LifeWay Christian Stores, the country's largest Christian retail chain, may stop selling Eugene Peterson's books after he voiced his support for same-sex marriage and said he would officiate a gay wedding if asked, claims a new report.



As earlier reported, Peterson, the author of popular book The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, was recently asked by Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service about his revisited views on same-sex marriage.



In response, Peterson said the "debate about lesbians and gays might be over" and answered "yes" when asked if he would perform a same-sex wedding ceremony if he were pastoring today.



"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," he said. "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."



In a statement to Christianity Today, LifeWay, which draws in 2.7 million customers a year, stated that if the 84-year-old retired Presbyterian pastor truly supports same-sex marriage, its stores can no longer sell his books.

