What was the Immaculate Conception?

Question

I've noticed that there seems to be some difference of opinion on just what the Immaculate Conception was about. I'm curious (and a little worried) as to what kind of answers I'm going to get...

Answer 1

Ignore all of the statements that say the Immaculate Conception was about the birth of Jesus. They are incorrect.

The others that refer to the teaching of Mary's Immaculate Conception are correct. She was given a grace by God that no other human being in history has ever received - to be free from any stain of original sin. Imagine that. To be born without sin. To be pure in front of God. So pure, that she was given the gift of all gifts, to be the actual mother of God Himself. Not even the angels in heaven were given such an honor.

Through her the Savior of the world was born. And not because she was forced to do this. Remember, the angel greeted Mary and ASKED her if she would do this. Her response: "Let it be done unto me" (paraphrasing). By her wonderful faith and obedience, Jesus came into the world and saved us all. This is why we love her so much. She is the mother of Jesus, and the mother of us all. Praise God.

God bless.

Answer 2

Many people mistakenly believe that the immaculate conception refers to the conception of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ conception was most assuredly immaculate…but this concept does not refer to Jesus at all. The immaculate conception is a doctrine of the Romans Catholic Church in regards to Mary, Jesus’ mother. An official statement of the doctrine reads, “…the blessed Virgin Mary to have been, from the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Savior of Mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin.” Essentially the immaculate conception is the belief that Mary was protected from original sin, that Mary did not have a sin nature. Some go so far as to teach that Mary was, in fact, sinless.

Answer 3

It's a Catholic belief about the Virgin Mary. When she was conceived, God protected her from original sin so she could be the mother of Jesus. It's important to note that Mary was conceived in the normal way - her parents had sex. Many people mistakenly think the immaculate conception refers to the virginal conception of Jesus. That is called the incarnation.

Answer 4

The Immaculate Conception refers to the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of her own mother, St. Anne.

Unlike her Own Divine Son, Mary was conceived naturally. However, due to the fact that she was destined at her own conception to become the Mother Of the long-awaited Messiah, God Endowed Mary with a Special Kind of Grace which preserved her from the stain of Original Sin(which we all receive, as a result of the disobedience of our first parents).

Answer 5

The Immaculate Conception refers to the Catholic teaching which states that Mary was born without the stain of original sin. This was one of only two times in history the pope has spoken "ex cathedra" (meaning, from the thrown) which is the only times that papal teaching is considered infallible.

Many people hear the word "conception" and they immediate think about Jesus. What they are thinking about is the virgin birth, where Mary became pregnant without a sperm.

Answer 6

The Immaculate Conception is a Catholic dogma that asserts that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was preserved by God from the stain of original sin at the time of her own conception.

Not that I believe any of that but the link below will give you more info

Answer 7

To Tilt of My High Flyer:

Either you are just ignorant or dumb. Maybe even both.

1. Who were the people who taught about Christianity even before a single line of the New Testament was written?

2. Who were the people who fought against heresies and preserved the faith even before the compilation of the books of the Bible?

3. Who were the people who knew enough about Christianity to recognize the inspired writings from so many others during the early christian era and determined which belong to the Bible?

Since you don't believe in the Apostolic and Church Fathers then that means you have no basis for your belief in the Bible. For how can you trust the Bible but not the people who were instrumental in the recognition of the books and its compilation? If the Apostolic and Church Fathers erred in their teachings then how can you be so sure they did not make a mistake in determining the books? You took the Bible as a given fact, failing to realize that like any other book, it has its origins ---was made a Book and declared Word of God.

Answer 8

From the official Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The Immaculate Conception

490 To become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role."132 The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as "full of grace".133 In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace.

491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God,134 was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:


The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.135

492 The "splendor of an entirely unique holiness" by which Mary is "enriched from the first instant of her conception" comes wholly from Christ: she is "redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son".136 The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person "in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" and chose her "in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love".137

493 The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God "the All-Holy" (Panagia), and celebrate her as "free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature".138 By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.

Answer 9

It simply means that Mary was without sin when God made her pregnant so she could give birth to his son so there would be a Savior in the world. Immaculate means "clean."

Answer 10

Reminds me of a joke:

A rowdy crowd of people in Jerusalem have backed a prostitute against a wall and are about to stone her to death. Jesus steps in and says, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". Just then a rock comes flying over the crowd, beaning the prostitute on the head. Jesus turns and says, "Mother, stop that!"