Day: July 18, 2017

 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Very few people were surprised when retired mainline pastor and author of The Message, Eugene Peterson, came out in support of same-sex “marriage” on July 12th.  His denomination, the Presbyterian Church USA, has been theologically adrift for years.  In 2004, the denomination gave approval
for its pastors to perform same-sex “marriages”.   So when Peterson
responded to the following question from (same-sex attracted) reported
Jonathan Merrit, with a “yes” it should have come to surprise to no one:

“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?”

Now, to any Bible-believing Christian, especially a pastor, the
answer to this question is clearly “that’s nonsense.”  It can’t even be
“yes” or “no” because there is simply no such thing as a gay couple who
are “Christians of good faith.”  The Apostle Paul makes this
exceptionally clear in his epistles to the Roman and Corinthian churches (unless of course, one is reading those epistles out of The Message). 
 That a liberal Presbyterian would answer “yes” in the year 2017 when
pressed by a progressive religion reporter is about as expected as the
Alabama Crimsons Tide winning ten football games next season.  That
Peterson revealed that he had been the pastor to several lesbians who
were “just as Christian as everybody else in the church” is also to be
expected.  (Of course, there may be some kernel of truth to his
statement in that a PCUSA “church” with several undisciplined and
unrepentant lesbians is likely to have no Christians whatsoever.  So,
these women may have been just as a Christian as everyone else in the
church…not at all Christian).  That Peterson’s church hired a gay music
minister is another pedestrian piece of news.  What was (but is no
longer) shocking was the frankness with which Peterson let his opinion
of homosexuality be known:

“I wouldn’t have said this 20 years ago, but now I know a
lot of people who are gay and lesbian and they seem to have as good a
spiritual life as I do. 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.”

The statement above is not something Peterson would not have said 20 years ago but now in the midst of the moral revolution, when being against “gay rights” is socially akin to being for
racism, Peterson obviously felt comfortable enough to speak his mind
freely.  That is, until he realized that the Southern Baptists were
listening.  The Southern Baptist Convention controls one of the largest
Christian retailers in the nation, LifeWay Christian Resources.  While
that entity’s standards for Christian literature are shamefully low, it
will not carry literature authored by gay-affirming authors.  Jen
Hatmaker found this out the hard way last October after she came out in
support of same-sex relationships and was promptly banned from LifeWay.  When LifeWay caught wind of Merrit’s report, it wasn’t long until LifeWay came calling.  The Baptist Press reported on the same day that
Merrit’s story broke that LifeWay would “stop selling all works by
Peterson if he confirms the views reported by (Merrit)”.  According to a
LifeWay statement:

“LifeWay only carries resources in our stores by authors
who hold to the biblical view of marriage.  We are attempting to confirm
with Eugene Peterson or his representatives that his recent interview
on same-sex marriage accurately reflects his views. If he confirms he
does not hold to a biblical view of marriage, LifeWay will no longer
sell any resources by him, including The Message.”

That meant Peterson would soon be off of the shelves at LifeWay. 
Only Peterson began promptly singing a different tune upon being
contacted by the retail chain.  As reported in Christianity Today,  Peterson sought to clarify his remarks from the previous day.  Peterson stated:

To clarify, I affirm a biblical view of marriage: one man
to one woman. I affirm a biblical view of everything…When put on the
spot by this particular interviewer, I said yes in the moment. But on
further reflection and prayer, I would like to retract that. That’s not
something I would do out of respect to the congregation, the larger
church body, and the historic biblical Christian view and teaching on
marriage. That said, I would still love such a couple as their pastor.
They’d be welcome at my table, along with everybody else.”

Two things stand out here.  The first is that anyone who would
welcome practicing homosexuals who are professing Christians to his
table does not affirm a “biblical view of everything”.  Paul told the
Corinthian church “do not even eat” with such a person.  The second is
that a professional theologian who is in his eighties and worked as a
pastor and Christian author for his entire career made a theological
statement about long-accepted Christian doctrine on Wednesday and
completely reversed his position on Thursday.  That’s unbelievable. 
Surely Peterson knows and has known what he really believes just as
surely as he knows that LifeWay sells 12 different versions
of his Message “Bible”.  Peterson’s widely accepted social views would
have cost him money with the Baptist bookstore if he doubled down on
them.  He realized this and he didn’t double-down.  He tried to take his
money and run.

Peterson, it would seem, made a statement in service of his master.
It’s very apparent that Peterson lied at least one day this week. 
It’s also quite apparent that Peterson may have been telling the truth
when he said that he “knew of people who are gay and lesbian and they
seem to have as good a spiritual life” as he did.  After reading about
Peterson’s statements and actions for the last two days, that’s not hard
to imagine.  That LifeWay will sell books by a woman who claims to be writing for Jesus himself, in the Lord’s voice, but not The Message if
Peterson thinks it’s okay to be a practicing homosexual is another
story. Sadly, it’s no less shocking than what has been seen this week
from Eugene Peterson.
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SEE ALSO:

But that doesn’t mean we should throw away our Peterson (or Berry) books.”
 “Moore continues, There is much I’ve learned from Peterson, and much I am sure I will learn in the future.”
 “Moore, once again, is propping up a false teacher. What makes Eugene
Peterson any different than any other gay-affirming heretic, such as
Matthew Vines?”