(mod: bbarr) Is the Immaculate Conception necesary for Christianity?

Originally posted by Suzianne
You want Christian input on this?

Baloney. If you did, you wouldn't have started a "Moderated" thread.

At least you could be upfront about your "moderation" idea just being a front to silence Christians. Don't set up a topic as "moderated" (aka biased and exclusive) and then complain you're not getting the theist side participating. It's like compl ...[text shortened]... ining that the Jews aren't showing up for a Nazi symposium on "The Final Solution: Hit or Miss?"

Originally posted by BigDoggProblem
That's just sad. 😕

I believe in the Immaculate Reception but I don't consider it really strictly necessary

Originally posted by Of Ants and Imps
Of Ants and Imps post seems to have been made in the Quoted post box. It was:
I believe in the Immaculate Reception but I don't consider it really strictly necessary

Originally posted by Of Ants and Imps
I don't remember seeing the Immaculate Reception, only hearing about it. I remember the announcers doing the broadcast, Franco Harris and company giving an interview, the reaction of the crowd. But I never saw the play, and so I trust my Dad who I consider a witness of the fact. Let me guess, I should start a new thread. I was trying to give a parallel.

Originally posted by bbarr
Yes, we want Christian input on the question of the relative theological importance of the Immaculate Conception and the Virgin Birth. Ideally, input from a diverse array of Christians including Catholics, Protestants and others.

What do you think about the question?

Originally posted by CalJust
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is a purely Catholic doctrine (two similar ones are Transubstantiation and Papal Infallibility) which most Protestants either violently disagree with or simply ignore.

For me, it is merely interesting to note that they saw the need for this doctrine, which really isn't necessary, but I don't think it is worth killing people over it!

Originally posted by Of Ants and Imps
I don't remember seeing the Immaculate Reception, only hearing about it. I remember the announcers doing the broadcast, Franco Harris and company giving an interview, the reaction of the crowd. But I never saw the play, and so I trust my Dad who I consider a witness of the fact. Let me guess, I should start a new thread. I was trying to give a parallel.

Originally posted by KellyJay
I agree, I don't believe in it! The doctrine is not important to me, but
maybe for those that believe in it is. I assume those that do agree with it,
don't like the idea that Christ could come from a normal woman they have
to make her out to be something more.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
What I don't get is this:
If you want Mary to be special then the Immaculate Conception (so she is
without Original Sin) and her Virginity (sinless?) are important.

Why one and not the other? Both or neither seems more coherent.

Originally posted by CalJust
I am not a Catholic, but as I understand it, the idea is that Jesus got his humanity from Joseph, and his divinity from Mary. Hence Mary also had to be Immaculately Conceived.

But as a Catholic priest once pointed out to me, that doesn't go far enough, since Mary's mother and grandmother, up to Eve, must also then have been IC'ed for Mary to have no "hum ...[text shortened]... gic. Tradition, and what the popes have said over the centuries, looms large in their teachings.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Jesus didn't get anything from Joseph, since Joseph never touched Mary.
So Mary gave Jesus his humanity, and the Holy Spirit gave Him birth.

Originally posted by CalJust
OK, so that screws up my theory.

Why then was the IC believed to be necessary? Do you know?

Originally posted by KellyJay
I'm not IC nor have I ever studied their doctrine, Kelly