Hermenuetics

Comments

I really appreciate this new perspective. The entire pageant is about looking good in a swimsuit, looking good in an evening dress, and looking good as you walk across a stage. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking pride in the way you look, but the idea of being assigned a number based on how skinny and pretty you are is fairly degrading and superficial. I'm not sure what we - as a nation - then expect her to say when she's asked a question about a very controversial issue. I think we should just be impressed that these girls can even string together a full sentence while simultaneously posing, sucking in their stomachs, and standing in 5-inch heels. Just kidding. Kind of.

I personally don't think anyone should place too much stock in her opinions about gay marriage - obviously many other Americans agree with her (although some would probably state their opinions more eloquently than she did), and she certainly isn't making any policy decisions, so I don't see why her opinion is such a big deal. I am much more concerned about young girls in our country who watch this show and get the idea that they should spend 95% of their time trying to look "perfect" and the other 5% thinking about important issues and thinking about their opinions.

I do applaud Carrie for devoting her time to important causes, although as girl who was recently a teenager (and thus, struggled with self esteem), I don't think I would've found a "pageant queen" very easy to relate to. Although I don't like the idea of pageants, I do hope she can use her status as a way to raise awareness about important issues, because she does seem to be a passionate, caring person.

Posted By: Lauren | April 23, 2009 11:27 AM

I see what you're saying, but look at the big picture. Yes, pageant girls are notorious for struting around the stage. I'm not saying that's great that they wear next to nothing for the bathing suit part, but I don't know about getting hung up on "objectifying" - to me it's more about celebrating physical fitness and beauty. (not a bad inspiration either for women watching who could probably shed a few) But seriously, with the value pageants put on class and poise, not to mention supporting a worthy cause, are things I'd rather have my daughter emulate than, say, some "covered up" celebs who wouldn't wear bikinis, like for example Whoopi Goldberg. She has a "spotlight" every day with her show, and the stuff that comes out of her mouth -- godly or no? Miss CA used her ONE spotlight chance to stick to godly principles and it has created a ripple effect. It gives me chills to think about it --the term "biblically correct" is now being scrutinized (for better or worse) in the public square. Thousands of people are discussing this. It's bringing glory to God. I don't think we need to condemn Miss CA for her choice of bathing attire. She should be solely supported for WHO she has chosen to be. We need more bold Christian women like her to infiltrate ALL areas of society.

Posted By: Ali | April 23, 2009 11:36 AM

Oh the serendipity! Had she been asked another question by another questioner, she might be just Miss USA. This 21 year-old young woman is THE Miss California that launched a thousand diatribes. Katelyn Beaty is right. In fact the sizzlingly wholesome sensuality of the pagent world is a moral issue that has flown under the radar for a long time. Contrast this with the simple wish to marry. I am not in favor of gay marriage, but the arguments for it come in the form of solid, loving relationships that model fidelity. Sensuous young girls in swimsuits encourage the roving male eye, and suggest pleasures outside marriage. These pagents are not purveying family values.

Posted By: Usbek de Perse | April 23, 2009 12:01 PM

What on earth is a gay judge doing judging a heterosexual event? Someone lost their senses on that one. And of course he picked the most likely candidate to win and set her up with a question that as a Christian she was likely to answer according to her faith. Gays do not like women or Christians. If they liked women they wouldn't be gay.

OTOH perhaps losing in this manner is going save her from the abuses that Hollywood blesses winners with and give her another sort of winner's applause and appreciation. :)

Posted By: tiro | April 23, 2009 12:57 PM

I believe the judge was wrong in asking that question and I am glad she stood up for her beliefs and show not be punished. The judge needs to be reprimanded

Posted By: Debbie Fauth | April 23, 2009 1:18 PM

Katelyn Beaty's article was interesting. As a former state queen in the Miss America program, I found it especially interesting that she justified and elevated the Miss America program because they offer talent as part of their competition. I love and admire the Miss America Pageant for all the good it does and opportunities it presents in the lives of thousands of young women. However, I think Ms. Beaty perhaps failed to notice, the Miss America contestants are also "strutting in high heels" in tiny pieces of fabric called bikinis... It appears Ms. Beaty has decided God's standards on what makes one group legitimate while another is sinful.

In my own walk with the the Lord, the SS competition had to be considered prayerfully even in 1968 when we wore one piece swimsuits with panels that covered part of your legs. Each day of our lives as Christians, we must pray for God's guidance as we seek to serve Him with the opportunities He presents to us. It was the same with Ester... they prepared Ester's body for a year before she was presented to the king. Should she have said, "No... that is against God..." and missed the vital role God had for her in His divine plan? I don't think so.

Christian Beauty Queens can often be compared to Christian athletes. Some athletic games can appear barbaric, brutal and people are often injured. After some games, we see Christian athletes giving glory to God and their testimony. Many spectators have been led to salvation because of these testimonies. Should WE decide sports or pageants should be off limits because of our boxed thoughts? Ms. Beaty is being judgmental about programs I would venture she really doesn't know very much about.

When I prayed regarding the swimsuit competition in the 60's, my Lord gave me His permission to be involved. When I became Miss Georgia, singing "The Lord's Prayer", I had approximately 5 appearances per week in 27 states. God is so good and thank heavens doesn't work from our boxes! What wonderful opportunities He presented to witness for Christ. I had a chance to speak to thousands of people who would never enter the doors of a church. I emceed many local pageants. Before each one, I prayed with the contestants. When things happened to delay the show, and that happens often in volunteer-run locals, I used ad libs about my faith and Christ. After every single pageant, at least one young woman would come up and say, "You talked about Jesus like He is here now, not just a historical figure... tell me more." And after sharing with each of those young women, they prayed to receive Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that God allowed me to be in that wonderful position of honor to serve Him in this very way. I also believe that to be true in the case of Carrie Prejean, Miss California.

I have no idea how God plans to use Carrie. What I do know is that she has courage, strength of her convictions, and has been placed in a position to bring the Biblical teachings about a subject that is rapidly spreading in our nation. I thank God for her and will continue to pray for Carrie and her family. I will also pray for Ms. Beaty. I have to believe she is a fine Christian lady or she would not be a writer for Christianity Today. However, Jesus was very clear about His people not judging others... Check out Matthew 7 for starters... Would Ms. Beaty have been one of those about to stone the prostitute when Jesus said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone."?

Isn't God amazingly wonderful. He has the ability to work in so many ways we could not even conceive! And each of us are not called to the same task. As Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 12, we are a body of many parts. Each part has its purpose all for the common good. One person who is part of God's body should not criticize and judge another part of God's body simply because they are placed in a different role. God tells us clearly tells us to support each other, as when one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. May God bless, protect, and continue to use Carrie Prejean. And may she receive her greatest support from her Christian brothers and sisters!!! I do not want to believe that old saying "Christians are the only ones who eat their young..." Yucky! May we instead glorify God by working together as a loving body with motivations only to glorify Him!

Burma Davis Posey
Miss Georgia 1968 - Miss America Pageant Organization
Heathrow, Florida 32746

Posted By: Burma Davis Posey | April 23, 2009 1:50 PM

As a Christian, I am thrilled that Carrie stood up for her beliefs, but don't feel that Mr. Hilton should not be persecuted because of the question he wrote OR for the fact that she picked the question (yes, SHE picked the question tiro). It was a question. You can't fault any question, not even coming from the Devil himself. It is up to the person who answers for rising above. And she did falter-- she was obviously flustered and upset. The idea of the questions is to see how these young ladies answer-- will they continue gracefully? eloquently? And she just plain didn't.

Posted By: Elle Montalvo | April 23, 2009 2:34 PM

No, she picked HIM. Out of a hat. It was a loaded question and SHE happened to have picked him, who purposefully picked that question. Coincidence?

Posted By: Ali | April 23, 2009 4:40 PM

Well, I see in the irony in all this. There I was, at the gym, on the stationary bike, watching the beginning of the Miss USA contest on the TV in front of me. When the swimsuit competition came on, there I was, a bit verklempled, as I watched the men in the gym gawk at this delicious display of skin. Even as I try to get healthy and back into my size 10 jeans, the message of Miss USA is in my face...and I don't want in the "competition."

This isn't about standing up for Christ...according to her own words, Miss California, basically stood up for the way she was raised. Way to go, Mom and Dad.

Posted By: Cindy | April 23, 2009 6:02 PM

Oh please. This is a Christian woman who answered the question honestly. If you don't like the answer you "MAY" get, than don't ask the question.

I think this was an absolute disgrace that the question was even allowed to be asked. Christians have every right to stand firm (not lukewarm) to their beliefs. Marriage came from the Bible and the Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. Period.

It was the LAST time I'll be watching the Miss USA.

Posted By: Tyra | April 23, 2009 8:53 PM

Asking a question about same sex marriage at a Miss America pageant is out of place and bad form, just like Perez Hilton

Posted By: Nomad | April 23, 2009 9:27 PM

I personally don't care for pageants, but I think that's a personal choice. Christians need to put themselves in the public arena, and while I would not make her choice - nor could I considering my body - she did put herself out there as a Christian and I applaud her for that. Sorry, don't see the irony or the hypocrisy.

Posted By: alison | April 23, 2009 10:12 PM

Prejean has proven herself to be neither articulate (what is "opposite marriage"?) nor intelligent (she thinks it's OK to deny other Americans equal rights if that's how your parents raised you). We should not be surprised therefore to discover that someone who would blame her parents for her own bigotry is someone who also engages in sour-grapes sore-loser finger-pointing after failing to win.

She's an embarassment to not just Christians but to thinking people everywhere. I predict she'll end up with a career very similar to Anita Bryant's, another washed-up beaty queen who tried to parlay anti-gay prejudice into a career and watched as it backfired on her.

Posted By: beatrice81 | April 24, 2009 1:23 AM

christian were placed in every walks of life. miss carrie happened to be there. what important was the message. remember when elijah wanted to die and God told him there are many who are still faithful. remain to His word & i'm glad that Christians are not extinct today.Godbless

Posted By: andypadolina | April 24, 2009 1:29 AM

Ms. beaty gave a perspective on this issue that I did not, at first, consider.

I saw this story initially from the perspective of someone being called bigoted by, of all people, a bigot.

How can you rant and rave about someone having the temerity to speak their mind and share their opinion, while you are demanding your right to do both? I marvel that so many who are responding to this issue cannot see the hypocrisy in this.

