#purity

I find it appalling that the Church claims Mary consented at the age of thirteen to become the mother of God.” “But she did,” James said. “There is ample evidence to show she consented.” “Isn’t that the classic defense of the pedophile?” Helena asked. “In Christ’s time and even today in some countries in the Middle East and India, child marriages are customary. But that doesn’t make it right. In Europe and the U.S. we prosecute adults for preying on children. God would be arrested for impregnating a girl below the age of consent.” “People didn’t live as long then,” James said. Helena would not back down. “But human biology hasn’t changed. My point is she was too young to consent. The brain of a young teenager isn’t fully developed.” “The mysteries of the faith require us to have faith.” “Don’t hide behind that nonsense. What kind of message is the Church sending to women? Only virgin children are pure? Experienced mothers are impure and unfit to raise Christ? It’s creepy and insulting when you think about it, but you would have me suspend rational judgment and just accept something I would tear your eyes out for thinking about my underage sister? ↗

— Janet M. Tavakoli

#christianity #jesus #motherhood #purity #virginity

From the simple stringing together of lemon garlands for the goddess Durga, to dividing the prasadam or blessed foods for the children first, I came to associate food not only with feminity, but also with purity and divinity. ↗

— Padma Lakshmi

#associate #blessed #came #children #dividing

For me, purity of movement wasn't enough. I needed expression, more intensity, more mind. ↗

— Rudolf Nureyev

#expression #i #intensity #me #mind

He was seriously thinking of becoming a monk. He thought he had to be celibate to maintain the purity of his instrument, but my instrument needed tuning, and we had to split. ↗

— Mimi Rogers

#celibate #had #his #instrument #maintain

Not in purity or in holiness merely, for in Paradise man was holy, and he shall be holy when redeemed through the sacrifice of Christ and made an heir of heaven. ↗

— Matthew Simpson

#heaven #heir #holiness #holy #made

Weren't you wearing a purity ring when we got here? Aren't you supposed to be saving yourself?" Shanti asked. "Yeah," Mary Lou answered. "And then I thought, for what? You save leftovers. My sex is not a leftover, and it is not a Christmas present. ↗

— Libba Bray

#purity-rings #sexuality #beauty

People only picked the pretty, sweet-smelling flowers. The ones with thorns were left alone. ↗

— Nenia Campbell

#beauty #purity-myth #sad #beauty

Can human folly harbour a more arrogant or ungrateful thought than the notion that whereas God makes man beautiful in body, man makes himself pure in heart? ↗

— Augustine of Hippo

#human-folly #purity #beauty

A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love. Purity, chastity, and virginity created a special beauty in Mary that attracted God’s attention. ↗

— Mother Teresa

#clean-heart #purity #beauty

True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power. ↗

— Milan Kundera

#fore #freedom #goodness #human #only