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Christianity Today, June (Web-only), 2009 |

Speaking Out

Pageant Preachers

Carrie Prejean isn't the only Christian contestant using the contest as a platform for her beliefs—or who has faced questions about compromising them.

Mandy E. McMichael | posted 6/17/2009 09:19AM

James Dobson praised Miss California USA Carrie Prejean for preaching a sermon with her life. Miles McPherson, her pastor, compared her to Esther. Prejean claimed God chose her and trusted her to speak ...

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David Hardy

Posted: June 30, 2009 7:52 PM

How many who have been quick to criticize Miss Prejean have even personally witnessed to a total stranger? Much less millions of them?... All at once?... Knowing that the answer you are about to give is going to be less than well received by the one who asked you the question? And that your non-politically correct answer would probably cost you the one thing you had been working towards for a very long time? How many here have quit a job over faith based issues? How many here have stood up to ridicule for their beliefs? Name me one of the giants of the Bible who didn't have feet of clay... Adam sinned in the garden.. Abraham lied about Sarah... Moses smote the rock... David murdered Uriah... Peter denied Jesus... Get real folks... If the cannon was pointed at you would you choke? Carrie Prejean didn't.... And guess what... She has feet of clay too... .

John	Posted: June 24, 2009 2:51 PM


I like that people are pretending that she was stripped of her crown because of her interview. She lost her crown because she lied. She said that she had never posed for nude or semi nude photographs, and she had. That's a plain simple lie. Where are the family values voters here?

Gary Gilmore

Posted: June 22, 2009 11:18 AM

Also don't assume that everyone who doesn't agree with you is a "homosexual activist trolling a website launching vicious attacks". It is sad that the Christian media, (not necessarily CT) and public Christian figures started making this gal some kind of saint. Her answers in interviews that weren't "set up" were horrible. She did not defend her faith well at all. And certainly these half naked exposing the side of her breasts pictures werer not by any means a good personal witness if she was gonna become a "public Christian figure". I don't mean to disparage her. She was dropped into a situation that was bizarre. But for Dobson or anybody else to lift her up as some sweet young virtuos(sp?) woman, who is protecting God's intention for marriage, is going way way to far. I hope we can do better then that! woman and p

John	Posted: June 22, 2009 10:29 AM


Truthmeister, you are so right. We can't let THEM set the agenda. We need to take back our country from THOSE people and then we can start eliminating the moral rot that is destroying our once proud Christian nation from within....

Redfox

Posted: June 22, 2009 9:33 AM


Let's move onto something important.

Anonymous

Posted: June 22, 2009 9:08 AM

This is a very thoughtful article. Not so much critical of Ms. Prejean's words, but the way she models her life. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this young woman not just her stance on gay marriage. But also, her medical alteration of her body and then her displaying that alteration scantily clad. I also wear a two piece and am ok with her choice in clothes, but I do not want a "beauty queen" to be the person my daughter grows to look up to. The way she looks should not be the most important thing in her life, but that is exactly what this young woman has done. It's wonderful that she is an attractive young woman. But, should the way she looks be the motivating factor for people to listen to her? Or, the reason for young girls to look up to her?

john	Posted: June 20, 2009 11:11 PM

Sorry to say folks but ratings in interest in general regarding pageants has gradually sunk to complete disinsterest. So wring your hands, fuss about bikinis and Anita (who remembers her?), and when you are done. Look around and find those who need help in your neighborhood and city and then get involved in the name of Christ...lifestyle evangelism from each of us with do alot more to touch the world.

Sue	Posted: June 20, 2009 6:48 PM

Very well stated Philip! I completely agree with all your points especially how some Christian leaders and a Fox news anchor, held her in such high esteem when her answer to the gay question wasn't even predicated on Scripture - God's Word, just "that's the way I was raised". Many unbelievers also feel the same way. I wish I could understand why Dr. Dobson was so quick to her side concerning this. .....

Lisa G

Posted: June 20, 2009 8:11 AM

Problem is - the Christian media censors and whitewashes stories such as this one. Where are all the facts? What was Dobson doing airing her interview after the second set of very revealing-topless photos came out? Does anyone except for me know that NOM is a Mormon-based/supported/founded organization with a strong message of hate/disdain/ridicule for the gays in the world? Is that okay for Christians? No! But, you all just blindly jump on their bandwagon, donating millions of dollars to this Mormon/cult cause - following this heroine, Carrie. Do you know what her previous modeling/agency said about her -why she fired before this pageant? No. I'll attach that interview - it's not flattering and it shows a pattern. Does anyone realize that sweet Miss North Carolina was ahead of Carrie before the infamous question? No. Well, she was - and Miss Carrie would have had to have given the response of her life to get ahead. I'll include those scores. Thing is-I'm a Christian-but I research!!!

Kelly

Posted: June 20, 2009 7:24 AM

I heard the other day that a marriage between a man and a woman is now called Opposite Marriage not Traditional Marriage. It is very upsetting to me that society has caved into the gay/lesbian agenda. I believe in hating the sin, not the sinner for we all have fallen short of the glory of God. Calling Ms. Prejean a whore is not a christian way to present your view of your beliefs. I too feel God is upset with our society who is infatuated with perfection and in the process women are altering theirselves to the extreme. I do work out and try to do the best with what God has given me. I do feel that too much skin is exposed in our world today. I mean check out the cartoon channels. (not only skin but the unappropiate jokes and mannerism of the characters are appauling) I do applaud Ms. Prejean for standing up on the stage and not caving into agreeing with gay marriage. Once again I believe in hating the sin not the sinner. Praise and Glory to God!!!! God bless America!!!!