Perez Hilton believes Carrie Prejean should not have said she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman only. She can believe that if she likes, but who gives her the right to say it, out loud on national television? Of course, he has the right to say he believes in same sex marriage wherever and to whomever, but for some reason, known only to him and those who agree with him, Carrie does not have that right.

Cal Thomas has a name for people like Hilton - Intoleristas.

However, Ms. Beaty raises a biblical issue which we ought not to dismiss out of hand. The question is should Christian young women display their bodies in pageants like these, which are determined primarily on physical looks and appearance? And if your answer is yes, as a Christian can you support it based on the Bible.

I say based on the Bible because for Christians, i.e. believers in and followers of Christ, the Bible is the sole basis for faith and practice. For the true believer it is never what I would do, or what I would allow my daughter to do, but does the Bible permit me to do it.

Although I support the answer Carrie gave, am proud of the answer, and would defend her right to give that answer, and although I would not stand in condemnation of her for entering the competition, I can see no biblical justification for Christian young women displaying themselves in any competition of this kind.

Someone raised the issue of the biblical account of Queen Esther. With all due respect there is no comparison between the two. Esther was not entered in a beauty pageant. She was selected against her will and the wishes of her ward by a despotic ruler for his malicious and prurient purposes, in a situation where to say no could in all likelihood have cost her and her family dearly.

Esther's was a life and death matter, and had absolutely nothing to do with beauty, glamour, nor search for fame and fortune.

Posted By: Steve Skeete | April 24, 2009 6:27 AM

Calling Miss Prejean inarticulate or unintelligent is quite unfair. Knowing, as she must have, the social and political implications of her answer, and the fact that any answer will infuriate someone, she went with the answer that comes from her upbringing. Balancing all those considerations in a few seconds, while teetering on 4 inch heels, is quite a feat. You try it.

Posted By: Usbek de Perse | April 24, 2009 10:50 AM

Anyone having been in the position as she found herself, and allows the public approval by the likes of Hannity will not realize the respect she is seeking.

If Donald Trump was in fact rubbing his hands in glee at this very verbose public response of approval/disagreement his only needed to satisfy HIS business needs. She has lost the contest twice in one week.

The Miss USA Contest has NEVER been held in high regard in terms of being mainstream America. The history of Miss USA has always been on the fringe of tawdry.

Miss America contestant requirements always strive to meet the ultimate in terms of mainstream America expectations.

Posted By: Juan | April 24, 2009 7:49 PM

A 20 something Asian's perspective :

I've been sharing Ms. Katelyn Beaty's observation since the first time I learned of the story. Sometimes it's mind boggling how Christian women could 'trash' the value of their bodies by deliberately exposing their 2 B's (Breasts & Behind ) around. And for a Christian girl to 'parade' on a stage,nearly totally exposed her most intimate organ, does not match the values God wants us to uphold. WWJ have D ? He would have covered up his eyes, may be ?

Posted By: Liz | April 24, 2009 11:49 PM

Those who publicly stand up for morality should at least be wearing clothes while they do it. Family values groups like Concerned Women for America have been sending out press releases saying how "proud" they were of Carrie. Well, that's sad. Near nakedness in public is a sign of a culture in moral collapse. Family values activist groups have become so obsessed with morality in Babylon that they've failed to see how bad things are among even professing Christian young women. This is inconsistent and sends a message to young Christian girls that they should all be judged by their bodies, and that standing in front of a drag queen like Perez Hilton for his judgment on their "beauty" is a Christian thing to do. God help us. It's not. God's view on beauty always has run counter to the world's idea of it.

Posted By: Ingrid | April 25, 2009 4:12 PM

Of course these pageants are inconsistent with Christian modesty. But in the midst of that compromise this young woman summoned the courage to speak the uncomfortable truth to an unexpected question. I would suggest some grace in appreciating a small victory offered by this woman who has not as yet seen her compromise but was willing to lose a contest rather than say something contrary to her beliefs.

I am sure the only perfect victory took place on Calvary.

Posted By: Rick Frueh | April 25, 2009 8:58 PM

Re: The poster who asked "What on earth is a gay judge doing judging a heterosexual event?" Gay men like women as people, they just aren't sexually attracted to them. Ironically, that is probably the very reason they picked a gay judge, because he is one of the few men who could look at the contestants objectively and not as sex objects.

Posted By: Tenerife | April 25, 2009 10:18 PM

For Burma Davis Posey Miss Georgia 1968: the article isn't justifying Miss America - which is indeed of the same ilk - it was merely pointing out that there wasn't even a talent portion for Miss USA, making 100% vs 90% sex-based. And your justifications for strutting nearly nude are just that - justifications. It is highly immoral for women to wear the attire they do today for swimming or strutting their skin because it is only about tempting men. The Bible tells us to dress modestly, not display your wares. you said you asked God and He said it was okay - I can guarantee that God doesn't contradict Himself and it wasn't God who said it was okay, rather it was yourself.

Alison rants about anti-gay prejudice and unequal rights. There is no prejudice about it. It is a matter of what God has commanded - no homosexual behavior. Gays DO have equal rights in everything. They can even marry members of the opposite sex. They can make legal contracts and wills to afford themselves of almost every thing else. But nothing is ever 100% equal, nor is it legally required to be.

Posted By: Glenn E. Chatfield | April 26, 2009 8:47 AM

Correction to previous: I ascribe a post to Alison that should have been to beatrice81. I thought the name above the post what the author. Sorry about that!

Posted By: Glenn E. Chatfield | April 26, 2009 9:49 AM

I can understand that a commercial enterprise like the Miss USA pageant wishes to avoid the appearance of bigotry; that a political litmus test that excludes traditional Christians is not included in the things to be avoided for that reason is regrettable. The article does make a valid point that a beauty pageant is perhaps an odd place for a devout Christian, although in today's world beauty pageants seem tame and harmless. Perhaps what Christians should ask themselves is if it is appropriate to be concerned with laws permitting same-sex "marriage" while abortion remains legal. Perhaps it seems that this fight is lost, but it is a fight were lives are at stake.

Posted By: John Savard | April 26, 2009 3:19 PM

I was beginning to feel like a lone ranger in questioning that a Christian woman should parade her body before the world and then speak of Christian ethics. I think there is a blindness there and while I do agree with Prejean on her stance regarding homosexual marriages, it would've been served better and gained more credence had she said it in a different forum and not have been part of this 'seduction of the saints'. I believe the Lord is pulling back veils to reveal what thet true church of Jesus Christ should be, a pure bride unstained by the world and walking in holiness.

Posted By: jean | April 26, 2009 7:20 PM

Is no small problem for girls and women, after parading around in front of an audience of thousands or millions. With an outfit that leaves them 90 percent naked or 10 % dressed. Depending on the eye of the beholder. To be able to explain their opinion in stronger and less confusing terms on this subject matter.

To her credit she did the best she could under the cirmcumstances that she choose to place herself. However it is not a "great" thing that americans can choose one way or the other; It is a disgrace, a shame.

This is what the Scriptures say: Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Prov. 14:34. Better luck next time around. Homosexuality is a filthy Sin, but sin is Sin and whether is that or Adultery, Fornication, Murder, Theft or Idolatry.

A woman dressed only at 10% of her body has a very short rule to measure. But that is the way this Greco-Roman culture works. Too bad this has taken the form and shape of a Charade in some so called ""christian"" circles.

Posted By: Salero21 | April 26, 2009 8:18 PM

re. the notion in the article that beauty pageants make vulnerable young women feel devalued when they dont measure up to standardised perfection: you dont make ugly girls feel better by making beautiful girls feel worse. beauty is beauty - these days its true everyone wants to be beautiful, clever, rich, successful but the truth is only a few proportionately will be genuinely gifted at the top end. it is statistically inaccurate for everygirl to be expected to be miss america any more than every singer to be leona lewis and like the endless stream of talentless wannabes queueing for american idol, girls need to accept their own limitations if they are to like and accept themselves, and if they are to be generous enough to respect and admire those with more booty. are you to abolish american idol, an elitist singing contest because the masses of applicants cannot sing a note? pageants like any other contest celebrate the best of whatever is being contested. singing, sport, IQ, whatever. it is interesting how often now in the media plain or extraordinarily unattractive women are hailed as stunners or even contracted as spuermodels when a bygone era may not have celebrated the below par so readily. its the age of everyman trying to give the impression of being someone by whatever standards matter most to us as social currency. cant afford designer, then you can buy affordable fakes. women should stop being affordable fakes and be themselves. self esteem is from within, adn without, but its what you got that counts - put the self into self-esteem and stop thinking unless youre the best, youre not good enough. if less gifted women were not so competitive they would not need to cry for the beauty contest to end amongst more gifted women. the ugly sisters need to know when the prince and the crown and the title is not for them and stop trying to squeeze into invisible shoes that can never fit. the olympics cannotend because it may make some impressionable men and women feel they need to take anabolic steroids to be physically fit and on top of their game. they need to accept they will probably never be in top of their game, theyre not olympian athletes. there maybe degrees of approximation to excellence and we must all try to best our abilities. but in a society obssessed with excellence for all,mediocracy is feted and standards lowered so that we compete for ideals we can likely never reach - and get rewarded for less. we think we are better than we are which is a biblical 'sin'. it is wrong to delude women about their appearance and advertising does it all the time with the notion that womens birthright is beauty in a cynical exploitation of beauty and lack of it...just buy the cream, live the dream. dont.
however, in contrast, there is a terrible anti beauty movement in some church cultures with a puritan like devalueing of beauty, beautification and the outward flesh. fact is, God made a stunning physical world and of women, some have been made with extraordinary beauty. this is documented notably in the bible where some heroic figures like king david, solomon, joseph, daniel, esther, bathsheba, rebecca and others have remarkable physical attributes of beauty which is part of their human experience and story. it is true that when david was to be selected from amongst his brothers, it was said, God does not look at the things man looks at the outward - but nevertheless, david, the leader, is described as the handsomest of his brothers.

some church culture continues to do a great deal of harm in sexuality, how it treats women, the sensual and in the suppression of beauty to the point of uglification as godly. this is to miss the point of the artist that God is and the scientist that he is in crafting together some, in fact, many humans with remarkable minds, faces or bodies. lets not knock beauty, emulate it, or decry it but just praise God for his marvellous creation.

