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Q+A: Carrie Prejean

The former Miss California contestant says that she is 'still standing,' and called a recent video of her 'the worst mistake of my life.'

You refer to your pastor, Miles McPherson, throughout the book. You indicate that he played a strong role after the pageant when he met up with you in New York before a media interview. Do you think you would have handled what happened differently had he not met up with you?

I think it was so important that I had counsel there for me. I just had my mom traveling with me to New York, so it was such a blessing to have him there. I'd never met him before, so it's a remarkable story how he was able to be with me and give me the counsel that I needed at that time.

What's the best advice he gave you about handling the stress?

He basically told me every day, "Carrie, don't pay attention to the drama. Don't get into the drama. God has a plan for you, he chose you for this. This is your time to figure out what God has in store for you, and you will figure it out." He used to tell me, "I know you probably think this is a very hard part of your life, but you will get past this."

You said you grew up in a home where your parents took you to church. Did you have a turning point where you decided to become a Christian, or did you have a conversion experience?

After high school I went off to college, and I was just trying to fit in somewhere, trying to find my place. I went to Santa Barbara and I found out that it was a big party school, and I just didn't seem to fit in. So after I came back, I started going to San Diego Christian College, and that's where I felt at home. From there I started going to the Rock [Church], and I found where I felt I belonged. I think that was at a Christian school where it's cool to study on Friday nights, and you don't have the pressure of going out and drinking, and you are surrounded by people who have the same interests as you. That was a big turning point in my life, when I started going to the Rock, when I was about 18.

Was there a point in your life where you decided, "I believe in Jesus"?

I grew up being a Christian, and if you grow up in a Christian home, you just go along saying, "I'm a Christian, I'm a Christian, I'm a Christian," but you don't really know what that means. But when you become a certain age—for me that was when I was 18—I realized that I need the Lord. I need to surround myself with people who love the Lord as well. We're all in process. No one's perfect; Christians are especially not perfect. It's funny—there are people who think Christians are perfect or are holy people who go around judging everybody, but [it's] actually the complete opposite. We love one another, we don't always love the sin but we love the sinner. When I was 18, I was really serious about it, and it was a decision I made. It wasn't my parents saying, "This is what you need to do." I decided to go to a Christian college, I decided to start living my life the way that I thought I should have been living it.

Going back to your book, in the middle you explain the turning point in the pageant. Did you feel prepared to answer Perez Hilton's question?

Looking back now, everything happened so fast, but yeah, I was prepared. I think I'm a pretty good public speaker, I think I can handle questions, especially now after everything I've been through. I can probably answer any question there is. But I had the right team preparing me for tough questions. Did I think a question like that would be asked, and that [I would] be punished for giving an honest answer? No.

Looking back, would you re-word your reply?

Looking back now, I've become so much more educated. In fact, Perez Hilton wasn't even correct when asking the question. He said, "Vermont recently legalized same-sex marriage. Do you think other states should follow suit? Why or why not?" Actually, the people in Vermont didn't even vote. It was the legislature that voted. It's funny, looking back now; obviously I'm a lot more educated [now]. I'm not a spokesperson for traditional marriage, but looking back now, it was such a biased question. For a judge to ask that question and have his own agenda, and if you don't agree with him, [he will] call you every name in the book and then mock you for seven months? That's just crazy.


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Comments

Displaying 1–3 of 254 comments

David Hardy

November 18, 2009  4:08pm

There seems to be quite a bit of misunderstanding regarding just what is and what is not laudable about Carrie Prejean... I cannot speak for anyone besides myself... I do admire her for taking a courageous stand in answering what anyone would consider to be a loaded question, with a response that anyone would realize was not a politically correct reply... Marriage should be between one man and one woman... Only after her response to this loaded question has she been vilified for her past transgressions... She has admitted to them, which again I see as being courageous... While I do not approve of her past actions, Ms Prejean has indicated that she has repented of them, to which I say, only God is her judge in that regard... The rumor mill is in full opperation, to which I say, don't believe anything that you hear and only half of what you see... Carrie Prejean has made some powerful enemies within the homosexual community... I only wish her well and may God's grace sustain her...

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William

November 18, 2009  4:32am

I am new to this but I believe what the bible says about homosexual relations that which is wrong in god's eyes and against his will. I am a believer in an actual "marriage" not an oxymoronic term "gay marriage'' since there is no such thing. I have a conviction that either you except the scripture as a whole or reject it entirely. You can attack me all you want but I am taking a stand here for what I believe is right. Thank you all for listening

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David Hardy

November 17, 2009  7:23pm

Dakotahgeo Posted: Gladys Dymphna, thank you for your comments. You are spot on the mark!...especially the fact that Leviticus has nothing to do with homosexuality. What God WAS against was the use of prostitutes, male OR female, that were used in the Temple rite during the the harvesting and fall season... Dakotahgeo... I disagree homosexuality and idolatry are not two halves of the same coin... 1Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous [fn] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 1Cor 6:10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1Cor 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God... You will note that it says "such were some of you" not such are some of you..

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