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Will the REAL Eugene Peterson Please Stand Up?!


The popular author of The Message Bible, Eugene Peterson has found himself in quite a mix up!   In an interview with Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service he was questioned about homosexual “marriages”.  He said he “didn’t consider homosexuality wrong and would, if asked, officiate a same-sex “marriage.”  His reason; “I know a lot of people who are gay and lesbian,” Peterson said, “and they seem to have as good a spiritual life as I do.”  Immediately there was a reaction including that of a large book distributor who said that it would no longer sell Peterson’s books!  Instantly Peterson recanted;  “To clarify, I affirm the biblical view of marriage: one man to one woman.  I affirm a biblical view of everything.”  Hmmm?  Now people are wondering who the real Eugene Peterson is and why has he “wishy washed” so quickly!  Is he just mixed up and wants to stay popular by being a man-pleaser OR is it the loss of book sales?  
Regardless, there is a lesson in this for all of us.  If our beliefs are only based on observations of the people we know…. as Peterson stated, “I know a lot of people who are gay and lesbian, and they seem to have as good a spiritual life as I do.”,  then our faith is going to be like Peterson’s…double minded, weak and man-pleasing.  As Tim Keller wrote, “If you change your mind about homosexuality because you meet a friendly and intelligent gay person, your views probably weren’t based on a biblical theology of marriage to begin with. Feelings are no substitute for an informed Christian worldview.”  
How true this is of so many Christians today and particularly young people who, through no fault of their own, have been sold a bill of faulty goods.  The beliefs of so many are based not on the absolute truth of God’s word to mankind, but on what “feels” right… emotions!  And since “absolutes” in our society have been bludgeoned into “critical condition” by the Politically Correct, then we must “feel” our way through life with our emotions!  But can we trust feelings?   An old rhyme reminds us of how untrustworthy feelings are.  “Feelings come and feeling go and feelings are deceiving….”.  Have you ever had strong feelings about something then found out later you were mistaken?  We all have, so in other words feelings can and often do lie to us.
We are all faced with the questions of: Will you build your belief system on the shaky ground of feelings or God’s word as revealed in the Bible? And have you ever searched the Bible to learn His will or are you basing your beliefs solely on “Well, this is what I think”?
James 1:7-8 “That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Pastor Gary A. Smith

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