Before: Because of this, the story of Mary has been used to give women an unachievable goal: to be a mother and to be a virgin, just like Mary. By elevating Mary’s virginity, the story of Mary is used to condemn women who have sex. And by elevating motherhood, the story of Mary is used to condemn women who cannot or do not want to have children. The story of Mary has been used in the church to take agency from women.
After: Because of this, the story of Mary has been used to give women an unachievable goal: to be a mother and to be a virgin, just like Mary. By elevating Mary’s virginity, the story of Mary is used to condemn women who have sex. And by elevating motherhood, the story of Mary is used to condemn women who cannot or do not want to have children. Imagine being a young Christian girl who just started middle school. One Sunday morning they split the boys and girls up and some adult tells you that if you have sex you will be condemned by your community, only for you to become an adult a decade later and be questioned about why you do not have children yet. The story of Mary has been used in the church to take agency from women.This scenario helps make the influence of purity culture in the Christian church more understandable. I like the scenerio, but I might create a better place for it to be included in my paper.