Of course she did not "know" a man, she was a good follower of God and not married.
It is not speculation that Mary was committed to virginity. It is a logical implication right there in her question to the angel.
Not logical at all.
I explained the logic behind her question up above a few lines.
As for Mary’s perpetual virginity: It was the universal belief of the Church from the beginning. That is proof [???] that it is true, because Christ promised that the Church would be preserved in the truth.First of all, by Chruch you mean the Catholic denomination, right?
Id didn't start until about the 3rd or 4th century.
The only "church" that was around was the Body of Christ made up of every true follower of Jesus. Same yesterday, tomorrow and forever.
Is some one states something like above, "It was the universal belief of the Church from the beginning. That is proof..." it is the opinion of the person saying it, nothing more.
Although, yes I guess I can accept that it was the universal belief of Catholicicm from the beginning of that belief system, centuries after Jesus walked the earth.
It was NOT "the universal belief of the Cchurch from the beginning"
That also has been shown to be false. The ECFs were not in "universal" agreement on this extra-biblical topic or any other for that matter that the rcc clings to.
This "belief" is based on the protoevangelium of james, a book rejected by the early church. It is the first recorded account of this false belief. It was not written by James, the step-brother of Christ.
So here we have another untruth based on false doctrine being propagated by the leadership of the rcc.