Ruling Upholds Traditional Marriage

The Superior Court of New Jersey's Appellate Division upheld the traditional definition of marriage this week, rejecting arguments that the marriage laws violated state guarantees of privacy and equal protection. The decision is firmly grounded in the concept that our government consists of three co-equal branches, with the judiciary required to give appropriate deference to legislative decisions. For that reason, the New Jersey court criticized the infamous Goodridge court for making a "normative judgment that conflicts with the traditional and still prevailing religious and societal view of marriage as a union between a man and a woman that plays a vital role in propagating the species and provides the ideal setting for raising children. Consequently, ... Goodridge does not establish a right of equal access to marriage, ... but instead significantly alters the nature of this social institution."

Judge Anthony J. Parrillo, concurring with Judge Stephen Skillman, explained that "distillation of marriage down to its pure 'close personal relationship' essence ... strips the social institution 'of any goal or end beyond the intrinsic emotional, psychological, or sexual satisfaction which the relationship brings to the individuals involved.'" Parrillo further said that "any societal judgment to level the playing field must appreciate the proper divide between judicial and legislative activity. ... It is, therefore, a proper role for the legislature to weigh the societal costs against the societal benefits flowing from a profound change in the public meaning of marriage." (from Pastor's Weekly Briefing, June 17, 2005 - a ministry of Focus on the Family)