I dont know if it is anti Christian necessarily to enter a beauty pageant, to celebrate it in a contest, perhaps, why not, and if this is what God would permit for an individual. but I really would not criticise her for that. she made it her witness stand. she may or may not have dealt with it in the best way or been the best person to speak on gay marriage but she was there and she did and maybe it needed to be done and it was brave definitely to take a stand for her beliefs knowing the potential cost, irrespective of whether you agree with her. the more christians who share her views who enter these contests, the less of a scandal it will be when asked that question, the less likely it will become a big deal as beautiful american women refuse to condone homosexual marriage instead of being silenced by secular culture for fear of being shunned or losing the contest. i dont know what kinds of contest that girl was in but she did contest more than her beauty, what was inside.

Posted By: narcot | April 26, 2009 9:51 PM

1Ti 2:9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modest and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness--with good works.

"Has God lowered His standard—to meet these evil times? Is it permissible or expedient for me to compromise because the present generation is so lax and carnal? Do not the days in which our lot is cast, call for a clearer drawing of the line between the Church and the world?" (A.W. Pink)

We must obey what GOD says and its NOT OPTIONAL. Truth is absolute and its knowable. Scripture is clear on this issue and SO clear that my kids get what modesty is.

Gal 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

I'd like to add that taking a stand for traditional marriage does not reveal faith in Jesus Christ, because even a Mormon, a Roman Catholic, or a Jehovah's Witness or Muslim will do that.

"I believe that one reason why the church at this present moment has so little influence over the world, is because the world has so much influence over the church! Nowadays, we hear professors pleading that they may do this, and do that--that they may live like worldlings. My sad answer to them, when they crave this liberty is, "Do it if you dare. It may not cost you much hurt, for you are so bad already. Your cravings show how rotten your hearts are. If you are hungering after such dogs food--go dogs, and eat the garbage!" – Spurgeon

Posted By: Denise | April 26, 2009 10:15 PM

I`ll use Adam and Eve to make a point. Adam and Eve ate fruit from a tree they were told not too, and having sinned they saw they were NAKED....they took fig leafs and sewed them together to make themselfs BIKINI`S to hide thier NAKEDNESS..(sin)

But GOD seen it was not nearly enough to cover their sins and he killed an animal for the blood sacrafice and took the skin to make them COATS to cover thier sins.....

the bikini isnt enough covering but christ is, but he exspects us to take the whole covering and not just a fig leaf.

Just a thought; do you think maybe none of us should be wearing bikini`s...how about it men....and one more thing, i wonder if it would be to crazy to think that maybe no one is to be wearing Jeans, they are very form fitting and back then they wore dresses, robes, coats. whatever you want to call them, one thing is for sure, once we got away from them, look at how the dress code has changed....Peace and God Bless...

Posted By: steven | April 27, 2009 12:11 AM

Christianity Today, I admonish you to consider the photos you use in your stories. Here we are talking about the sinfulness of these women's (lack of) dress is, and how tempting it is to men, and yet, you feature a picture of them on your website as the inset photo. I believe that is in bad taste. A godly man attempting to read this article will be greeted by a tempting and unwelcome picture. We will be held accountable for causing others to stumble--whether or not those people are Christians. We should not have to worry about seeing women in bikinis on a Christian website.

Posted By: sarah | April 27, 2009 8:40 AM

Re: Sarah's comment about the picture choice for this post: Thanks for pointing out a possible contradiction in railing against the objectification of women's bodies in beauty pageants while choosing a picture that does just that. However, it seemed necessary to show visually how sleazy these beauty pageants are; also, the quality and tone of the chosen picture are clearly not meant to arouse, but rather to demonstrate. I hope this came across clearly to other readers.

Posted By: Katelyn Beaty | April 27, 2009 8:52 AM

What do you wear to the beach?

Posted By: Anonymous | April 27, 2009 9:33 AM

Good intentions + sin = sin. There is no justification for enticing the lust of the flesh. There is no great moral advantage for promoting "class" and "poise". That is not one of the fruits of the spirit. Who says we should celebrate physical fitness and beauty? We should be good stewards of our bodies, but the sheer idolatry of appearance that is encouraged by such pagentry makes any possible good that can come from it about as viable as a gospel message given at the end of a pornographic video.

The problem is that proper perspectives will not exist until your perspectives are based on scripture and not what you want. The Donald Trump owned Miss USA is a gawk-fest for men and teen boys and a image worship field-day for women and girls, consumed with appearance.

Donald Trump is the owner or of several gambling establishments with all the sinful trimmings of scantily dressed show girls and whatever else that goes with that. This pageant is a marketing tool for him because sex sells. It is also likely that he uses it to recruit employees to his establishments.

You might enjoy this "prettied-up" version of a strip club that you can watch in the privacy of your own home. I, however, do not. I'd just bet you'd be kind-of uncomfortable if they showed this program in your church on Sunday morning. What do you think Christ would think of it? (Respoding to Lauren)

Posted By: Patrick | April 27, 2009 10:10 AM

I believe every woman in the competition should have been asked the same question. I believe it was a trap by a godless homosexual to aid his agenda.

Posted By: Ann Allen | April 27, 2009 11:02 AM

Katelyn: I do understand the intentions of posting the picture were not to arouse or tempt. However, my concern is much less about the "objetification of women's bodies" and more about not putting a stumbling block in front of our Christian brothers' (or even the unsaved)eyes and hearts. We ALL know exactly what women in bikinis look like. I don't think a picture is necessary. I know for a fact that if my husband had followed the link I did in order to read the story, he would have been very upset about seeing the very type of picture he works so hard to avoid seeing. I think it is somewhat selfish for us women to be up in arms about how it "objectifies" us. Men in sin are always going to objectify women's bodies. There is nothing we can do about that. They need to be saved and their hearts needs to be changed. It is foolish to think men aren't going to think sinfully about women if there are no pageants (I'm not saying it's OK, but nothing will change that except the power of Jesus Christ). All that to say that I do not believe there is any reason to use this picture, especially when the target audience is Christians--many of whom are men that are hopefully carefully guarding their hearts and minds. Women are painfully ignorant about the way men's minds work. Even the best of them struggle, and I'm telling you emphatically that this picture is plenty enough to arouse thoughts and desires, even against their will, regardless of Christianity Today's "intent."

Posted By: Sarah | April 27, 2009 12:38 PM

Just as much as there may be a homosexual agenda (to obtain marriage rights) there is also an "opposite" agenda: to squelch those rights. Just as much as Miss CA had the right of free speech to answer the way she did, Perez Hilton has the freedom to ask the question - and apparently the permission from Miss USA competition to ask it, too. He acted like a spoiled baby when he didn't get the answer he wanted, but if you've ever been to his website, this is typical. He is a rather vile person, criticising female celebrities for having a hint of a fat roll or for wearing ugly shoes. He "outs" celebrities who he thinks are gay without their consent. He isn't showing the best face for the gay community with this stunt either - he's making a circus out of a serious issue.

Posted By: SJ | April 27, 2009 1:04 PM

Sarah,
As I a guy I have to say that the photo accompanying the article is nothing to worry about. It is so small and indefinite that one has to REALLY be scrutinizing to get any sexual stimulation out of it. It this sort of photo would bother your husband, I'd be worried about how he reacts to the way women dress on a daily basis. Was the photo needed? No. Is it tittilating? Absolutely not.

SJ: you said there is a "opposite agenda" to squelch the rights to "homosexual marriage." Excuse me, but there are no such rights to begin with. "Homosexual marriage" is an oxymoron - it doesn't exist. The attempts to force societal acceptance by the redefinition of the word "marriage" does not thereby make it a right. Homosexual marriage is a lie, and 100,000 people telling a lie does not make it true.

Posted By: Glenn E. Chatfield | April 27, 2009 5:05 PM

As soon as I saw the television picture of this young lady in a teeny weeny bikini....my heart sank. When she walked and then paused, it seemed to me she was "strutting her stuff." Surely this was a most inappropriate place to be for a
Christian woman. Lord, help us all....we have forgotten how to blush.

Posted By: Anonymous | April 27, 2009 6:25 PM

Glenn,
You are foolish to speak on behalf of all men. I don't know anything about your personal walk with the Lord or your efforts to remain pure. Perhaps this picture is not offensive to you because you see worse things than this on a daily basis? Just a thought.

I don't appreciate your remarks about my husband. How presumptuous. In fact, my husband is a very godly man who strives--STRIVES--to remain pure and undefiled. We watch hardly any moveis, and the ones we do are mainly Christian. We have no cable TV. And a filter on our computer. You cannot speak for all men, because I know plenty of men who are actually trying, and I know they would not like this picture. Men who "poo-poo" the notion that this or that could be tempting are often the ones who are desensitized to the flesh and have not come to terms with their own thought life. I absolutely do not believe that a man who is not guarded would not take the time to scrutinize the picture. Men need no help thinking lustful thoughts.

My husband WAS in sexual sin and has gone to GREAT lengths, and our family has sacrificed much, to SUBMIT HIMSELF to the LORDSHIP of JESUS CHRIST. This isn't about "bouncing our eyes." This is about taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. That being said, if you're making decisions based solely on how YOU would react to something, that is not Biblical. Scripture admonishes you to consider your brother. Let me ask you this: why would you defend a picture of women in nothing but their underwear? What good could it possibly lead to? Why not practice discernment and concern for your Christian family--without making assumptions and accusations about their character, when you know nothing about either?

Posted By: Sarah | April 28, 2009 8:13 AM

Anonymous,

Your comments definitely line up with what the Bible says: this was inappropriate for a Christian. The big problem with these pageants is that every women is compelled to, as you wrote, "strut her stuff" in order to be competitive. My wife and I believe the Bible does not allow women to compete in these events because of this part in which a woman has to expose herself, which causes men to stumble. And because she said she's a Christian, it also brings shame unto the name of Christ. But like I wrote yesterday, we don't know, only God knows, if she is a Christian or not. Many people who attend churches don't know what being a real Christian is, so it's so important to return to biblical evangelism. Christians do sometimes fall into sin (Romans 6) and that is why we need to examine ourselves daily (2 Corinthians 13:5). Any who names the name of Christ (male or female) who exposes his or her body in public is in great danger (Matthew 7:21-23 and 13:41-42).

Posted By: andy | April 28, 2009 9:29 AM

I commented to my husband on the irony of the whole situation when it happened. For a professing Christian young woman to be involved in the pageants in the first place seems counter-intuitive. Although I'm glad she said what she did, I cannot imagine my daughter walking around the house [not]dressed like that in front of her own brothers, much less across a stage in front of the whole world.

Posted By: Stacey | April 28, 2009 11:56 AM

I'll try this again...

