Why aren't we all immaculately conceived?

[Contrabass101]

God is capable of letting a person be immaculately conceived, since he is omnipotent.

God has let one person be immaculately conceived, namely the holy virgin.

Being conceived with original sin and the inclination to sin, is causing a lot of harm in the world and in our lives.

Yet, God has not let anyone else than the holy virgin be conceived immaculately.

Why is that?

 

[VociMike]

Being immaculately conceived didn’t help Adam and Eve. Nor did it help the 1/3 of angels who rejected God. It is no guarantee against sin.

 

[Areopagite]

God is capable of letting a person be immaculately conceived, since he is omnipotent.

God has let one person be immaculately conceived, namely the holy virgin.

Being conceived with original sin and the inclination to sin, is causing a lot of harm in the world and in our lives.

Yet, God has not let anyone else than the holy virgin be conceived immaculately.

Why is that?

Very good question. This has plagued me for years, but I think I have some sort of answer.

Being immaculately conceived didn’t help Adam and Eve. Nor did it help the 1/3 of angels who rejected God. It is no guarantee against sin.

Good point. Mary could have chosen against God, and her sin would have been worse than other people’s sins, since she would have rejected more grace than what most people end up getting.

It also has something to do with the Felix Culpa thing … the idea that Adam’s sin was a “happy fault” because it won for us the savior. This leads to more questions possibly. But original sin seems to be necessary for an Incarnate Savior, which, of course, shows forth the glory of God. Sin is a darkness that makes the goodness of God even brighter, for it shows God’s power to bring back creatures that appeared to be lost to Him. I think that’s why the majority of humanity was born into sin … what do you think?

Does that sound a little off? I think that’s more or less it.

 

[VociMike]

It also has something to do with the Felix Culpa thing … the idea that Adam’s sin was a “happy fault” because it won for us the savior. This leads to more questions possibly. But original sin seems to be necessary for an Incarnate Savior, which, of course, shows forth the glory of God. Sin is a darkness that makes the goodness of God even brighter, for it shows God’s power to bring back creatures that appeared to be lost to Him. I think that’s why the majority of humanity was born into sin … what do you think?

Does that sound a little off? I think that’s more or less it.

I completely agree. Even though I didn’t include it in my reply, the “Felix Culpa” aspect was very much on my mind. In the Garden of Eden before the Fall, God was apart from Adam and Eve. As a result of the Fall he has united himself with us in the deepest possible way. He has not just opened up heaven for us, he has opened up the Godhead itself.

(I realize it can be argued that those are the same things, but I think in the common view they are not recognized as being the same).

 

[mdcpensive1]

Very good question. This has plagued me for years, but I think I have some sort of answer.

It also has something to do with the Felix Culpa thing … the idea that Adam’s sin was a “happy fault” because it won for us the savior. This leads to more questions possibly. But original sin seems to be necessary for an Incarnate Savior, which, of course, shows forth the glory of God. Sin is a darkness that makes the goodness of God even brighter, for it shows God’s power to bring back creatures that appeared to be lost to Him. I think that’s why the majority of humanity was born into sin … what do you think?

I agree also that it has something to do with faults. God knew the way he was to bring us back to Him after Adam and Eve. He knew He would make us more than we ever could realize by adopting us as Sons and Daughters. He also wanted to make it as Glorious as possible.

A really good story is one where someone triumphs over adversity or wins against the odds. So it is with God. When we persevere over adversity, (pain, evil, sin, etc) it gives God’s works in us so much more Glory than if we all just naturally wait for salvation. We work with God’s Grace to bring about a triumph that is more magnificent than could have been.

It is wonderful that God chose such a vessel as Mary is to be the source of our Incarnate Redeemer, but it is also wonderful that we can be in the same family by His adoption of us and our triumph over adversity.

 

[Magnus1981]

**Why aren’t we all immaculately conceived? **
Because it only took one person to be the God-bearer; Mother of Christ.