Is there a difference between 'immaculate conception' and 'virgin birth'?

Is there a difference between 'immaculate conception' and 'virgin birth'?

~~~ No, and they are both imagination!

Yes, Catholics believe that Mary was born without original sin. This was named the Immaculate conception. Most Protestants do not believe in the Immaculate Conception. Some hear that terrm and believe it must refer to the virgin birth. That is a common mistake and largely because few Protestant churches teach about the Immaculate Conception because they don't believe in it. Anglicans, Lutherans, and Episcopalians might believe in it, but I'm not sure.

Immaculate Birth

There is a very big difference since they are about two separate people: the immaculate conception about the birth of Mary and the belief she was born without original sin, and the conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit.

Don't believe in those Immaculate Deceptions.

Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived without sin.

Yes, a lot of people get this wrong, the immaculate conception refers to Jesus' maternal grandmother, Mary's mom, that Mary was born without 'sin' while 'virgin birth' is the birth of Jesus, who was impregnated by the "Holy Ghost".

In Christianity, absolutely.

Both terms refer to *specific* Christian doctrines.

"Virgin birth" refers specifically to the conception and birth of Jesus by a virgin. We could say that in general it refers to such a birth.

"Immaculate conception" refers to the conception of Mary and refers to a wholly human conception that was miraculously "immaculate", that miraculously did not involve the transference of original sin to the child conceived (namely: Mary). In the doctrine of the immaculate conception (which, I believe, is taught only by Catholics), **virginity is not a characteristic**. The mother was not a virgin, the mother conceived as a result of engaging in sexual intercourse with a man, but despite that the conception was "immaculate", and immaculate only in the sense already described: that is, the child conceived did not "contract" or "inherit" original sin.

Yes. Immaculate conception refers to Mary being born with out original sin. Virgin birth refers to the birth of her son, Jesus. I was raised in that particular mythology.

EDIT: Your update is wrong. They are separate things in Catholic theology, no matter what you think.

They ARE two different things.

The Immaculate conception concerns the birth of Mary... The virgin birth is about the birth of the widdle baby Jesus.

Yes, about 9 months. But the key character is Jesus. He was conceived without sin, and born of a virgin, as prophesied in Isaiah.