# Immaculate conception **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 7, 2000, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/immaculate-conception/44451 "2000-12-07T08:41:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kjkolb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ec8ea/32.png) [@kjkolb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjkolb)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/immaculate-conception/44451/1 "2000-12-07T08:41:50Z")
The article is “Why do folks say Jesus H. Christ?.” The url is [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_033](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_033). It may be blasphemy, but I have to respectfully disagree with Cecil. My disagreement is not about the origin of the H in Jesus H. Christ. It is about the immaculate conception which he mentions in the haploid biology major joke. According to the American Heritage College dictionary, the immaculate conception is the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was born free of original sin. However, Cecil states that Christ’s birth was immaculate. Pope Pius IX declared the immaculate conception an article of faith in 1854. It does not mean that Mary’s mother had a virgin birth just that she was born free of sin. Thanks Kevin (edited to fix link) [Edited by Arnold Winkelried on 12-07-2000 at 11:54 AM] ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/immaculate-conception/44451/2 "2000-12-07T10:55:21Z")
Your link didn’t work because you need to leave a blank space before and after the URL. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_033](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_033) If you read the line carefully you’ll see it says “the unique (not to say immaculate) circumstances of Christ’s conception.” It seems to me that Cecil is poking fun at the common misconception among non-Catholics that the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Jesus. Mark Twain is probably the most famous to have made that mistake. In another column, [Did Jesus have siblings?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/990730.html) Cecil makes it clear that he understands the facts when he says “. . . the Immaculate Conception, the belief that Mary was free of original sin . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/immaculate-conception/44451/3 "2000-12-07T11:02:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > **It seems to me that Cecil is poking fun at the common misconception among non-Catholics that the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Jesus.** Not just non-Catholics. Even Catholics can fall into this trap if they’re not sufficiently educated about Catholic doctrine. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/immaculate-conception/44451/4 "2000-12-07T17:57:39Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment. To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL). The column ( **including** Slug Signorino’s illustration) can also be found on pages 33-34 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_The Straight Dope_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)». * * * moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)»