yes -- and no. Forget parthenogenesis - we know that wouldn't work to create a male Jesus. Mary would have been Y-chromosome challenged. So how could God have solved Mary's gametic dilemma? By providing her with twenty three paired chromosomes (including a y-kicker) of his choosing.

Now, since Mary was to remain a virgin, she couldn't get what she needed the old fashioned way, and artificial insemination had not been invented yet. So, we are left with the Holy Spirit providing that insemination when He "overshadowed" Mary.

Now, such "overshadowing" will unfortunately create for us humans a mental picture that many would undoubtedly consider blasphemous. (Of course, this does not mean that somehow that is exactly what the Holy Spirit did.) However, there is another possibility I prefer -- the one I alluded to earlier -- nucleic acid synthesis. Here's how.

What is a Y-chromosome? It is long DNA molecule (with associated proteins).

What is a DNA molecule? Basically a sugar-phosphate backbone with nitrogenous bases.

OK, what is a sugar-phosphate backbone with nitrogenous bases? Well, a sugar-phosphate backbone is basically a polymer consisting of hydrogen phosphate and deoxyribose sugar. Nitrogenous bases consist of guanine, adenine, cytosine and thymine -- which require one more element in the mix, nitrogen -- also very common in human bodies and elsewhere.

So, what is hydrogen phosphate and deoxyribose sugar? Hydrogen phosphate is a molecule made from atoms of hydrogen, phosphorus and oxygen. Deoxyribose sugar is a molecule made from atoms of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon.

So, here we finally are! All Mary needed to conceive was simply the right combination of hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen and carbon present in one of her ova. These elements are very very common and would have been readily available within Mary's body and her environment.

Now, due to many factors such as the complexity of the human genome, scientists are nowhere close to being able to do this -- but in theory, it can be done. With this being true, it doesn't strain even my feeble brain to conceive of the Creator doing just such a thing when He "overshadowed" Mary. Therefore, by manipulation of the elements, the Virgin Birth would have been a reality, along with any and all attributes God chose to give to His male offspring - Christ.

Now, I realize many dear Christians do not need or even want such sci-babble. But for those who have an especially hard time with "miracles" (like me and Thomas), it sometimes helps.

Outside of recognized parthenogenesis in certain species, "virgin births" are not part of evolved biology -- and male-creating parthenogenesis is unknown. However, with the Holy Spirit involved, it was certainly not a naturally-evolved biological event -- it was influenced externally.

What are the odds of a TEL-AML1 or a Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL child's translocation being cured by prayer alone? Yet, as Christians we pray, believing God answers prayer. When a child is cured, doctors attribute it to the chemotherapy. Yet, as Christians, we also consider the possibility of God's intervention.

Science cannot fully explain how the chemotherapy works in oncology, much less what God would have to do to duplicate or improve upon it. However, we do know enough about the mechanics of procreation to imagine the technical requirements for a "Virgin Birth". If God chose to intervene, we have sufficient knowledge about procreation to imagine how it could be done.

Bottom line, I'll hang on to that with which I am most comfortable -- which at this time is believing in the Virgin Birth, however it happened.