My pastor and I are grieved about this situation. To make matters worse, a host of a supposed Christian talk radio show asked a Concerned Women for America (CWFA) spokesperson to help get Carrie for an interview. He’s touting her as some type of role model, but the Bible instructs Christian women to be chaste and commands them not to expose their bodies in public. Many professing Christians find nothing wrong with Christian women parading around half naked in front of men because they don’t know what God says about this.

Ingrid, you’re right. Appearing half naked in public disqualifies Christians from using the Bible as a reference until they repent towards God and bear the fruit of repentance. CWFA is dead wrong for saying how “proud” they were of Carrie. The only type of encouragement Carrie needs right now is to repent and obey God.

Jean, my wife and I also feel like lone rangers in the landscape of Christendom. Most people in churches are afraid to speak up. Christians cannot parade their bodies before the world and then speak of Christian ethics. The two can never harmonize. Yes, we all need to walk in holiness and that includes not causing others to stumble.

Denise, thank you for the applicable verses and invaluable quotes. For years, my wife and I have noticed that modesty is not being preached. By and large, pastors are afraid to touch on the subject. I agree, having morals doesn’t matter if the person has not surrendered to the One who has set this standard. To paraphrase a line from the film Time Changer, ‘Without Christ, people with good morals will go to hell.’ Yes, the “modern church” is so worldly because there’s no fear of the Lord.

We need to return to biblical evangelism and biblical preaching. I don’t know if Carrie Prejean is a Christian or not. If she is, she needs to repent and forsake this particular sin and make her call and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). If she is not a Christian, I pray she will hear the whole counsel of God.

Posted By: andy | April 28, 2009 1:54 PM

I don't understand why this controversy is so significant. Sean Penn was once someone who was considered a not quite so morally upstanding guy, yet when he said he was for gay rights, he suddenly was supported by all the gay rights activitists.

Posted By: David | April 28, 2009 3:01 PM

This is what Ingrid noted on April 25th. Concerned Women for America (CWA) posted this:

Dear CWA Member,
Miss California Carrie Prejean answered a question in the Miss USA contest. Asked if states should allow same-sex "marriage" she responded, "I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman."
And for that, Hollywood and homosexual activists are viciously attacking her.
Her stand on marriage cost her the crown.
Perez Hilton, the judge and homosexual gossip columnist who asked the question, has called Carrie filthy names and posted a doctored pornographic picture of her on his website. Celebrity TV host Giuliana Rancic wrote "I know i'm [sic] a journalist, and i [sic] should be objective ... but she is an ignorant disgrace and she makes me sick to my stomach."
How has Carrie responded? With grace and love.
This 21-year-old Christian has not backed down and has not lost an opportunity to speak boldly of her faith.
Appearing on the Today Show, she said, "I was ready for my question, and when I heard it from (Perez), I knew at that moment after I'd answered the question, I knew that I was not going to win because of my answer. Because I had spoken from my heart, for my beliefs and for my God. ... It's not about being politically correct, for me, it's about being Biblically correct."
When asked on MSNBC about Perez's attacks, she stated, "I can only say to him that I will be praying for him. I feel sorry for him, I really do. I think he's angry, I think he's hurt."
Thrust into the red-hot glare of the spotlight, Carrie has not withered. She has become a young role model for those who desire to live out their Biblical beliefs — and of what happens to those who dare to declare the truth that marriage is one man and one woman.
We are so proud of her. So we tracked down a way to send her e-mails of encouragement. It wasn't too hard for us because she attends San Diego Christian College — a college that was founded by the husband of CWA's founder Beverly LaHaye.
Would you show your appreciation for Carrie Prejean and her bold stand for marriage and God?

And this is what I sent, [Subject] The Only Encouragement I Can Give:

Please understand I am writing this with a heavy heart. I believe you are wrong on this issue. If Miss Prejean is a Christian, she should not be encouraged, but rather pleaded with to repent. The pageant requires women to expose their bodies in public which is sin. I pray you will take this to the Lord in prayer.

Now if Carrie Prejean is a “baby Christian,” perhaps she doesn’t know what God says about modesty. This is what I would send to Carrie Prejean:

Your statement that marriage should be between and a man a woman is commendable, but if you are a Christian, as much as it pains me to tell you, you must repent. You may have had good intentions, but these pageants require something that is ungodly. It doesn’t matter what I or anyone says, but God says exposing your body in public is sin (1 Timothy 2:9-10—9 that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works). Your actions have caused many men to stumble and you must forsake this sin. (Romans 14:21—It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.)

It’s not too late—you can repent. Christians may fall into sin (Romans 6), but willfully continuing in it is extremely dangerous (Matthew 7:21-23 and 13:41-42).

I must examine myself to see if I am in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5) and I must make my call and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).

Please, ask God to search your heart.

I have added Bible verses below.

2 Timothy 2:19—Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Matthew 7:21-23—21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Matthew 13:41-42—41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 3:8—Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.

1 John 3:10—In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

1 Peter 4:17—For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

John 12:46—[Jesus said] “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”

Romans 12:1-2—1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

James 4:4—Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Romans 13:12—The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Ephesians 5:11—And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Ephesians 5:8—For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

2 Corinthians 7:1—Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:22—Abstain from every form of evil.

Philippians 2:12—Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

2 Peter 2:20—For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

Ephesians 4:17-24—This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Hebrews 10:26-31—For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 12:28-29—Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Posted By: andy | April 28, 2009 3:59 PM

Sarah, I don't pretend to speak for all men, but that photo is so tiny that one has to look really close to get anything out of it other than the idea that women are wearing not a whole lot. I stand by my charge that if that tiny picture tempts someone to lust, then their problem is a lot deeper than that. I am certainly not desensitized to nudity and I abhor the lack of modesty most women present in society. But in order to see much of anything in that photo posted on this site one has to intentionally stare at it with magnification (which most likely would distort and blur the image)! I don't defend posting the photo, what I contend is that it is any great temptation for anything. In THIS instance I think you over-reacted.

Posted By: Glenn E. Chatfield | April 28, 2009 5:15 PM

WOW!!!!!! After reading all of these comments I am amazed and somewhat apalled at some of the things that have been said. As Christians, we should be encouraging and praying for one another instead of bashing one another. That's what we have the rest of the world for. Where's the grace, people? I seem to remember the Bible saying something about "no condemnation for those who are in Christ" (Romans 8:1)yet many of you have railed against this young woman and even questioned her relationship with God. Whether you agree with the venue that Carrie Prejean chose or not, she had an opportunity to speak for God and she did it. How many of us take those opportunities that are given us and use them fully? How dare we sit and blog (gossip) about her choices! Our job is to encourage and lift one another up - stop talking and pray! If God is displeased with Miss Prejean's clothing choices, let Him be God and let the Holy Spirit do His job! As for those who believe we should return to biblical teaching and precepts, please don't forget that we have been ALL saved by grace (Eph. 2:5). The rigid teaching of the law has caused more than one person to turn away from God. It astounds me that we sit here and talk about her need to repent, but do not look at our own. Has anyone stopped to think of the example that we show to the world when we speak of one of our own so harshly? Just because this is a Christian site doesn't mean the world doesn't see it. No wonder so many non-believers are confused and turned off by our mixed message of love and grace. It seems to be hard to find.

Posted By: Sharai | April 28, 2009 5:22 PM

Christianity Today, I admonish you to consider the photos you use in your stories. Here we are talking about the sinfulness of these women's (lack of) dress is, and how tempting it is to men, and yet, you feature a picture of them on your website as the inset photo. I believe that is in bad taste. A godly man attempting to read this article will be greeted by a tempting and unwelcome picture. We will be held accountable for causing others to stumble--whether or not those people are Christians. We should not have to worry about seeing women in bikinis on a Christian website.

steve honey. you need to get help if you think that women are to blame for men stumbling. you need to take responsiblity for how you manage your own sexuality. a woman can stand stark naked next to you, thats no reason to stumble. or fumble. lets face it, if some men are that lusty to be tempted to what?! by a photo of a woman in a bikini - in the body God created her in stark naked in fact - they have some problems. such men would get turned on by a woman in a hessian sack. grow up. men and women are aroused by each other all the time for centuries even in puritan black from head to foot. many men as a normal part of mating mentally undressing women and have fantasies as do women. this is normal and healthy if it is part of a mutual developing relationship though not at all if it is unwanted, unsolicited and unwelcome attention. but self control, a fruit of the spirit is applicable to sex as much as anything else and comes from within not from other people acting on you to help you by not wearing bathing suits. God can help you to stare at apples without being tempted - you are responsible for that - dont be like adam and blame eve - the woman made me do it - even God wasnt buying that - it was from adam he wanted the account for his actions - and only after both had sinned he got them to cover up. seek the solution out between yourself and God. not from women. ive seen christian nuns look and move in a way that could be attractive to some man, despite the modest clothing. sexuality and clothing is a personal response and can occur to any stimulous. women and men wiht not much on is great if theyre fit & comely. to be celebrated, its natural.

Posted By: Anonymous | April 28, 2009 6:05 PM

ps. the first paragraph of the above post is a quote from an earlies post by 'steve' with a response to that beneath.

Posted By: Anonymous | April 28, 2009 6:09 PM

anonymous, steve didn't post that. I did.
Glenn, we can agree to disagree. If me admonishing other Christians to consider other Christians is over-reacting, then I give up. It MIGHT cause a man to stumble who is free from all that garbage, then to see it in a weak moment could stimulate the urge to look. But, who cares. If they can't handle it "it's their problem," even if they are doing all they can to overcome the flesh by the Spirit and have far to go before they can be living in victory. Forget them. Everything is permissible, right?

Anonymous, I'm not even going to address what you said. It's so far off base of even mainstream christian living that to argue with you at this point is going to accompish nothing. My address was to CHRISTIANITY TODAY. I am dissapointed, though not surprised, to find it's readership as apathetic as it is...along with the vast majority of the PROFESSING church.

Posted By: sarah | April 29, 2009 10:47 AM

Sarah, I was immersed in pornography until the day I became a Christian, and it was not an easy thing to walk away from; I struggled for quite some time. But even in my deepest pit that tiny photo wouldn't have even caught my eye.

My point is not to defend the use of the photo - I think it was in bad taste and inappropriate. But to say that tiny out-of-focus shot would cause someone to stumble is highly over-reactive. The fact that you made such an issue of it was the problem I had with your comments.

