Eugene Peterson, most known for his authorship of The Message translation of the Bible, has revealed in an interview on Wednesday that if he were still pastoring today, he would perform a same-sex marriage if asked.
In the interview with Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service, Peterson was asked, "If you were pastoring today and a gay couple in your church who were Christians of good faith asked you to perform their same-sex wedding ceremony, is that something you would do?"
To which he responded with a simple: "Yes."
Peterson added previous to that question that he hadn't had " a lot of experience" with people who had same-sex attractions, and that in the congregation that he led, he didn't "think we ever really made a big deal out of it." …show more content…
"I think that kind of debate about lesbians and gays might be over. People who disapprove of it, they'll probably just go to another church."
"So we're in a transition and I think it's a transition for the best, for the good. I don't think it's something that you can parade, but it's not a right or wrong thing as far as I'm concerned," he said.
The denomination in which Peterson was ordained, the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. (PCUSA), was the first denomination to officially change its laws to accept same-sex marriages in June of 2015.
Peterson's public endorsement of same-sex marriages drew criticism from evangelical circles. LifeWay Christian Resources, the largest Christian [retail] chain in the country which is also affiliated with the Southern Baptist COnvention (SBC), announced it is considering taking down all of Peterson's 135 books that are currently sold in its stores, including The Message
In the interview with Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service, Peterson was asked, "If you were pastoring today and a gay couple in your church who were Christians of good faith asked you to perform their same-sex wedding ceremony, is that something you would do?"
To which he responded with a simple: "Yes."
Peterson added previous to that question that he hadn't had " a lot of experience" with people who had same-sex attractions, and that in the congregation that he led, he didn't "think we ever really made a big deal out of it." …show more content…
"I think that kind of debate about lesbians and gays might be over. People who disapprove of it, they'll probably just go to another church."
"So we're in a transition and I think it's a transition for the best, for the good. I don't think it's something that you can parade, but it's not a right or wrong thing as far as I'm concerned," he said.
The denomination in which Peterson was ordained, the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. (PCUSA), was the first denomination to officially change its laws to accept same-sex marriages in June of 2015.
Peterson's public endorsement of same-sex marriages drew criticism from evangelical circles. LifeWay Christian Resources, the largest Christian [retail] chain in the country which is also affiliated with the Southern Baptist COnvention (SBC), announced it is considering taking down all of Peterson's 135 books that are currently sold in its stores, including The Message