Second Class Myth

Some religious traditions have a way of making sex be so "second class."  Take Mary the Mother of Jesus for instance.  I always think of her specialness being in her ability to say "Yes" to God and not to her own will and comfort.  I find this hard to do.  But the Catholic church has a way of making "Virginity" be her specialness.  She is not referred to as "Mary, who let go to God" but rather, "Virgin Mary."  She is deemed more perfect because of virginity than because of her letting go of her plans for the sake of God as she understood God.  I get the sense that in tradition, getting married was giving up virginity and therefore perfection.  Marriage seems like the second class life.  The secular world sort of gets caught up in this.  Someone might give up their seat on public transportation for a woman dressed as a nun.  Not so much for any other woman.  But mothers give up their will all the time for the sake of the family.  Who knows how many nuns do likewise?  You can be a very willful nun.  I have met them.  I have met willful priests too.  I am one of them.  So don't lets make sex the litmus test of spiritual maturity.