Teacher Discussion Forums

Aside from the obvious differences of these two words (adj and noun), are there any major semantic differences? A student was giving a synopsis of an article that she read for class. On the subject of gay marriage in Canada, an editorial stated that only the Roman Catholic Church considered marriage to be a sacrament, the rest (Anglican, United, etc) considered it simply sacred. She told me that this was the only unsolved problem that she had with the editorial, and wondered if I knew the difference. What would that statement imply (for those of us who aren't informed on our religious lingo) ?

A sacrament is an official ceremony sanctioned by the Church. In Roman Catholocism, for example, sacraments include First Communion, Confirmation and Marriage. Sacrament can also be used specifically to refer to the bread and wine eaten at Communion.

Sacred just means related to God and/or religion, and therefore demanding a level of respect greater than things "of this world."

Does this help?

Do you think it helps, CQ?

I suppose the editor is trying to say that Anglicans etc do not value marriage as much as Catholics, and has selected a strictly meaning-free way to do so. We can guess this because he says "simply". The phrasing he has used is simply bobbledisquak.

Actually, as a non-catholic, and as a Canadian, I think he's saying that this is why Catholics seem to be making the most fuss over the idea. At least, that's what I interpret from CQs definitions (which were helpful, thank you).

Well, OK, I suppose you could say it means that Catholics regard it as an iron clad tradition governed ceremony, whereas Anglicans etc think that the marriage of anything at all, perhaps including chimps, cats or crustaceans, is a sacred business. We can only wonder.

I didn't mean to say CQ was not helpful, I was just asking if he felt that something like that did follow from those definitions.

Actually woodcutter, I think you were completely saying that my comment was unhelpful! I certainly didn't mean it to be, as I find no joy in wasting my time posting unhelpful comments of forums. I do think that the original poster understood my point, and came to the conclusion that I had come to in my mind about the particular usage.

And just for clarity's sake, I am a "she."

Well, OK, a bit, but it was not a rhetorical question. (Sorry for the sexism!)

A sacrament is a sacred ceremony. A marriage is always a ceremony. Therefore, how does a sacred marriage differ from a sacrament?

...it was not a rhetorical question...

Great, a comment to do with rhetoric did that involve ethos, pathos or logos or a combination of them? That's not a rhetorical question, but it doesn't require an answer.
CQ wrote:

A sacrament is an official ceremony sanctioned by the Church. In Roman Catholocism, for example, sacraments include First Communion, Confirmation and Marriage. Sacrament can also be used specifically to refer to the bread and wine eaten at Communion.

Sacred just means related to God and/or religion, and therefore demanding a level of respect greater than things "of this world."

I think CQ is closest so far. However, I would also like to add that sacred can also be used to alude to something that has nothing to do with religion eg "this is a sacred cow" ie "don't interfere". I think "sacrament" has to have sth to do with religion and isn't normally used attributively.

"Sacrament" more generally involves something that can be used in a sacred process, or to the sacred process itself. The bread and wine are sacraments because they are eaten and drunk in the ceremony of the eucharist and would be considered sacraments even when they are not actually being eaten or drunk.

"Sacred" is also defined in terms of it's opposite "profain". The noun equivalent "profanity" is not the opposite of "sacrament".

Wouldn't the sentence....

Catholics think marriage is a sacrament; protestants think it is sacred.

....leave everyone scratching their heads?

That's why "only" is the key word.