Virgin = Pregnant?

I'll confess, the idea of a virgin having a baby is difficult to swallow.

My folks had the "bird & the bees" talk with me and I've glanced over the "Where do I come from?" book.

So... Could Jesus' birth have come about the way the bible records it? Is it believable?

At worse, in a Mythbusters-type-way, I think it is plausible.

As I've previously written here, when dealing with the miraculous in the bible, the first question we should wrestle with is one of the existence and nature of God.

IF, the God of Genesis 1:1-4a exists, cares for humanity and is both influential and powerful enough to create everything, then the concept of a virgin birth (though totally foreign) is much more tolerable.

If you can create everything, why can't you make a virgin pregnant?

But... Does it matter anyway?

I think it does since,
a) It is recorded in the bible as both prophecy and narrative,
b) It signifies a new beginning in the path of salvation history, and
c) It points to the uniqueness of the one born.

The most prominent place that the virgin birth is referred to in the Old Testament is Isaiah 7:14, but some say that the word virgin in the passage is mistranslated. Some argue that the passage should say "young woman/girl," not "virgin."

Surely this doesn't stand up against the simple logic. If the lass was a faithful follower of God and was a "young unmarried woman" then she WOULD BE A VIRGIN ANYWAY!

Additionally, if we take the narrative as written, then Mary would definitely know if she was a virgin. She asks the obvious question in Luke 1:34!

Is the whole topic a deal breaker?
If you don't believe in the virgin birth, will you be turned away from heaven's doors?

I don't think so.
But, if you're skeptical, perhaps you should evaluate why this is the case.