Photo: John Cocking

The Bible Decoded

The meaning of a virgin birth is that it is not a corporal birth, such as a human or animal experiences. It represents the birth of the spiritual self, hence it is often called a "second birth" or a re-birth. (NO, it doesn't mean that you're a 'Christian again' and decided to go to church regularly!) All animals have a corporal birth, but it is generally believed that only humans can experience a spiritual birth. Some say this is the "Holy Ghost", but that concept is problematic and debatable; many would say this term represents the soul which gives life to the inanimate matter (the earth or clay) that was used to form the human body. This concept is not only not unique to Christianity, but has been a common motif in much religious mythology, as it does not represent a 'miraculous human conception' at all, but an individual's awakening as a spiritual being, a concept not unique to any one culture, hence it often falls under the general term of "perennial wisdom", or universal truths common to most religions or philosophies.

In the Christian version, the acceptance of this awakening leads to the baptism, or holy cleansing of one's soul, when the individual now devotes him or herself to the mission of following a life of selfless spirituality. In ancient Israel, some sects, such as Essenes, both men and women, did the ritual baptism every day at midday as a constant daily affirmation of the spiritual cleansing.

Historically, there have been numerous corporal virgin births documented, including a famous one in the Civil War, when a soldier was shot and the ball continued into a house and impregnated a virgin teenager; when the soldier found out, he saw this as 'providence', and married the woman and they had several more children together. However, none of the other virgin births became anyone more famous than this incident.

If you think this represents a material, historical accuracy, then it's nothing unique when compared to other religions, and you'll have to find a meaning to the story that includes why it would be retold or common to various religions and cultures.