I knew it would happen. Eventually. Frankly, I’m surprised it took so long.

Remember that female shark that got herself pregnant without use of a male shark a few months ago?

National Geographic reported:

A female blacktip shark in Virginia fertilized her own egg without mating with a male shark, new DNA evidence shows.

This is the second time scientists have used DNA testing to verify shark parthenogenesis—the process that allows females of some species to produce offspring without sperm.

Now, I remember reading this story at the time and thinking that somehow this will be used to prove or disprove something about Jesus.

Well, last night it happened. In an email exchange with a friend that got forwarded to me, a long and winding conversation that started with making fun of Boston College but ended up questioning my friend’s Christianity.

And then this from the atheist:

“Did you know that mammals have been proven to have “virgin births.” A shark recently was pregnant and there were no male sharks around. So since this is a naturally occurring phenomenon, it really takes the wind out of your sails over the whole ‘Virgin birth claim.'”

My friend responded:

“Funny. But isn’t this the same guy that said he didn’t believe in the virgin birth anyway or that Jesus even existed at all?”

And the response:

“I do now. Now that science has proved it. That’s the difference between me and you.”

I’m not going to get involved other than telling my friend that he should probably let his friend know that sharks are not mammals.

But the argument itself isn’t even worth arguing about but I was just happy to finally encounter the transformation of the argument against Jesus’ conception from “it can never happen” to “it happens all the time” without even glancing consideration of the world of possibility between.