As for those who think this was gossiping about Carrie: no, it was making an observation that those who are holding her up as some kind of a hero should look at what she is representing. Yes, it was courageous of her to make her comments about marriage, but her Christian message was compromised by her activities. All we are pointing out is the need for discernment in our Christian walk. It is not gossip to discuss a matter in the news as to how it should affect us and our walk.

Posted By: Glenn E. Chatfield | April 29, 2009 6:06 PM

Glenn,

You're right; her Christian message was compromised by her activities.

And because of her recent ad for The National Organization for Marriage (which is a nonprofit, but not Christian organization), don’t be surprised if Concerned Women for America or other “Christian” organizations start having her as a guest, including those on the airwaves. I also expect “churches” to get on the bandwagon and feature her as a guest speaker. I have seen this happen with musical artists and athletes. Some were quick to give them a platform without observing their lifestyles to see if there was any bad fruit. Since public near nakedness is bad fruit, we can pray that Miss Prejean repents and admits she was wrong before she starts appearing on these venues.

Posted By: andy | April 30, 2009 12:09 PM

I don't believe that "beauty" pageants of any kind can really be glorifying to God. This focus on the outward appearance is dangerous, as it takes our attention away from the truly important: the heart. I really don't think that it is appropriate for ANY Christian woman (or non-Christian for that matter) to put her body on display in a bikini for millions of people to ogle. Now, every person's standards of what qualifies as "modest" may be different, but I really can't believe that anyone could ever say that a string bikini is modest with a straight face.

As I have gotten older (now in my 30s), I have become more concerned about dressing modestly. I readily confess that as an 16-21 year old girl I wore immodest clothing, especially bathing suits. Maturity has given me a different perspective. I suspect that may be true for most of us. Hopefully, younger women have older women (or parents!) in their lives who can GENTLY instruct them in the importance of modesty. I know that I would certainly be having a serious conversation with my adult daughter were she to choose to participate in something like a beauty pageant or to wear clearly inappropriate clothing (if you can even call a bikini clothing). While she is a child, however, I simply wouldn't allow it.

Posted By: Robyn | April 30, 2009 12:39 PM

Robyn,

Thank God you have become more concerned about dressing modestly. We found that most professing Christians are offended when modesty is brought up. They think it is legalism. Much of today’s modern church prefers style over modesty, which is a sad indictment of how much of “the world” has crept into the church. Family Life Ministries has a great Modesty Checklist. It really asks Christian women some tough questions, but it’s what God requires.

Posted By: andy | April 30, 2009 1:25 PM

Thanks, Andy. I think I found that checklist and I really, REALLY like it! It is very reasonable and thoughtful. (http://www.familylife.com/atf/cf/%7B8E975F2E-4C1C-4315-AAFF-34A97EB367B5%7D/modestycheck.pdf)

Also, just a quick aside, God also requires modesty of men, I believe, although it doesn't seem to be quite as big of an issue for them ;-)

Posted By: Robyn | April 30, 2009 4:28 PM

Robyn,

I'm glad you found it. You're right, modesty applies to men too!

Posted By: andy | April 30, 2009 5:22 PM

Sharai: (regarding your commented below)... I agree that we need to encourage one another and praying for one another, but in good works....not the deceptive works of darkness that parade themselves as 'wholesome'. think of this - would this woman stand before the throne of God as she was dressed that night and not feel shame? it's pretty simple, really. We've complicated what holiness is inorder to accomodate our wickedness. Remember what happened when Paul confronted sexual immorality in one of the churches? He ADMONISHED the church to JUDGE the matter and reminded them that they will judge angels someday, so why aren't you doing it now? This is not eternal judgement, this is judgement to bring about a sinner brother or sister and to identify evil from good. You would do the same to a child you love, correction, admonishment, exhortating, teaching and preaching, forgiving and showing mercy. ALL of it, not just some of it. Also realize that Jesus was accused of being judgement when He called out sin for what it was and it was to those who professed to be religious. How about the turning of the tables, for instance? That could've seemed like an acceptable thing, after all people wanting to give money needed change, right? but the Lord looks much deeper and into the motives. Prejean probably wasn't on the beauty pageant to espouse her religious beliefs. We should forgive her. I do hope that she realizes the irony of what's she done with what she's said and confesses THAT before the world, hallelujah! now that is something I would applaud her for. That would be humbling and right in God's eyes. Maybe she would cause a lot of women in the church who are blinded to seductive clothes wearing to have their eyes opened. I mean that sincerely....and yes, we all fall short but we shouldn't make excuses for our sins and wrong doings, but rather be humble enough to accept correction and repentance.

Sharia's comments were : WOW!!!!!! After reading all of these comments I am amazed and somewhat apalled at some of the things that have been said. As Christians, we should be encouraging and praying for one another instead of bashing one another. That's what we have the rest of the world for. Where's the grace, people? I seem to remember the Bible saying something about "no condemnation for those who are in Christ" (Romans 8:1)yet many of you have railed against this young woman and even questioned her relationship with God. Whether you agree with the venue that Carrie Prejean chose or not, she had an opportunity to speak for God and she did it. How many of us take those opportunities that are given us and use them fully? How dare we sit and blog (gossip) about her choices! Our job is to encourage and lift one another up - stop talking and pray! If God is displeased with Miss Prejean's clothing choices, let Him be God and let the Holy Spirit do His job! As for those who believe we should return to biblical teaching and precepts, please don't forget that we have been ALL saved by grace (Eph. 2:5). The rigid teaching of the law has caused more than one person to turn away from God. It astounds me that we sit here and talk about her need to repent, but do not look at our own. Has anyone stopped to think of the example that we show to the world when we speak of one of our own so harshly? Just because this is a Christian site doesn't mean the world doesn't see it. No wonder so many non-believers are confused and turned off by our mixed message of love and grace. It seems to be hard to find.

Posted By: Sharai | April 28, 2009 5:22 PM

Posted By: jean | April 30, 2009 5:59 PM

Gay people are "gay". You can pass all of the hateful, anti-gay legislation you want and they will still be gay. Gay's getting married won't make your children gay. I personally don't care what gay people do. If you believe God is judge then let God be the judge. Having said that, I believe that Miss Prejean has every right to her opinion and if they didn't want to know her honest opinion they shouldn't have asked. Even though I don't agree with her I respect her right to her opinion.

Posted By: Thomas | May 1, 2009 11:07 PM

Sure, Miss Prejean has a right to her opinion. And we have the right to regard her opinions as ignorant and bigoted. If she were to opine that heterosexual Christians should be denied the right to marry, I doubt if too many folks would be praising her 'honesty' or defending her right to express her opinion.

Prejean is free to hold whatever beliefs she wants. The point at which she attempts to strip or deny equal rights from other Americans, however, is the point at which I will vigorously oppose her.

Posted By: beatrice81 | May 2, 2009 1:21 AM

So if we desire to pass legislation that says marriage is between one woman and one man - as it always has been defined - then that is "hateful"????

"Ignorant and bigoted"? Well, those who practice homosexual behavior are the ones who are bigoted against anyone who dares to say it is a perversion of the use of the human body, and a perversion of human sexuality as designed by God. Everyone who practices homosexual behavior knows in their heart that they are doing something wrong, immmoral and against God. And yet it is they who want to force society to accept it in order for them to justify their perverse behavior.

Posted By: Glenn E. Chatfield | May 2, 2009 3:13 PM

God told Josea to marry a prostitute to get His point across. Come on Christians! Why is it so inconceivable that God would not go to the same lengths in the case of Ms. Prejean? Even if that is not the case, what about God's grace? Have we forgotten that it (grace) abounds and trumps sin regardless of the situation? We are to be as gracious and forgiving as God, just as Jesus instructed the disciples to do when He showed them how to pray ("...forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us...").

That does not mean we condone sin of any kind or have to approve of actions that are deemed questionable, but we are to extend grace and mercy, rather than verbally crucify the character of others. When we resort to the latter, we sound as bigoted and self-righteous as our accusers claim.

Ms. Prejean had the guts not only to speak what was in her heart when it mattered most, but she also had the guts to enter the pageant knowing she might be ostracized by the Christian community who is supposed to love her--not stone her. While I do not agree with her choice to enter the pageant, I do applaud her courage in both matters, and her ability to withstand criticism from both arenas.

Let those who have not sinned cast the first stone.

Posted By: GodsTruthReigns | May 3, 2009 8:53 AM

Please remember that God telling Hosea to marry a prostitute wasn't because He was pleased with prostitution, just the opposite - He used her as a sign of Israel's (His people) adultery. so, maybe God is ironically using Ms. Prejean to reveal the spiritual adultery of (HIs people) with the world through her..... or maybe the Lord is looking from His throne and seeing the irony, hypocrisy and shame of defaming one sexual sin by flaunting another. God is not like man.

I think true believers do and will forgive Ms. Prejean. But, to wink away her exposing herself in order to uphold her views IS hypocritical and shames God and discredits those called by His name and the church. Both are wrong. period.

Posted By: jean | May 3, 2009 10:55 PM

I agree with Jean. "But, to wink away her exposing herself in order to uphold her views IS hypocritical and shames God and discredits those called by His name and the church."

I know the horrible grip pornography and lust have on Christians. I know there are good, Christian men (and maybe even women) who lusted after Ms. Prejean as she strutted on stage in that little, white bikini. I believe it is every believer's God-given responsibility to support and aid each other in fighting the sins that can so easily overtake our hearts and minds. Is that what a woman is doing when she displays her body in public in less than what normal underwear covers?

Everything is permissible... but what about not causing a brother or sister to stumble?

God has and will use Ms. Prejean to bring glory to himself. Because he is bigger than any controversy. No doubt. All praise be to God! But that doesn't mean that there should be no accountability from other believers.

As for those who have not sinned casting the first stone: I confess that I have sinned. And I have repented and changed my habit of dress. I have also sinned by believing the world's lies that my outward appearance is more important than my faith and my heart. Would I be tempted by a free breast enhancement? YES. But God daily shows me that he loves the real me, not just the way I look. I sincerely hope and pray that Ms. Prejean will learn this as well. And, if I could speak to her face-to-face, that is exactly what I would say and pray.

Carrie Prejean now has a powerful opportunity to be used by God. I pray that he will lead and guide her in all her future actions, that he will keep her humble and focused on his glory, and that she will continue to grow in grace and in love for our God and Father.

