Question:
Answer:
The term begotten can certainly involve sexual relations, but that really does depend upon context because begotten can be used in non-sexual contexts as well. For example, in Acts 13:32–33:
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm,
“Thou art my son,
today I have begotten thee.”
Would your friend attempt to say that sex is involved in raising someone from the dead? I should hope not! If he did, he would be just plain wrong!
Thus, in Catholic and biblical theology, Christ was “begotten” in three senses. And none of them involve sex. 1. He was “begotten” of Mary through a miraculous and non-sexual conception and birthing. And our Muslim friends agree with us in this instance! Jesus being “begotten” of Mary did not involve sex in either Catholic or Muslim theology. 2. He was “eternally begotten” of the Father (Col. 1:15–16; John 3:16, etc.), and that has nothing to do with sex because God is pure and infinite spirit. And 3. He was “begotten from the dead” as we just saw.
So, we see that biblically speaking, and in the language of the Church, begotten can involve sexual relations in some contexts, but we really have to examine the context in which the term begotten is being used. Even in common parlance, we say in English things like “Luxuries beget vice,” or “Virtue begets virtue,” and so forth. The term itself can simply mean that the former is the first principle of the latter, like the Father is the first principle of life in the Blessed Trinity. That does not mean that he sexually produced the Son any more than “luxury” had sex to “beget vice.” Both would be absurd! But it does mean that he is the source of the life of the Blessed Trinity. Not in time, for that too would be absurd. Rather, he eternally begets the Son and along with the Son eternally spirates the Holy Spirit. No sex involved!