LETTER: Religion is separate from marriage

On Tuesday, the highest court in Massachusetts struck down a ban on same-sex marriages.

In response, President Bush issued a statement saying, “Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman” and that he “will work with Congressional leaders and others to do what is legally necessary to defend the sanctity of marriage.”

Now, my Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an institution to be an establishment. It also defines sacred as “of or relating to religion.”

The Constitution of the United States of America explicitly states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

So, my question is, from where does Mr. Bush think he or Congress gets the authority to do anything to the “sacred institution” (or in the words of a reputable dictionary, “religious establishment”) of marriage?

Adam Tomjack

Senior

Computer Science