Posted By: Robyn | May 4, 2009 11:16 AM

On today's "Slice," Ingrid announced that Focus on the Family is the latest to jump on the bandwagon in the Miss California issue. They are featuring Miss Prejean as the “Modern Queen Esther on two upcoming shows in May.” Listen at 2pm Central time today for the Crosstalk program.

I used to indorse Focus on the Family, but I now have reservations about that. They have made some huge blunders in the past few years, this being the latest.

Dolores Kimball, Managing Editor of Got Questions Ministries, wrote:

"The recent rush to elevate Miss California to sainthood because of her comments about homosexual marriage at the Miss USA pageant is proof positive of the lack of discernment in the Church. Our inability to separate Christianity from political conservatism is the result of a woeful lack of biblical preaching and teaching from our pulpits and a dearth of pastors who know the difference between “causes” and Truth."

"Gay marriage is a political cause. Modesty is a biblical virtue. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us that Christian women are to “adorn themselves in modest apparel” (1 Tim. 2:9). Miss California’s willingness to parade around in a bikini in front of the entire world says much more about her faith than does her stand on gay marriage. Even the heathens recognize the hypocrisy, as witnessed by a rant from a liberal blog addressing “Miss Holier Than Thou” (his words, not mine). He asks, “What does the Bible say about boob jobs and wearing bikinis in public? Anything similar to what the Koran says?” What indeed? And what does it say about us that we have to be rebuked by a non-believer?"

"The response of the Christian community, on the other hand, is to lavish her with kudos and give her an appearance at the Dove Awards for gospel music. She has also received the “admiration and support” of the president of the Family Research Council. I have no doubt Miss Prejeanis a lovely young woman who believes she is representing Christ. No doubt she is reflecting what she has been taught, which is exactly my point. Until we take seriously Paul’s admonition to “preach the word… reprove, rebuke, and exhort” (2 Tim. 4:2), develop true biblical discernment, and take as literal Jesus’ statement, “My kingdom is not of this world,” Miss Prejean and her contemporaries will continue to represent Christians in the public square."

And you've got to see Ingrid's May 2nd post on "Slice." titled "Carrie Prejean’s “Gracious Boldness.”

Posted By: andy | May 4, 2009 12:33 PM

Andy,

You posted "Gay marriage is a political cause. Modesty is a biblical virtue." (A comment by Delores Kimball)

Marriage between one man and one woman is also a Biblical issue. You purposefully blur and confuse what is really at stake here. And many of us in our failure to grasp what is truly at risk in the BIG PICTURE are jumping on the modesty bandwagon and leaving Carrie Prejean to stand alone in her position for the Biblical definition of marriage. Her life is forever changed by her 30 second answer to a carefully orchestrated question. The true issue is will you stand with her or against her in regard to the question she was asked?

There are times for the battle for modesty within the church. Perhaps someone should survey how many of the contestants in Miss USA or Miss America claim to be Christian and take the modesty issue up with them. However, joining the modesty skirmish in this case assists those who desire to squelch and demoralize the brave stand Miss California has taken. In our eagerness to speak out and sound godly over modesty issues, we give ground to and even assist those who would do away with marriage as God fully intended it to be. Reason and discernment would tell you to pick your battles and the battleground carefully. We may very well lose the war as we sidetrack the battle to modesty and other issues.

Posted By: JEB | May 5, 2009 7:40 AM

JEB,

I was actually quoting comments that I agree with, by Dolores Kimball, so I can't take credit for those words.

Nonetheless, you have your opinions, but what counts is what God says about modesty. I highly recommend you check out the "Slice" website. If you are a Christian, it will help you to see truth in this deluge of deception. If not, it will still benefit you.

Posted By: andy | May 5, 2009 9:53 AM

"Marriage between one man and one woman is a Biblical issue?" Really? What Bible have y'all been reading? Throughout the Bible God richly blessed men who had multiple wives and concubines. The talking point of how marriage has consisted of one man and one woman for thousands of years is from the Bible of O'Reilly and Limbaugh.

Frankly, I applaud Miss California for sticking to her viewpoint, even if I don't agree with her. She is entitled to feel any way she wants on gay marriage. However, the current issue isn't spiritual marriage, it's secular marriage, and whether gay people can legally make decisions for their partners, cover children under insurance, etc.

Miss Prejean seems sadly confused as to how Americans are free to choose--she would deny gays the right to their own choice in a SECULAR matter. Her words of "no offense to anyone" ring hollow. I bet she'd find it offensive if the State told her she had no right to visit her sick spouse in the hospital.

If she wants to attend a church which does not recognize same-sex relationships, more power to her. If she wants to shun gays or preach the Gospel, I say, go for it. But when she starts wanting to legislate...well, I say we arrest her for indecent exposure. We need to legally enforce Biblical-based modesty too.

Posted By: Pasta | May 5, 2009 9:57 AM

Here's more good info from Christian Worldview Network, Brannon Howse wrote:

"The Pitfalls of Celebrity-Driven Christianity. Brannon's Guest is Cathy Mickels author of Spiritual Junk Food: The Dumbing Down of Christian Youth. Topic: Should America's Christian leaders and Liberty University be raising up Carrie Prejean, Miss California, as an example for today's youth? Liberty's male students cheer and whistle during chapel as Carrie mentions the swimsuit portion of the contest. Focus on the Family has recorded two interviews and on their website called her a modern-day Ester before people complained and it was removed. Pro-family leaders have booked her to speak for an upcoming conference. Are these Christian leaders and institutions about to be really embarrassed by photos to be released? Is this the result of a celebrity-driven church and Christian media? Why do so many Christian leaders promote someone before giving them a chance to prove the level of their Christian maturity? The world is already laughing and mocking on blogs and websites about the photos that have come out. These are the Christian men that are going to save America, the church and the culture? I don’t think so. These men don’t have enough discernment and common-sense to understand that they should have acknowledged her bold statement, the reaction of the radical left, and then left it at that. The “wise-men” of the pro-family movement are doing great harm to our young students by their lack of Biblical leadership.Click here to listen now."

Posted By: andy | May 5, 2009 1:36 PM

I do not see Carrie Prejean as a role model for any young woman, Christian or not. The problem was not her answer, but how she answered the question. She was inarticulate and gave the most shallow answer possible. Furthermore, just because she attends a Christian college, volunteers at local non profit organizations does NOT mean she is a role model. Personally, any woman who participates in beauty pageants for the sole purpose of attaining fame and money (and in her case, free breast implants) cannot be a deep, mature, intelligent, and thoughtful individual. Last time I checked, Miss USA is not a "Scholarship Program," it's strictly based on a standard of beauty set by the media.

Posted By: Jina | May 5, 2009 6:42 PM

I think that Ms. Beaty poses an excellent question about whether a Christian woman should participate in a contest that is based solely upon the appearance of her face and body. I guess I am wondering about how well she really understands the faith she has espoused.
A beauty pageant that is based only upon appearance does not focus on any of the things that really make a woman beautiful: her spirit, her intellect, and her resolve. Beauty is a gift, sure, but it fades. The other things can become stronger over time, and they are really the things that God and people love and admire about us. They are far more fabulous than beauty.
I am thinking that perhaps Ms. Prejean wanted to "represent", for lack of a better arena within the pageant, her Christian viewpoints. She did that, and if she's proud of what she said, then she should have no regrets. However, I submit that if she really knows Christ, she knows that He was not a bigot, but an inclusive Son of God who reached out to others, rather than excluding them. Her answer was not at all inclusive. I think that someone who wants to represent the USA needs to be inclusive. Of course that does not answer why, in the first place, she would want to represent an organization (the Miss America pageant) which is essentially objectifying women.... Christ, Himself, did not objectify women, but reached out to those whom no one else would speak to. Remember the woman at the well? He really repsected women.
I understand that she was raised a Christian. Does posing topless and then not disclosing this to the Miss America sponsors exemplify Christian behavior? I seriously question whether or not she really KNOWS Christ at all. We cannot pick and choose what Christ is about.

Posted By: Helena | May 5, 2009 9:09 PM

Responding to Ann Allen:
Some gays may be "godless" in that they are unaware that they can have a relationship with Him. But I am sure that is not what you meant.
God made gays, too. They did not arise en masse from the sea. The were born to moms and dads, just like everyone else. And God KNEW them from the time they were in their mothers' wombs.
There is alot that science, medicine (and Christians, too) don't know about why some people are born gay. Some people have freckles, and blue eyes, and brown hair. And some people are gay. They are born that way. Most gays would not choose to be gay, if they could have a say in it--it's a very difficult way to live. But they didn't choose that for themselves, any more than we choose our eye color. The only thing they CAN choose is whether or not to be celibate. So, instead of bashing gays, why not PRAY for them, that they can live lives under peace and justice, or IMITATE CHRIST and have some COMPASSION for folks who must live their lives before God under difficult circumstances? It's what Jesus would do.

Posted By: Helena | May 5, 2009 9:33 PM

Pasta, the Bible legitimizes only ONE marriage - one man and one woman. Back in Genesis is where you need to read that, reinforced by Jesus and Paul. Polygamous marriages reported in the Bible DID NOT result in blessings, rather if you were to take the time to actually read scripture you would read how they brought trouble and family disruption.

Helena, God did not make gays. God made only two people - Adam and Eve. The rest of the human race came about through procreation. As a result of sin entering the world, the world became corrupted from its original perfect creative purpose. There is no evidence anyone is born "gay" any more than they are born thieves. But if we ever do discover that one is born with the preference for homosexual behavior, it would be the result of a genetic flaw. But being born with the predisposition does not require acting upon it. Homosexual behavior is ALWAYS a choice. We wouldn't be having this debate if people said they were born pedophiles and therefore should be allowed to act on their "orientation" and then sanctioned for it.

Posted By: Glenn E. Chatfield | May 6, 2009 6:00 AM

Didn't Esther participate in a beauty pagaent, too?

Posted By: Keith | May 6, 2009 9:22 AM

I beg to differ with Katelyn Beaty's differentiation between the Miss USA Pageant, and the Miss America Pageant (see Paragraph 5 in the article above). While the Miss USA competition is clearly "shaped by prurient interests (arousing of unwholesome desire)," and does not feature a talent category as does the Miss America competition, it is more or less still the same sort of thing.

In fact, by adding the pridefulness of a 'talent' competition', the Miss America Pageant has the distinction of fulfilling all three requirements of "the world" and "the cravings of sinful man" as described in 1 John 2:16.

