More on the St Matthews business, Sacred Cow Tipping

my comment on their page

"I recently heard aloud a saying that was already engraved on my heart - "What is truer than true? - the Story"
I love myths and stories; they inform me of a larger self that includes all of humanity. I think there's much grace in Rev Cardy's statement,(paraphrasing) none of us have all the truth, others who believe differently are not evil, WE NEED ALL THE STORIES to be complete as human souls.
Mary's story is not made untrue by considering its relevance.  There's rather a disconnect between that revered unwed mother and today's condemned ones; the fact that a Church is inviting thought and discussion on the subject is quite heartening.
My own opinion says the literal interpretation of a virgin birth is not the meat and bones of the story, more likely it was added in later years to establish divinity, just like many other myths. We all want our stories to be true, but why? Does the meaning vanish if Jesus was just a man who said, "Love one another"?
Does it remove the blessings we would give and receive? Can we not maintain faith in God, if we must seek out God for ourselves? We need the stories, but we need ALL the stories.
And as a woman, as a mother, I need the realism. Pregnancy doesn't *just happen*. Maybe it did for Mary, but not in the reality I live in. Women, mothers, daughters and Sons need to be mindful of our human reality and the roles we all play.
Bravo to this Church for speaking these truths. "

I'm not sure this will change anybody's opinion, nor even let in a crack of light.
I got fairly frustrated reading some of the commentary. Very narrow-minded, to my mind.
I get that people have Faith. I get it, I really do.
But the picture on the billboard is just that, a picture. It isn't the actual real Virgin Mary, you know. Not the one who appeared in Guadalupe, or on the grilled cheese sandwich, OR THE ACTUAL 12 YEAR OLD GIRL THAT GOD IMPREGNATED (link), If your faith-mixed-with-reality will allow you to wrap your mind around such things. It is a picture that presents an altered truth, for surely there were not pee-on pregnancy tests in those days. There weren't c-sections, or antibiotics, or epidurals. There weren't social programs to provide for unwed mothers, either. She's lucky Joseph stuck around. This altered truth allows for thoughtful analysis.

The unwritten reality of this Greatest Story Ever Told is an unrealistic one. The  Church has devoted vast tracts of dogma to explaining how Mary conceived without a penis (nother link), with dire consequences for any doubters (another other link). One wonders the spiritual value of these beliefs.  Faith in God? Promoting that suspension of disbelief which produces malleable followers?
Really, why do we NEED this story to be true? What good do we glean from it that couldn't otherwise be found? No, really, I'm asking. Anybody with an explanation, their own truth, is warmly invited to share it in a comment.