Invalid Argument Against Mary's Sinlessness

 Here is a common argument I hear against Mary's sinlessness that is plainly invalid. 

1) If Mary sinned, then she would die

2) Mary died

3) Therefore, Mary sinned

The idea here is that mortality is a result of the fall. If Adam and Eve had never sinned, they would have remained immortal, in a sense. And since Mary died, she must have been subject to sin. 

The obvious problem with this is that it is invalid. It follows the form of Affirming the Consequent

1) If A, then B

2) B

3) Therefore, A

Is obviously an invalid inference. 

But supposing it was valid, each premise requires some justification anyway. Jesus didn't sin, yet He died. And how do we know Mary died? A point against this is that there is no strong devotion to the burial site or relics of Mary, but we do have them for the Apostles. Not definitive points perhaps, but the point remains, the argument is simply invalid. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Milo

What Does The Bible Say About Birth Control?

Is Canon 28 Binding?