"A church billboard showing a shocked Virgin Mary gasping as she examines a pregnancy testing kit has sparked outrage in New Zealand."
The large poster outside St Matthew's in the City, a prominent Anglican church in Auckland, was designed by an advertising agency and depicts Mary in the style of a classical Renaissance painting.
A caption competition on the church's website has already drawn some questionable responses.
Suggestions include "Yay! I hope it's a girl," "Now, which way to the abortion clinic?" and "If I say I'm a virgin, mum and dad won't kill me."
One contributor protests: "You have crossed the line! Mary should not be the object of a trite campaign, whatever your good or not so good intentions."
Another condemns the billboard: "Can it be more offensive?"
Source: The Telegraph.
She didn't wait for angel Gabriel.
The meaning of the word "virgin" changed with time:
"The meaning of the word "virgin" has changed slightly throughout history. Originally, it only meant "a woman living apart", or an unmarried woman - not a woman entirely without sexual experience. By the Middle Ages, "virgin" took on it's contemporary definition of a woman who never engaged in sexual intercourse. The mystery of the virgin's power tilted from being a special kind of strong and magical person to only holding the mystery of her maidenhead." continue reading.