For those that don't know what the Immaculate Conception is, it's a Catholic doctrine that Mary was conceived, born, and lived a sinless life. Ignoring the implications this has for whether or not Christ's work was actually necessary, I wonder why Catholics now see this as essential dogma.
I spoke online with a Catholic, albeit a nonpracticing one, about it. Basically it went something like this:
Me: "Why must Mary be seen as sinless when the Apostles never commented on such a matter?"
Them: "If Christ was born sinless, doesn't He require a sinless mother?"
Me: "No, since He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and is God in the flesh."
Them: "Even so, why would God be born of a sinful woman?"
Me: "Wouldn't that require Mary to be born of a sinless woman also, and on throughout her ancestry, when we know from Matthew's genealogy that that isn't true?"
Them: "Mary was shielded from original sin."
Me: "So it's necessary for Christ to be born of a sinless woman to avoid the taint of original sin, but not Mary? Isn't that placing less limitations on a Human than on God?"
Them: "Let's just drop it, Mary is very special to me."
Now since this person was nonpracticing, I don't trust that I have all the facts. So Catholics, is there something I'm missing here? Why is it so central that Mary be sinless, rather than simply obedient?
I spoke online with a Catholic, albeit a nonpracticing one, about it. Basically it went something like this:
Me: "Why must Mary be seen as sinless when the Apostles never commented on such a matter?"
Them: "If Christ was born sinless, doesn't He require a sinless mother?"
Me: "No, since He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and is God in the flesh."
Them: "Even so, why would God be born of a sinful woman?"
Me: "Wouldn't that require Mary to be born of a sinless woman also, and on throughout her ancestry, when we know from Matthew's genealogy that that isn't true?"
Them: "Mary was shielded from original sin."
Me: "So it's necessary for Christ to be born of a sinless woman to avoid the taint of original sin, but not Mary? Isn't that placing less limitations on a Human than on God?"
Them: "Let's just drop it, Mary is very special to me."
Now since this person was nonpracticing, I don't trust that I have all the facts. So Catholics, is there something I'm missing here? Why is it so central that Mary be sinless, rather than simply obedient?