The NJ Supreme Court recently handed down a decision which is forcing the state to allow marriage for same sex couples within six months or some other system allowing equal rights. Now the legislature is not debating whether or not to allow equal unions for gay couples, but whether or not it should be called marriage. NJ's highest state court ruled 4-3 to forced the issue in late October and turned it over the legislature. (See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102500174.html)
While the decision looks like a razor-thin court decision for NJ partners, it was actually an overwhelming win. Some of the justices that voted against the decision did so because they thought nothing less than full marriage rights would solve the inequities. Now, while the NJ legislature is struggling with what to call the relationships (with "civil union" leading the pack), conservative groups are still fighting to deny equal rights for gay partners. (See http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-11-28-gay-marriage_x.htm).
Here's a novel idea... why not stop the state from issuing marriage licenses? Isn't marriage supposed to be a religious, spiritual institution? Why not have the state issue civil union certificates for any adult couple that wants it and then let the churches decide who does or does not enter into what is supposed to be a holy union?
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