Re: Importance of virginity in major religions
As far as I understand Islam:
There are three states of sex.
1: No sex ever (virgin)
2: Lawful sex (marriage or whatever) … Lawful sex also means child born is legal and has all legal and equal rights (all siblings are equal).
3: Sex outside law (adultery or fornication)
Islam condones 1 and 2 and condemns 3, though 2 is preferred state.
Shaitan does not like 2, so he made 1 divine state, but once that divine state is crossed than Shaitan likes 3.
Once a person is confined to 2, shaitan does everything to make the person cross to 3.
As for virgins birth of Isa (AS), that is mentioned not because virginity is divine, but because Allah wanted no obscurity in this matter left, and thus the believe itself that Isa (AS) was born of a woman who was free from any relationship (or his birth was miraculous) is test of Allah that one would have to answer after death regarding this belief, as this belief confirms a person’s belief that Allah is beyond laws that Allah has created.
As far as ‘Hoors’ in Jannah, that is nothing to do with being virgin, but it is to do with companions who had no past relationship.