New Jersey Catholic Conference urges opposition to domestic partners benefits bill

The New Jersey Catholic Conference has issued an action alert to oppose legislation that would extend benefits to domestic partners.

Bill A3743 seeks to confer equivalent marriage benefits to a broad spectrum of people who meet certain conditions, such as sharing a common residence, agreeing to be jointly responsible for each other’s basic living expenses and having "chosen to share each other’s lives in a committed relationship of mutual caring."

According to the NJCC, it is indisputable that the prime movers behind this legislation are homosexual persons who seek legal affirmation that their cohabitation is equal in every way to marriage.

"The New Jersey Catholic Conference opposes this legislation because it attempts to cast aside marriage as our legal standard of legitimate cohabitation in order to give legitimacy to homosexual and heterosexual cohabitation outside of marriage," said a recent NJCC statement. "The wholesale acceptance of domestic partnerships discounts the fact that throughout history marriage — the union of one man and one woman — has offered societal stability by forming the physical, economic and cultural base for the orderly procreation, nurture and education of the next generation."

The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee. It is expected that if the legislation is passed, it will be sent to Governor James McGreevey before the end of this session on Jan. 12.

The NJCC urges Catholics to contact their Senator and two Assembly members immediately and ask them to vote no on this legislation.

For a list of Senators or Assembly members, call the Office of Legislative Services at (800) 792-8630 or go to http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp.