Mary is NOT Immaculate Conception ( Scriptural Argument)

#1 Pro is wandering from the resolution here and uses some fallacious logic. Indeed according to Catholic theology Mary was conceived without original sin because God intervened in a unique way to preserve her from the stain of sin by infusing her with Sanctifying (saving) Grace at her conception. Pro concludes from this that, "Mary wasn"t saved from hell but from inheriting the original sin." Without being tainted with original sin Mary was not subject to the fall and like the new Eve was perpetually without sin. Therefore she continued to exist in Sanctifying Grace and was saved from hell. I should like to point out here that this argument wanders from the resolution. We are not arguing whether or not Mary was perpetually without sin, we are debating whether or not she was conceived immaculately, which I contend she was. As with the first point, the second has nothing to do with the Immaculate Conception and the conclusion does not logically follow from the dictates of Catholic theology on the Immaculate Conception. In fact, in Pro"s first point he concludes that Mary was saved from inheriting original sin. If this is the case, he has conceded the resolution. #2 Mary was conceived with the sperm of a male progenitor. The Church holds this to be true. However God, at the moment of Mary"s conception, preserved her from falling into the "pit" of original sin infusing her with Sanctifying Grace. It is a unique and divine act of God that makes Mary immaculate. Pro then goes on to say that Mary had inherited original sin but Jesus was without sin because he did not have a male human progenitor. Immediately following this, my opponent refers to Philippians 2:7 that Christ Jesus was born "in the likeness of men" and expanding on this he states that the "likeness" of men means that Jesus was not infected with original sin. From this point he posits that Mary had original sin, which allowed for Jesus to experience the effects of sin, as though Jesus had some degree of sin attached to him. Pro argues two different meanings of the word "likeness". He cannot have it both ways. In scriptural context, likeness has the same meaning, which is that Jesus has only the semblance, guise, or outward appearance (dictionary definition of likeness) of "sinful flesh". The Ark of the New Covenant was the perfection of the Ark of the Old Covenant, just as Jesus was the perfection and fulfillment of the Old Testament. Christ"s incarnation in the Virgin Mary perfected the Old Ark of the Covenant insofar as Christ takes upon himself the roles of the former objects. Nothing imperfect enters heaven, and the Ark did. The Ark of his Covenant (the new Covenant) is spoken of in the book of Revelation (Rev. 11:19): "Then God"s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail." (Rev. 12:1) "And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" Furthermore, the Fathers (even before 300 AD) attest to the Ark being the Virgin Mary: "The ark is verily the holy Virgin, gilded within and without, who received the treasure of universal sanctification. Arise, O Lord, from the Father"s bosom, to raise up again the ruined race of our first parent" (Orat. in Deip. Annunciat. Int. Opp. S. Greg. Thaumaturg) (Blessed Virgin, p. 89). St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213-c. 270) "As Christ our priest was not chosen by hand of man, so neither was His tabernacle framed by men, but was established by the Holy Ghost; and by the power of God is that tabernacle protected, to be had in everlasting remembrance, Mary, God"s Virgin Mother" (S. Dionysius of Alexandria, Respons. ad Quoest. v. Pauli Samos) (Blessed Virgin, p. 81). St. Dionysius (died 264) The physical makeup of the Ark of the Old Covenant is ultimately not relevant to the discussion, as the New Ark is perfected.