Satire

It's Thursday, December 22nd.

An updated version of a book on Mary disputes the claim that the mother of Jesus was a virgin. Instead it argues the pregnancy was probably just unplanned.

Currently, so there goes one Christmas miracle. But here's one to replace it. My priest says Jack Layton's gonna become prime minister.

This is The Current.

Mary’s Not a Virgin

Ave Maria, the hymn that more than any other exalts Mary, the mother of Jesus. And for a lot of Christians, Christmas is not just a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but a time of adoration of Mary. Especially the miracle of the virgin conception and the birth of the son of God.

In fact, of all the human figures in the Bible, only Jesus commands more reverence than Mary. But while so much of the Christian tradition hinges on the humble origins of Jesus … born in a stable to a mother of modest means … some biblical scholars are suggesting that His birth was more inauspicious still. And they say Mary was not a virgin, at least not what we think of as a virgin.

One of the scholars challenging such Christian dogma is Jane Schaberg. She's a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy, and her books include The Illegitimacy of Jesus and The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene. We reached her at her home in Detroit.

Virgin Story – Follow

Well while some scholars continue to question the divinity of Mary and the notion of her virginity, our next guest takes it a skeptical leap further.

Tom Harpur is a former Anglican Minister, journalist and author of many books including the 2004 bestseller: The Pagan Christ. In that book he argues neither Jesus or Mary were real people in human history. Tom Harpur joined us this morning from Northern Ontario near Georgian Bay.

But regardless of whether she was a virgin or not---or even real, her image has been spotted around the world by Catholics, more than 1000 times. And of those 1000, twenty-two of them have been recognized and approved by the Catholic Church.

Some of the most famous sightings include: Guadalupe-Mexico in 1531, Lourdes in France in 1858, and Fatima in Portugal 1917. And then the not-so-famous, but sightings we can call our very own. Multiple sightings apparently occurred in Northern Saskatchewan beginning in the fall of 2002 and stretching into the spring of 2003--mostly in people's homes.

And to turn the divine ridiculous - last year a grilled cheese sandwich purportedly blessed with the image of the Virgin Mary was sold through eBay for 28-thousand dollars.

Listen to The Current: Part 1

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

The Current: Part 2

Letters

In our continuing quest for diverse political voices throughout this election, let me introduce Carolyn Parrish. She most recently was the independent Member of Parliament for Mississauga/Erindale. She is not seeking re-election so that makes her a perfect candidate for the Friday host of The Current. Carolyn Parrish joined Anna Maria in studio, for a look at this week's mail and a look back as well.

Tsunami Aid – Talk Tape

It was a brutal shock spilling out on the airwaves on the heels of Christmas last year. It was almost a year ago, on Boxing Day, when a wall of water pulverized the coastlines of south Asia--making it the worst natural disaster in living memory.

Almost a quarter of a million people were killed. And it generated an unprecedented response from people around the world. Relief organizations and charities were flooded with cash and supplies … in fact, they took in an almost overwhelming amount.

Bill Gillespie is a CBC national reporter. We've asked him to track the donations Canadians gave in the days and weeks after the tsunami. He was in our Toronto studio.

Listen to The Current: Part 2

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

The Current: Part 3

Mining – Nikiforuk

It's touted as the answer to all of our greenhouse gas concerns. Many say it's clean, efficient and Canada produces more of it than any other country in the world. We’re talking about uranium. And there is a high-stakes treasure hunt for the stuff in southern Alberta.

Stock prices for uranium have roared to $36.25 per pound from $20.20 last November ... that's nearly five times the $7.10 it fetched five years ago. The enthusiasm is being fuelled by hopes that the ground under southern Alberta will yield what’s needed as nuclear energy demands continue to rise. But the rush to stake claims on uranium fields has come as a shock to those living in the area.

Andrew Nikiforuk is a conservationist and journalist who owns land in the Porcupine Hills area of southern Alberta – a hot spot for uranium seekers. This morning he was in our Calgary studio.

Mining – Industry

One of the mining companies that is prospecting in the Porcupine Hills area in search of uranium is Edmonton-based Firestone Ventures. Lori Walton is the President and CEO of Firestone Ventures and she was in Edmonton this morning.

Mining – Overview

Staking claims on uranium is one thing but what about the province's actual chances of scoring even more riches on this latest energy resource. Jeremy Richards is a professor of economic geology at the University of Alberta, and he joined us in Edmonton this morning.

Last Word: AMT Xmas Sign-Off

Earlier this week we spoke to Doug Hughes about his 142-page family Christmas newsletter. The story spurred many of you to send us your own versions of this annual Christmas tradition. As you'll hear in a moment, they're not of the usual Christmas cheer variety. So along with these non-traditional letters, we wanted to present you with some non-traditional carols.

Last week, a cheerful group of carolers were expelled from a Winnipeg mall. The group was demonstrating against the commercialization of Christmas by turning traditional carols into anti-consumer, anti-shopping jingles.

So we corralled the chorale into our Winnipeg studio and recorded their version of "God Bless You, Merry Gentlemen" and "Winter Wonderland," as background music for your letters.

Listen to The Current: Part 3

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

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