Eugene Peterson, the US-based author of The Message, reportedly says his view of same-sex marriage has changed and he would, if he was still pastoring and asked to do so by two gay Christians of good faith, perform a same-sex wedding ceremony.
In an interview with Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service, Peterson, when asked whether his view of homosexuality and same-sex marriage had changed over the years, said that while he wouldn’t have said the same thing 20 years ago, “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.”
Asked subsequently if he was 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?”, he answered yes.
Elsewhere in the interview, the 84-year-old theologian and writer, who formerly pastored a Presbyterian Church, said he has published his final book – As Kingfishers Catch Fire – and is no longer teaching or traveling.
“I think I’ve pretty much mined everything I’ve learned and made art out of it,” he said. “That’s basically it, I think.”
He also described US President Donald Trump as “the enemy” and said he has no morals or integrity.
“But I have good friends who think he’s wonderful. But I think they put up with it less and less. People are getting pretty tired of him, I think. Some of us were tired of him before he was elected. I think we can put up with it, though. I don’t think it’s the end of the road.
