Earlier today we posted “Eugene Peterson’s Error Isn’t About Gay Weddings” to inform you that Eugene Peterson stated in an interview with Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service that he had changed his mind on same-sex marriage — he’s all for it. Now we learn from Christianity Today, (CT), a site we do not endorse, “LifeWay Christian Stores had reached out to “confirm with Eugene Peterson or his representatives that his recent interview on same-sex marriage accurately reflects his views.” Had Peterson indeed shifted on the issue, America’s largest Christian retail chain would have stopped selling his books, which include dozens of versions of The Message as well as A Long Obedience in the Same Direction and The Pastor.”
Now to the Kate Shellnutt’s report:
A day after a Religion News Service interview portrayed retired pastor and author Eugene Peterson as shifting to endorse same-sex marriage, the evangelical leader retracted his comment and upheld the traditional Christian stance instead.
“To clarify, I affirm a biblical view of marriage: one man to one woman. I affirm a biblical view of everything,” he said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
Peterson, best known for creating The Message Bible, also regrets the “confusion and bombast” in the fallout of his remarks, which were widely shared and commented on online yesterday.