In New Jersey, the Real Battle over Marriage Has Already Been Lost

‘Civil Unions’ is hardly an acceptable compromise 

By Peter LaBarbera 

The item at bottom was sent out Nov. 18 as a part of Family Research Council President Tony Perkins’ “Washington Update.” We agree with the sentiments, with a caveat regarding this line: “…force the state back into a bitter debate that many believed was solved by the legislature earlier this year.” This apparently refers to  the New Jersey legislature’s 2006 vote for homosexual “civil unions,” which was signed into law by Gov. John Corzine (D) last December and went into effect in February.

We are sure that by using the word “solved” Mr. Perkins does not mean to condone “civil unions” — which is merely “same-sex marriage” by another name. However, it is unfortunately the case that a significant minority of “conservatives,” including pro-life and pro-family advocates, now see “civil unions” as a way out of the homosexual “marriage” mess.

The gap between traditional marriage (i.e., normalcy) and “civil unions” is far wider than that between “civil unions” and “same-sex marriage” — a strategic reality of which the more savvy homosexual activists are well aware (even as the Gay Whining Machine complains about a lack of marital “equality”).

In fact, New Jersey’s “civil unions” law recognizes out-of-state “gay marriages.” It “seeks to give gay couples the same rights in the state as married couples,” reports the USA Today. How much clearer can you get than that on the effect of this “compromise”?

Nevertheless, as this liberal-biased Wikipedia article states, New Jersey’s homosexual activists are complaining that they are not getting their “civil union” benefits as required under the new law. Destroying tradition takes a little time and some adjustments, it seems. Note how the law compels businesses to subsidize homosexual lifestyles, as UPS quickly learned with a little prodding from the governor’s office.

Let’s be honest: the court-mandated redefinition of marriage in New Jersey — using the safer language of “civil unions” — was the revolutionary act in the Garden State. A legislature with some guts and moral rectitude would have told the state’s high court to stuff it and get out of the business of forcing radical laws on New Jersey’s citizens.

Of course, it might have helped had more New Jersey citizens (and the Church) expressed outrage at these developments. To go one step further now is just window dressing — well, maybe not quite that — but we delude ourselves if we believe that the “great battle” ahead is over (the word) “marriage.”

New Jersey’s weak-kneed politicians — all too willing to blame their capitulation on the activist high court — already lost the greatest battle. Before long, we predict, many social liberals will embrace “gay marriage” as the logical next step following their enthusiastic support of “civil unions.” Helping them along will be homosexual activists with their ridiculous “separate-but-equal” mantra — which appropriately defined a genuine civil rights struggle fighting bigotry based on unchangeable race — but is preposterous for a movement based on changeable and sinful sexual behavior.

Having said all that, we still strongly oppose turning New Jersey into another Massachusetts by calling two men or two women in a disordered sexual relationship “marriage.” One “same-sex marriage” state is one too many.

Homosexual activists usually understand the importance of adopting an aggressive posture, hence their persistent cries of victimhood in “civil-unionized” New Jersey. The homosexual agenda is first and foremost about gaining approval for that which a holy God can never approve: relationships based on homosexuality. And full approval requires “marriage,” even if most homosexuals don’t go for it once it becomes legal.

As this battle moves from state to state, we on the side of God and the natural family should at least be honest about this: government recognition of and mandated benefits for homosexual “couples” is the single most radical step forward in this debate. “Civil unions” is not a compromise. It’s a prelude to total defeat.  

FRC’s Tony Perkins writes: 

Proving once again that homosexuals won’t be satisfied until they obliterate traditional marriage, two liberal New Jersey groups have launched television commercials demanding that their leaders upgrade the new civil union law to same-sex marriage. In conjunction with the campaign, members of both the New Jersey Assembly and Senate have introduced bills A3685 and S2898 to legalize gay “marriage” and force the state back into a bitter debate that many believed was solved by the legislature earlier this year. Although the current session is a short lame duck session, there is a good possibility that the Assembly’s Judiciary Committees could bring up a bill as soon as December 6. Our friends at the New Jersey Family Policy Council are doing all they can to raise an army of opposition to block the bills, but they need your help. If you’re a New Jersey resident, contact your leaders today and tell them that, together with 61 percent of your state, you don’t believe that homosexual couples have a right to redefine marriage for the rest of society. For more information on how you can involved, log on to http://www.njfpc.org/.