So What About the Immaculate Conception Anyway?

As transcribed from my New Testament notes

In ancient mythology, female goddesses were abundant. Many of them took leading roles and motherly characteristics. Isis (sp?) was on of the most popular Egyptian goddesses around the time that Christianity was spreading across the [known] world.

When Christians came from the west (Great Britain, etc.) to convert the Greeks to Christianity, the Greeks brought with them many of their traditions and myths concerning female goddesses.

In the fourth century the Catholic Church began to teach the doctrine of original sin- that man is inherently corrupt because of the method by which he is conceived; that Adam and Eve transgressed by having sexual intercourse, and that sex therefore is evil. Incidentally, a later doctrine of the Catholic Church in Augustine's time was that the physical body itself was evil.

At the council of Nicea, where various Church leaders met to decide upon the nature of Christ, the question was risen, "Christ is not tainted; how is it that He could avoid being conceived in sin?" This led to the doctrine that Jesus was conceived through a means other than sexual intercourse.

But, the question was still present, "If Jesus was born from Mary's body, even though she maintained her virginity, how could he avoid the stain of original sin from her blood?" The answer (which is not supported Biblically) is that Mary herself was not conceived through sexual intercourse, but by an immaculate other means. Thus, Mary becomes the immaculate conception, without the stain of original sin, and is able to pass this on to Jesus.

The supposed account of these events can be found in "The Infancy Gospels." These gospels are not widely accepted however, as scholars have proved that they were written in the fourth century, just around the time that the Catholic Church started to teach this doctrine of Mary's immaculate conception.

The problem then arises that if Mary is not tainted by sex, she can never be tainted by sex, and must become a "perpetual virgin." Most Christian scholars argue that since the Bible says that Joseph "knew her not until [she had brought forth Jesus]" (Matt. 1:25 KJV) there is implication that he did "know" her after she gave birth to Jesus. Matthew 13:55-56 seems to confirm this fact, as it mentions Jesus' four other brothers and numerous (at least 3) sisters.

The Catholic Church skirts these arguments with examples they extract from the Infancy Gospels by saying that Joseph had been in a previous marriage and brought children from that relationship when he married Mary.

This theme in Catholic tradition can be seen in period artwork. Paintings from that era portray Mary as totally pure, even angelic, and nearly always place a halo over her head, as well as the Christ child's. Jesus is drawn as a baby, but with an adult-like face. Joseph is portrayed as an old man with a beard and a walking staff. The tradition being that Joseph played more of a caretaker role in relation to Mary, and not that of husband.

Again, the argument of Joseph's age seems implausible since it was Jewish law that men marry when they were eighteen years of age, and there is no mention of any previous relationships Joseph may have had. He is described, more than once, as a just, or righteous, man. In addition, the Greek, which has specific words for step-daughter and step-son, never uses said words in the New Testament, including in references to Jesus' brothers and sisters.