In this passage, the issue of temptation boils down to , "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." This was the bottom line of the temptation that Satan used in the Garden of Eden: "The woman saw that the tree was good for food (the 'lust of the flesh'), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (the 'lust of the eyes'), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (the 'pride of life')." - Genesis 3:6

This was also the nature of the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness. "The devil said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.' (the 'Lust of the Flesh' - hunger); The devil led him up to a high place and showed him the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendor...' (the Lust of the Eyes - the beauty and splendor of the world);

The devil then led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down from here. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully' (the Pride of Life - Jesus' importance as the Son of God)." - Luke 4:3-10

The addition of the 'Talent Competition' in the Miss America Pageant only adds one more sinful aspect, "the Pride of Life", while also containing the other two as well: the "Lust of the Flesh" and the "Lust of the Eyes." Not that the Miss USA Pageant is any better, if not even worse, as it appeals only to the more 'base' aspects of man: the lusts of the eyes and of the flesh.

Lastly, let us not forget the definition of 'Pageant' found in Webster's Dictionary: "A showy, ostentatious display; mere show, empty display." While I may agree with Miss Prejean's biblical viewpoint that marriage is between a man and a woman as instituted by God, I do not believe that a Pageant is the right place for a true woman of God, or the proper platform to espouse one's Christian beliefs.

Posted By: Allison | May 6, 2009 3:37 PM

1) Allison, I agree with you--this pageant is neither the place for a true woman of God nor the proper platform to espouse one's Christian beliefs.

2) It would have been so much better for Miss California to not even say she is "a Christian." Then she would not be in the situation she's in now: trying to defend herself and making statements that have been gaining national attention, such as she's a Christian and she's a model; she's not perfect; the nude photos won't stop her from speaking out, etc. The secular media is split. Liberals are verbally attacking her, conservatives are defending her. Much worse, the Christian media is split, but in a different way. Some are defending her but others are calling for her to repent. Where is her pastor or pastor’s wife in all of this? To paraphrase Charles Spurgeon, 'If you [professing Christian] are being a hypocrite, don't try to share your faith. Instead, go far away, on top of a hill, and close your mouth.' I, myself, know that if I am not right with God, I must repent and bear the fruit of repentance before I try to share my faith. The only good thing that has come out of this is that Miss California now knows there are Christians who have come out against her behavior and have said that God disapproves of this nakedness. If she humbles herself and listens, this may be what brings her to godly sorrow and repentance. Her soul is in danger.

Posted By: andy | May 6, 2009 5:16 PM

Keith: no. Esther was FORCED into the king's harem. She did not CHOOSE to participate. And to call what was basically the rape of probably hundreds of women a "beauty contest" completely distills and belittles the truth of the story.

Posted By: Robyn | May 7, 2009 11:40 AM

I have had several days to really think about this, going from anger at Carrie Prejean to sadness over the lack of discernment in Christians. God is definitely angry over sin and I have read her statement concerning those extremely sinful and ungodly pictures she took. Al lshe does is justify, justify, justify..herself. I'M a model, I was told I would be a Victoria's Secret model, I was deceived. I, I, I. She is obviously very deceived and very unrepentant. Carrie Prejean has shown only an interest in herself (surprise!) and she is defiling the Holy name of Jesus with not really her sinfulness BUT HER LACK OF REPENTANCE BEFORE THE WORLD! If she would only say these words she could represent a just and forgiving Lord. She could represent Jesus for WHO HE REALLY IS. She could change women and men's acceptance of sexual immorality with these words: IWAS WRONG AND I REPENT BEFORE MY LORD JESUS. PLEASE FORGIVE ME. But no, that has not happened. Just because you are a conservative, right wing "Christian" doesn't make you born again. Yes, we all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God and any man that says he has not sinned is a liar. That's the whole point. Blessed repentance from the heart, sincere and pure. It is the only way to speak volumes to a lost a dying world. Not self preservation and unrepentance. Carrie Prejean is lost and we need to pray for her. The Bible tells us to judge (discern) the fruit of other believers so we must judge her actions and call for her to repent.

Posted By: Rebecca | May 8, 2009 4:38 PM

Responding to Glenn:
Au contraire, there is a rising body of evidence that people are, in fact, born to a sexual preference. Whether or not this is a result of a "genetic flaw" is a matter of debate, and depends upon your point of view. If some one is born less than perfect (say with a cleft palate or is mentally impaired), is that also a result of a genetic flaw? Does God need EVERYONE to be "perfect"? (Now we are getting to a very old notion that if a child is born other than 100% perfect, somehow, it is his parents who sinned. How well does that sit with the godly, church-going woman who gives birth to a Downs syndrome baby? Perhaps you know someone like that!) My point is this: we are made how we are made, and finger pointing will not change that. One thing I do know, however, is that every created being is born worthy of our respect and loving behavior.
If you are one of the "fortunate" who was born without any "impairment" (at least in the eyes of the world, and I do not believe that gays are impaired. I am arguing from your position that they are, perhaps, genetically flawed.), it is a relatively easy thing to think that the rest of the world should act and think as you do. But if you, say, have cerebral palsy, is that a sign that God loves you any less, because you are not like everyone else? People can be made differently from others, but they are worthy of our love, respect, and support. Gays are not like you. Okay, I get that. Life is in many ways a struggle for them. They do have some important choices to make (yes, BEHAVIOR is a choice; how we are born is not). I, personally, cannot see the Jesus I know treating gays with anything less than total respect. As His followers, we should not, either. Otherwise, we are nothing but hypocrites, and we deserve to be judged as harshly as we are judging them. "Judge not that ye be not judged". "Love thy neighbor as thyself". Gays ARE our neighbors, and they should have the same rights as everyone else.
Helena

Posted By: Helena | May 8, 2009 5:35 PM

Helena
Show me one iota of evidence that points to anyone being "born gay." There is none. There is a lot of hype by the homosexual activists, but no evidence. But as said before, if it is ever discovered, it would be a genetic flaw.

Now you raised a strawman argument. Yes, if someone is born with a cleft palate, that is a genetic flaw; it was not part of the original design of humans. I never even suggested that God wanted everyone to be 100% perfect without genetic defect, nor did I even hint at an idea that a child's genetic flaw was a result of parents' sin. Nor did I suggest God had any less love for gays than he does for other sinners. That has never been my argument. So don't drag in the strawmen to knock down!

We can give everyone respect, but we do not have to respect their behavior. Would you respect the behavior of an adulterer, a prostitute, a pedophile? Those are immoral sexual behaviors that are chosen, as is homosexuality.

If one is born "Gay" it has to be from a mutation of what the human genome is supposed to be - a DNA defect. But that does not relieve the person from responsibility for their chosen behavior. No one will die if they do not have sexual relations, so if one is oriented towards same sex, remain celibate and exercise self-control. If a man was oriented towards 10-year-old girls you'd certainly want him to remain celibate and exercise self-control!

I do not judge gay persons, I judge their behavior, which the Scripture do tell us to do. We are to use righteous judgment (Jn 7:24, Lk 12:57, et al). Homosexual behavior is ALWAYS a choice and that behavior is what we should judge and not sanction with "marriage".

As for basic human rights, there is no right a homosexual is denied by the current laws. What they want is to silence Christians, period. They also want to force everyone to sanction their behavior. Remember the photographer who was sued because she didn't want to photograph a homosexual "wedding"? or the doctors sued because they didn't want to do in vitro fertilization of lesbians? What about THEIR rights?

Christ didn't tell the woman caught in adultery to go ahead and have fun. He told her to "go and sin no more." Perhaps that's what Christians should be telling gays.

Posted By: Glenn E. Chatfield | May 8, 2009 7:13 PM

I want to also say this...put your daughters cameras away. Carrie Prejean has lowered the bar folks. Just watch. Because a large portion of the "Christian" world has embraced her, their hypocrisy will tear at the very foundations they speak so highly of. I go to Focus on the Family a lot (I live in the same town) and they have magazines constantly harping on young girls to be modest. But then the latest sex symbol comes along and they latched on to her like white on rice. Not sure where Focus stands on this as of today, but how disappointing! Listen people, her little lily pad and 2 fig leaves that she bounced around in at the Miss USA pageant should have been a big red flag to these Christian organizations to begin with. So her naked pictures should have been no surprise. They didn't surprise me! She has no modesty, why would it be hard for her to pose for those latest pics? Plus, where are the child pornography police? She was 17 for crying out loud! Oh, the hypocrisy is too great for me.

Posted By: Rebecca | May 10, 2009 11:44 PM

Obviously Perez Hilton degeneracy is not purely physical but mental as well. He is the perfect example of how a non-thinking jackass would behave, and determined to argue, and assert that 2 + 2 = 5

Posted By: Hank | May 11, 2009 11:52 PM

Great article by Katelyn Beaty! I've been thinking the same thing.
A wonderful website that gives great insight on the effect of women's dress (or lack of) on men:
http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/overview

All Christian women should look this over carefully,with open minds and hearts; don't just scan it.

Posted By: v | May 12, 2009 2:46 PM

Shame on Focus on the Family for going ahead and broadcasting the two programs which praised Miss Prajean. Leave that for the secular programs.

Posted By: andy | May 12, 2009 4:32 PM

A further comment on this foolishness. M. California "may" be a born-again Christian--but She is farrrrr from the Proverbs 31 woman I as a Christian admire. Any woman (and there are a lot of them strutting "their stuff" on the main stage of MOST of our Churches dressed provocatively--many with terrible attire--including tight or any kind of jeans & worse tops,--it still ain't right)is badly misguided & NOT close to God or what the Bible teaches about modesty --actions speak louder than words. Seems like because "everyone's doin' it"--makes it allright nowadays.Worse still--our ministers are apparently enjoying the displays because I haven't heard one Church speak out against it at home or on tv. When I see a "Carrie P." type --especially the ones claiming to be good Christians--that will try to cause men to sin--I lose respect right away till they repent--they KNOW what they are doing my wife says & I agree. I didn't quote scripture--but there's lots of it.
If anyone wants to chastise me--fine--I'm also not near perfect. Hemidart@nb.sympatico.ca

Posted By: Dan | May 21, 2009 11:42 PM

I'm glad people are still checking this page!

Dan,

You are so correct--most people who attend church don't know what modesty is. Several years ago I heard a pastor say,'Women: if it's too short, too low, or too tight, wear something else.'

Also years ago at a church I was attending, an Associate Pastor's wife did a sermon on women's appearance. You could have heard a pin drop. You're right, no one is speaking out against it. It's great that Family Life Ministries has a modesty checklist, but we should be hearing that from the pulpits.

