Warning: The following article is of a mature nature. It may contain sexually explicit adult themes and subject matter. Also, some of the terminology and language in this article may not be suitable for younger readers. If you are not an adult, then it is strongly suggested that you read another article or go to another blog. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. It is greatly appreciated.
Introduction
Even though this story is already considered to be old news, I feel that it’s important to take a critical look back here. For those of you who are not familiar with the fairly recent Miss California scandal, I am now going to briefly explain what happened and then give my own editorial opinion on the matter. For those of you who are already familiar with the scandal, you may want to skip ahead a few paragraphs.
What happened?
On April 19, 2009,22-year old Carrie Prejean represented the state of California in the Miss USA competition.
One of the celebrity judges, Perez Hilton, asked whether other states should follow Vermont’s lead in legalizing same-sex marriage.
According to Politifact.com, Prejean’s answer was: “I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”
Prejean finished the competition as the runner-up.
What happened after that?
According to ABC News, a set of topless photos of Prejean from the year before began to appear on the internet about a month after the pageant. Shortly thereafter, Prejean was stripped of her Miss California title by the pageant organizer (Donald Trump), citing “breach of contract” issues.
Prejean said she didn’t consider the photos to be “semi-nude” and added that while she had been pressured to do so, she had never posed nude or semi-nude and always requested that her breasts be covered, and that she be photographed in full bottoms.
What was the response to this?
Although Prejean had attracted a bandwagon of critics from homosexual rights advocates for her marriage answer, she was celebrated for taking a stand for her beliefs by Christian pro-family groups, many of which gave her the platform to their audiences.
According to Christiantoday.com, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which had run a pro-traditional marriage ad featuring a clip of Prejean’s answer, was very skeptical that Prejean’s firing was unrelated to her gay marriage. Both the President and Executive Director of NOM voiced their full support for Carrie.
Prejean’s mother, Francine, came out in defense of her daughter, telling the blog MomLogic.com that the beauty queen is “being persecuted for speaking her opinion” about gay marriage.
Prejean also told Christian radio host Dr. James Dobson that Satan tried to tempt her with a question about gay marriage at the Miss USA pageant.
But while many Christian conservatives rose to her defense, some cautioned against ushering her into being the “new family values spokeswoman,” noting that photos of her posing topless (but unexposed) would send a contradictory message.
“Prejean’s pictures are the kind that normally would elicit disapproval from pro-family groups,” Dr. Warren Throckmorton, associate professor of Psychology at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, had told The Christian Post.
“However, some groups (Dove Awards, The Rock Church in California, Liberty University, Values Voters Summit, NOM) have given her a platform simply because she said she believes marriage is between a man and a woman, apparently discounting the harm to family values from her risqué modeling work,” he said.
In his blog, Throckmorton wrote, “Unless religious conservatives have some kind of answer to our girls about how they can lionize a Miss USA contestant and stress modesty at the same time, I do not see the virtue in giving her the platform.”
In spite of all the support, the racy photos did draw criticism from some of the same conservative groups that initially backed Prejean for her gay marriage stance.
Why should Christians be concerned about what happened?
A friend of mine subscribes to a very conservative Christian e-mail newsletter called the Watchmen Report. While I’m a bit skeptical of some of the information in their May newsletter, I do have to agree on a few points that were made in regard to the Miss California story.
First off, a very strong and condemning point was made in the newsletter that deserves consideration. It says; “How can you stand before hardened unbelievers and espouse Christian values while standing half naked on a stage with augmented breasts bulging from your less-than-bra-top and have questionable topless photographs in your portfolio without expecting the heathen to attack? They say, CHRISTIAN, get the beam out of your own eye before trying to take the splinter out others. If we want to speak on our spiritual beliefs, standing before an audience in a barely-there bikini is certainly not the wisest attire for the occasion, lest you find your preacher’s preaching in Speedos acceptable!” Those points sound very judgmental… but they are also hard to argue against.
Secondly, the newsletter goes on to say; “The corrupted, Satanic, Babylonian brand of Christianity in America not only breeds what Yahweh finds detestable, but even applauds the barely-there, partial nudity of beauty pageants and sees no conflict of interest in the Word. The image left is of professed born again Christian, Carrie Prejean, so understand, I am not a prude, neither am I attempting to offend by showing this picture, but show the overt hypocrisy and extreme apostasy that has crept into American Christianity.” Once again, very harsh words… but nothing that I can really disagree with for the most part.
“And the winner is…“
No one. This is an issue that has done nothing but bring shame on Christianity, all the while igniting the anger of homosexual rights and proposition 9 advocates.
I got into a debate with my wife over this issue, but my ultimate argument was not against Carrie Prejean. It’s not my place to call anyone a hypocrit. I think that she did the best that she could after being blind-sided by a politically-charged question. She spoke the truth in a no-win situation and I applaud her for that.
My argument is that she should not have been put in that situation in the first place. You could liken it to going to a strip-club in order to hand out tracks and attempt to evangelize to the men and women that are there. Try it and you will likely get thrown out within the first 15 minutes… or less.
Better yet, remember the old MTV Spring Break Specials live from Daytona Beach? Just about everyone watched them at one point, whether you’re willing to admit it or not. A bunch of college students dancing around with nothing but a few loin-cloths on. What if you got up on the stage in your Speedos, grabbed the microphone and shared your views on the sanctity of marriage with the people that were there? What kind of reception would you receive? Do I even have to ask? You would likely be booed off the stage and promptly escorted out by security bouncers. The point is that the world is the world for a reason. It recognizes the truth but it refuses to believe it. In fact, without a regenerate spirit, I believe it is impossible to accept it. Furthermore, when the world senses hypocrisy, it will lash back and any witness that could have been given is destroyed.
I don’t blame Carrie for what happened. I blame the cultural Christian system in the west that often-times says “partial nudity is acceptable if we agree with your message.”
In closing, the Bible gives women fairly clear instructions regarding clothing, and though not to the extreme of the Amish, some common sense must reign. Being photographed in something less-than-underwear while espousing your Christian values is like mixing oil and water.
In like manner also, women adorn yourselves in modest apparel, with modesty and sobriety…which becomes women professing godliness, with good works. (1 Timothy 2:9-10)
