The main problem with belief in the immaculate conception surrounds the idea of Mary being conceived without sin. The Bible is very clear that Jesus is the only human who will ever walk the earth without sin. Regardless of religious background, most of us have heard of the immaculate conception.
However, many do not understand what this phrase means and have misunderstood it for referring to the virgin birth of Jesus. Music describing the event is played in malls, people put nativity scenes under their Christmas tree and on their lawns. Even the well-known Peanuts gang proclaims the true meaning of Christmas in the movie a Charlie Brown Christmas.
The virgin birth is rejoiced in by angels and humans. Jesus, the newborn King is the only person to ever walk the earth who deserves glory. He came to bring peace on earth and mercy to sinners like you and me. Ultimately, the virgin birth is the moment in time that began reconciliation between God and sinners. So if Christmas is the celebration of the virgin birth, then what is the immaculate conception? Is there a difference? And why does the virgin birth matter?
Should Christians hold one belief more closely than the other? The answer is a resounding yes: Christians should hold to one belief, the virgin birth. The immaculate conception is the belief that Mary was conceived without sin. Because of this immaculate conception, the Catholic doctrine teaches that she remained sinless, or in perfect relationship with God throughout her life.
Pope Pius IX first declared the doctrine of the immaculate conception infallible in , where he stated:. A good distinguishing factor between the immaculate conception and the virgin birth is the traditional date of celebration.
The virgin birth is celebrated on December 25th or Christmas Day. However, the immaculate conception has its own traditional celebration called The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated on December 8th. In many Catholic countries, it is a national holiday celebrated with a traditional feast.
This is not contrary to the teaching of Scripture, and can only be understood in the light of Scripture. Roman Catholics can recognize in this what is affirmed by the dogma - namely 'preserved from all stain of original sin' and 'from the first moment of her conception. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed as infallible by Pope Pius IX in the bull formal proclamation Ineffabilis Deus in , and thus is an important article of faith for Roman Catholics.
We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace of the Omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and therefore should firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful.
Bernadette's vision at Lourdes in , where Mary revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, put the stamp of God's approval on the doctrine. Search term:. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience.
Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets CSS if you are able to do so. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving. Immaculate Conception Last updated Misconceptions Mistakes There are two mistakes that people often make about the Immaculate Conception: Many people confuse the Immaculate Conception with the "virgin birth"; the belief that Mary gave birth to Jesus while remaining a virgin.
The Council of Trent expressly declared that its decree on original sin did not include the Blessed Virgin Mary. By contrast, the doctrine has become a major stumbling block for Protestants who seek better relationships with the Church of Rome.
The Bible, they point out, does not teach the sinlessness of Mary, let alone her Immaculate Conception. Indeed, they see it as a trial balloon for the doctrine of papal infallibility, which would be defined at the First Vatican Council in Start your day with the top stories you missed while you were sleeping.
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