Posted By: andy | May 27, 2009 2:40 PM

I wrote to Focus on the Family questioning their willingness to intentionally sidestep any discussion of the merits of pageants, modeling, or swimsuit competitions in order to feature Carrie Prejean for two days on their broadcast. The basic response they sent in reply was that concerns about her personal choices in those areas are secondary to the bigger issue of upholding a Biblical view of marriage.

My follow-up to them was that they missed providing her an opportunity to address something that is much more relevant to far more Christian girls and young women than gay marriage, and that is the issue of not buying into the sexualization that the culture all around them is pressing upon them. Observing the whole story of her response to the photos that have since been made public, I can now see that she would not be the person you'd want your daughter to hear address that topic.

When our daughter was growing up, she benefited from materials published by Focus with advice on how to be both fashionable and modest. They stressed that while outward beauty is fine (though secondary to inward beauty), projecting a "sexy" image is not. Now Focus is promoting as a role model a 21 year old whose response to the topless photo at age 17 and the modeling shoot at age 20 for a surfing magazine (in which even the photo she approved for publication was a sexually provocative pose) was that "I'm a model and models pose in swimwear and lingerie." Instead of taking her very public opportunity to say, "I now realize those are not the kinds of modeling a Christian should be involved in," she directed her comments on national TV entirely at her dismay with the people who released the photos. And after everything, on Sean Hannity's show she stated that her ultimate goal still is to be a Victoria's Secret model.

I can understand that a college girl, growing up in a home broken by divorce, living in a culture that has increasingly lost the ability to blush, believing that if you can see it worn on the beaches of Southern California than it's OK, and caught up in the ambition and attention of winning beauty pageants -- that such a young woman may have a disfunctional sense of propriety in the area of modesty, even thought she is a Christian. We should pray that her heart and eyes may be opened and her practice of the faith she professes matures to express a worldview that is "Biblically correct" not only in her opinion of the practices of others, but with regard to her own choices.

One does have to wonder, however, where are the mature Christians in her church (which devoted a service to featuring her as a role model), her Christian college(which did the same), or organizations such as Focus, who have the opportunity to address such things to her, but seem more interested in her now celebrity status than with the unfortunate example she continues to set. Yes, the attacks on her by the pro-gay marriage bullies are unfair and motivated by a hatred for Christian values. Christian leaders could have commended her for stating her view without elevating her to a role-model status.

Posted By: Bob | May 28, 2009 1:14 AM

Bob,

I wholeheartedly agree with most of your comments except the part when you said 'even though she is a Christian...'

The fruit she has been demonstrating and her actions do not correspond with her profession—only God knows. Regardless, for her and everyone else, it's not too late to repent. If you're not familiar with the topic of True and False Conversions...

www.wayoftheMaster.com
wwww.livingwaters.com
---specifically the teachings "True and False Conversions" and "Hell's Best Kept Secret."

Posted By: andy | May 28, 2009 1:52 PM

Whoops, what I meant to say was her profession [of faith], not profession (like vocation). I should have written: "The fruit she has been demonstrating and her actions do not correspond with what she professes."

Posted By: andy | May 28, 2009 4:54 PM

Having read all the posts (so far)it appears many Christians are of the view that there is nothing wrong with a Christian young woman parading before a worldwide audience in a bikini swimsuit with all but her very private areas covered.

That is not surprising. Not surprising either is the fact that those who feel a Christian woman is "free" so to do did not advance one contextual passage, or principle from scripture in support of their view.

So maybe, among Western Christians we have reached the point where the Bible is no longer the sole guide to faith and practice. Or maybe, like someone said, today's Christian believes that he/she is free to "believe" but not to practice what the Bible says.

This was brought closer to home when someone said that Christian women are not responsible if men lust over what they wear. Surely, a man is responsible for his own behaviour; but is not the same true for a Christian woman? Are we all not our brothers keeper? Shouldn't we show some concern about how what we wear could possible affect others.

If the Christianity in which we "believe" cares so little for deportment, bodily exposure, or a weak brother, then I guess there is nothing left to say except "long live beauty pageants".

Posted By: Steve Skeete | June 17, 2009 11:55 PM

First of all, she didn't get a choice in bathing attire. That is what they assigned, and every girl had to don the silver Jessica Simpson Sponsored 2 piece. So let's not judge her for her "choice" of swimsuit. The other point is, she had the option of speaking out on the secular issue of same-sex marrigae, or not...she chose the Biblical perspective. That's the choice we should be cellebrating, duh.

Posted By: Rachel | June 19, 2009 10:42 AM

To the poster who said, "If you think it's okay for Carrie to have appeared in a bikini, can you use the Bible to justify it?" (paraphrased) I have this response:

The Apostle Paul tells us that in Christ we are free. He says that "everything is permitted, but not everything is beneficial." He also warns that we should not use our freedom to cause others to stumble.

So, with regards to that, I am of the opinion that it was okay for Carrie to appear in the swimsuit competition. (After all, if she hadn't been in the pageant, she wouldn't have had the opportunity to answer Mr. Hilton's question.)
However, if her actions would have knowingly caused other Christians to stumble in their faith (i.e. - if someone had said something to her beforehand) then she should have removed herself from the competition.

While I agree that her answer was not the most eloquent, I am proud of her for answering in the way that she felt was correct.

Posted By: Kymberli | October 3, 2009 6:34 PM

This is in response to NYCBabe who wrote: "I used to be pro gay marriage, but not anymore.... If you want to have rights in this country, you have to gain them by being respectful. I won't support it until you've learned how to fight for yout rights reasonably." That comment is ABSOLUTELY absurd. Rights are inherent, NOT earned as you suggest they should be. The great thing about this country is that we have rights, to which all people are ENTITLED. They are not privileges that need to be earned, and gay people do not need to 'show respectful and proper behavior' as you suggest they should, in order to prove that they deserve the right to marry. THEY DO NO MATTER HOW THEY ACT. Further, there is no way to 'respectfully' and 'reasonably' fight for rights because the very fact that the United States fails to recognize this right is disrespectful, and unreasonable. Slavery didn't end because they asked nicely for it, said 'please' and 'thank you', and went about it res

Posted By: christmas presents | October 28, 2009 7:23 AM

A note about modesty--when missionaries first encountered the people of the New World, the South Pacific and certain African countries, one of the first things they attempted to do was force the people to dress according to their own ideals of modesty. How much of this is determined by culture? When Paul is advising women to cover their heads and he writes about a woman's long hair being her glory, I think about the African or Fijian women whose hair is by God's own design, naturally short and curly. Where do they fit into this picture?

In many orthodox Jewish communities, it's considered immodest for women or girls to wear pants. And long ago, Jewish men wore robes that resembled modern dresses, but no more. Wherever one goes, the standards are probably quite different, and based upon local dress and customs.

My point: the Bible calls for modesty, but doesn't provide a strict definition of a modest outfit would look like.

I believe that we have to be mindful of our brothers' and sisters' weaknesses. But beyond that, we are each responsible for where we allow our minds to go. In my experience, men will harass you whether you're wearing a sweatsuit or a short skirt.

I find it very interesting that in these mostly tropical places where people walked around naked or scantily clad for ages, the issues we have in our society with sexual violence/deviance and objectification of women's bodies,etc. didn't exist. Even today, in certain parts of the world, you don't see men ogling a woman's naked breasts, b/c everyone is clothed (or unclothed) in the same fashion. It's not an issue. But in some parts of the US, breastfeeding a baby or allowing a toddler to walk around with only a diaper is seen as an unpardonable act.

I think that the body can seen as beautiful in a non-sexual way, and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made; the real problem is the twisted way in which we view the body and sexuality and creation in general. Look at Adam and Eve; God created them naked and called it good, but in their disobedience to God, they forfeited their innocence and freedom from sin. The real problem is spiritual and mental.

Posted By: AlwaysThankful | January 13, 2010 6:56 PM

Not sure where Focus stands on this as of today, but how disappointing! Listen people, her little lily pad and 2 fig leaves that she bounced around in at the Miss USA pageant should have been a big red flag to these Christian organizations to begin with.

Posted By: Capital Gold Group | August 19, 2010 7:12 AM

The question is should Christian young women display their bodies in pageants like these, which are determined primarily on physical looks and appearance.

Posted By: Al Auletta | August 28, 2010 3:19 AM

We should care about what a runner up to Miss USA says when it reflects the false and bigoted belief system shared by so many people in this country. Ms. Prejean was simply incorrect when she asserted that we live in a country where we can choose to keep marriage between a man and a woman or make it available to all. That is nonsense. There are very few places where we can choose gay marriage if we want to-- it is illegal almost everywhere. In addition, it is outrageous that so many people in our country, including Ms. Prejean, would use the legal system to force everyone else to adopt their religious views regarding marriage. We are supposed to live in a land of religious freedom enshrined in the constitution. What type of government is desired by Ms. Prejean and her supporters

Posted By: Mykalai Kontilai | September 23, 2010 3:45 AM

I believe every woman in the competition should have been asked the same question.

Posted By: Mykalai Kontilai | October 5, 2010 7:01 AM

The first paragraph of the above post is a quote from an earlier post by 'steve' with a response to that beneath..

Posted By: Mykalai Kontilai | October 20, 2010 7:20 AM

I personally don't care for pageants, but I think that's a personal choice. Christians need to put themselves in the public arena.

Posted By: Infiniti Parts Online | December 1, 2010 6:04 AM

I believe the judge was wrong in asking that question and I am glad she stood up for her beliefs and show not be punished. The judge needs to be reprimanded.

Posted By: CondoTarget.com | December 10, 2010 1:18 AM

As a Christian, I am thrilled that Carrie stood up for her beliefs, but don't feel that Mr. Hilton should not be persecuted because of the question he wrote..

Posted By: Home Protect Home Warranty | December 23, 2010 4:51 AM

All Christian women should look this over carefully, with open minds and hearts; don't just scan it.

Posted By: Roberts Cottages 20 | December 28, 2010 2:04 AM

Isn't God amazingly wonderful. He has the ability to work in so many ways we could not even conceive! And each of us are not called to the same task.

Posted By: Mychael Margott | February 1, 2011 6:22 AM

As a Christian, I am thrilled that Carrie stood up for her beliefs, but don't feel that Mr. Hilton should not be persecuted because of the question he wrote or for the fact that she picked the question.

Posted By: intmc | February 3, 2011 3:31 AM

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