New Jersey voters favor gay civil union law: poll

[UrbScotty]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-12-07T180858Z_01_N07276042_RTRUKOC_0_US-GAY-NEWJERSEY.xml&WTmodLoc=USNewsHome_C2_domesticNews-6

Sixty percent of New Jersey voters support a law allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions, but half oppose a law allowing gay marriage, according to a poll on Thursday.

The survey was released before the New Jersey Assembly's Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on a bill allowing gay civil unions with the legal rights of married couples.

The bill was introduced after the state Supreme Court on October 25 ordered the legislature to give gay couples the same rights and benefits as heterosexual couples, but referred the decision on whether to call it "marriage" to the legislature.

The bill refers to civil unions. If passed by the committee, it goes to the full Assembly for a vote.

[xchrom]

1. if new jersey passes a bill to allow civil unions

with all the same benfits as marriage -- then churches like the episcopal church will hold ''marriage'' ceremonies.

[soleft]

2. To me that's the just drives you insane

All this stuff about not wanting to force churches - blah blah - yet there are already churches that will perform gay marriages - it's the damn government which is supposed to be separate that's denying equal rights.

[xchrom]

4. all i know is that there are denominations for whom ''gay marriage''

is already a thing of the past.

unlike what we hear in the media.

[JerseygirlCT]

10. We have CUs now in CT

and our (Episcopal)bishop has just allowed priests to do blessings. (Since marriage is not yet allowed, they cannot perform marriages). His thinking seems to be exactly as you say -- the state allows it, so the church ought to follow and bless those unions that have already been recognized by the state.

[Reverend_Smitty]

3. it's such a stupid semantics argument

IMHO all marriages should be civil unions because they are made legal by the state and if you want to have the religious sacrament of marriage, it should be separate from the legal definition of marriage. If a church wants to deny a gay marriage, it's well within their rights, but no government should discriminate like most of the US states do

[Ian David]

5. There is only ONE real solution, and one solution ONLY

1) Marriage is a sacred institution, thus an establishment of religion, therefore the government shall make no laws respecting it.

2) The government must perform, register, regulate and recognize only Civil Unions for everyone-- gay and straight


3) What churches do will be called "Marriage," and any house of worship can perform any marriage they see fit, as it will have absolutely no legal weight. What governments do will be called "Civil Unions," and will be done without discrimination on the basis of gender or orientation.

[loveandlight]

6. I so agree with you

It is the word marriage that makes such a mess. And yes, it should be reserved as a religious ceremony and all government will perform are civil unions. But the word marriage is so tied up in this issue, most people don't realize that there is a difference, they just assume that the one done in church is the same as the paper that they get from the state. But, in fact, they are two different animals. Indeed!

[Reverend_Smitty]

7. I absolutely agree with you 100%

[UrbScotty]

8. There you go (nt)

[HockeyMom]

9. NJ already has Domestic Partnerships

What is the difference between a Domestic Partnership and a Civil Union? It seems the next step would be "civil" MARRIAGE.