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.
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