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A very good question asking why?

I'll leave it to my betters like MD to answer the theological reasons, but I think I can answer this from a purely historical perspective: St. Augustine.

That's the short answer, the longer answer is if you compare what our brethern in the Eastern Church believe in compared to what we in the Western Church (Catholics AND Protestants) believe, or rather, HOW we believe.

Simply put, the East is more mystical and the West is more legalistic. This is apparent in +Augustine who is not treated with much reference in the Eastern Church who consider him to be too legalistic and trying to use logic where logic should reach it's end.

The net result is that though the Easterners believe much of this that Mary was born immaculate etc., they see any "proof" for or against this as a waste of time, trying to explain a mystery. Ditto for their concept of Original Sin, which is explained in a far less legalistic fashion.

Anyway, back to the point -- to accept the logical statements of +Augustine trying to logically explain a mystery, one has to have two possible outcomes: one which The Church explains, and the other which many Protestant groups explain. The Eastern approach is to say "why ask this question at all??"

Simply put, the East is more mystical and the West is more legalistic.

EO hold that God in His essence is unknowable. However, we can have knowledge of his energies.

It is "apophatic theology," and those with computers may find more by searching on that term. It might make for a caucus thread sometime. I cannot envision an edifying conversation, as such, on an open thread.

I'll leave it to my betters like MD

Snort!

Guffaw!

[Collapse onto the floor in a pool of laughter.]

Thank you.

New description of the difference between East and West:
West: Well, if you MUST know, it's kinda like this ....
East: Shaddup, just shaddup and Listen! HE will tell you, why listen to me?