Immaculate Conception only possible in the Western Church
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is only possible
in the Western Church that is under the influence of the Augustinian theology
of original sin.
Augustine of Hippo stated that because of the sin of the first
people (Adam and Eve) not only the tendency to sin is transmitted to the future
generations but also the guilt. So,
people not only are born with the tendency to sin but with the guild of sin
that they did not commit yet.
This teaching only exists in the Churches that are under the
Augustinian influence. The Eastern Orthodox
Churches and the Oriental Orthodox Churches did not accept the Augustinian
teaching. For them the guilt is not
being transmitted only the tendency. Therefore
Orthodox Churches do not need the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. For Orthodox Mary was born without the guilt
of the original sin but only with the tendency to sin that she rejected
throughout her life.
The Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception tries to
prove that the person that gave birth to Jesus of Nazareth was perfect since
imperfect person cannot give a birth to a perfect person.
The transmission of the guilt in the Orthodox Churches does
not make any sense. One cannot be guilty
of something that one did not do it. I think,
we can make a statement that if there would not be a teaching on transmission
of guilt, we would not have a dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
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