Marriage is a Sacrament. Really, Andrea?
May 7, 2012, Louanne Poisson
During a discussion of same-sex marriage with Steffanie Cutter today, Andrea Mitchell stated that 'marriage is a sacrament'. As I tried to get my head around the fact that a reporter was proselytizing on national television, I realized I had to look up the definition of marriage. Maybe I was wrong, but I didn't think the definition of marriage would have the word sacrament within it. Here are my findings.
marriage -Merriam-Webster
(1) : the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2) : the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage>
I'm confident that soon these 2 definitions will be combined into one clear statement: Marriage is the state of being united to a person in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law.
sacrament -Merriam-Webster
A Christian rite that is believed to have been ordained by Christ and that is held to be a means of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality.
If we can agree on the Merrium-Webster dictionary definition of marriage, I believe we can also agree that you may take part in a rite that is believed to have been ordained by Christ. That is your right. It is not your right to insist that everyone agree that marriage is a sacrament.
In order to agree marriage is a sacrament, I must be a Christian that believes in divine grace and a spiritual reality. In no way are those my beliefs. Luckily marriage is not a sacrament by definition. Marriage is a union, it is a party, it is a convenience, it is utopia, it is a prison-- it is many a thing indeed. It is whatever you would like to define it as over and above the fundamental definition.
Marriage can be a sacrament for you. That is the beauty of freedom of religion. For me, marriage is quite simply a way of life for those that choose it. That is the beauty of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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