Ben Sargent, 7/08/03

Senator Bill Frist is on shaky theological grounds when he thundered that traditional marriage was a sacrament. Senator Frist is a self-proclaimed Presbyterian. See what the Presbyterian Church (USA) holds on sacraments:

Sacraments

Denominations often differ over what they recognize as sacraments. Some recognize as many as seven sacraments, others have no sacraments in the life of the church. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

"The Reformed tradition understands Baptism and the Lord's Supper to be Sacraments, instituted by God and commended by Christ. Sacraments are signs of the real presence and power of Christ in the Church, symbols of God's action. Through the Sacraments, God seals believers in redemption, renews their identity as the people of God, and marks them for service." (Book of Order W-1.3033.2)

Here is Senator Frist's view of marriage:

Sun Jun 29, 7:19 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he would support an amendment to the US Constitution to ban same-sex marriages, days after the nation's highest court struck down state sodomy laws.

Frist told ABC's "This Week" program that he "absolutely" supports a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman.

"I very much feel that marriage is a sacrament, and that sacrament should extend and can extend to that legal entity of a union between, what is traditionally in our Western values has been defined, as between a man and a woman," he said.

Senator Frist needs to revisit the theology of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Ben Sargent on Senator Bill Frist (R-TN)