Rev. Gene Hill

Posted: June 19, 2009 9:29 PM

Outstanding article! As a Mississippi born REAL "pageant preacher," I've often been asked how an ordained minister could be a volunteer in the Miss America Organization. It is indeed difficult to speak of that tension, and to explain it, even as one involved, much less a Bible-believing Christian. Although society continues to change and even spiral out of control, the Miss America Organization has done an outstanding job in providing opportunities for American women to move forward with their goals and ambitions. During my years as Executive Director of the Miss Idaho Pageant I also visited several pageants with LDS contestants and "closed" swimsuit competitions. It's been a privilege to judge Miss Utah on three different occasions. This article is one of the finest I've read dealing with some of the real issues. Miss California USA now has a unique opportunity to "preach" of the tension Mandy McMichael writes. Rev. Gene Hill, Miss Idaho Pageant, 1990-93, eugenechill@gmail.com

Crystal

Posted: June 19, 2009 4:28 PM

Carrie Prejean at first appeared to be admirable about how she answered the question that was posed by Perez Hilton. I felt for her because it seemed that she was put on the spot in a no win situation. Unless she approved of gay marr.age, she was going to be villified. However, what has changed my mind about her was when the semi nude photos of her appeared and she made some sham excuse about being a model and how as a model, she sometimes poses in lingerie or swimsuits. There are Christian models who refuse to pose in lingerie or revealing swimwear. Another thing most of all is that she lied about ever posing for these photos on her pageant application. An issue that she never addressed. Carrie deserved to lose her crown and I am wondering what her Christian college will do next due to the release of the pictures.

Johann

Posted: June 19, 2009 3:26 PM


What a joke this was. Is Evangelicalism so bereft of seriousness that it would elevate this tarty bit of fluff to be their saint of the moment? Well, we all know the answer to that.

Tom	Posted: June 19, 2009 8:47 AM

I'm sick to death of hearing about Carrie Prajean's stand for Christ. If she really cared about presenting a great Christian testimony, why is she parading around nearly naked for millions of young men (and old men) to gaze on and lust after. Does anyone care about what God says about modesty? What separates a Christian with a great body and nearly no clothes on, from the Playboy bunnies? If Jesus was so concerned about our thought patterns (we men), that He warned us that even lustful thoughts brought the same guilt as the act, what must He think of the person who deliberately invites such thoughts?

Ever Wonder?

Posted: June 19, 2009 7:24 AM

Ever wonder why there are no heavy or homely female CCM artists? Because sex sells. A christian getting a boob job so she can win beauty contests or modeling contracts tell me just about all I need to know about her and her faith. But let's not be too harsh. She is young, and I've never known a christian that didn't pick and choose and rationalize unbiblical choices. This is cultural christianity at it's most obvious. Don't blame her, she's just doing what the american christian church does all the time.

Elizabeth

Posted: June 19, 2009 12:05 AM

Carrie is a young girl still in need of maturing, not a theologian or a saint. She knows enough to know gay mariage is wrong and had the courage to say so. Give her credit for that. As to the bikini, I allowed my daughters to wear them (I had to preapprove the suits) to swim at friends houses, they used more modest suits at the public pool. But, many other Christian girls today, their parents do not get involved in their dress at all. I would not want my daughters to participate in pageants or modelling either one due both immodesty and pressures that I would prefer my daughters not have to deal with, but I can certainly see the attraction and do not judge those who choose to. As to the pageants' leadership, they are certainly not going to be encouraging Christian morals or values. One of the top leaders in the Miss California pageant is also supposedly very active in gay rights, and I feel Miss California was set up, both from the question and events that followed.

Gayle

Posted: June 18, 2009 11:38 PM

The same people who are criticial against Prejean are the same people who call themselves Christians and are so afraid to take a stand. This includes Christians and those in the church who patronize the hateful Gay community, who continues to trash Christians--they did this same stuff to Mandisa when she was on American Idol when she was proclaming her faith What gets me is that Christians are also critical about her past, like they never did anything in their life. All of us come short and are no better than Carrie.

Dorry

Posted: June 18, 2009 11:05 PM


Thank you for your article. I am encouraged to hear a Christian bring common sense, and spiritual sense to this situation instead of the earlier embarrassing instant knee-jerk support. We must become gentle as doves and wise as serpents.

Philip

Posted: June 18, 2009 10:01 PM

Sshhheeeeeeeesssh! All this hoopla on this site is over what? - I sense it's mostly over politics. Certainly not much being discussed here is truly about Christianity. Note that this all really started when Prejean answered a question that mostly had political implications - certainly, that is why it was asked. Her answer said nothing about God's teachings, although they certainly may have (hopefully) influenced her beliefs. What's really disturbing to me is those who wanted to quickly build her up as a Christian activist and role model - or conservative pundit. James Dobson made sure he publicly promoted her as an inspiring Christian - and without truly knowing much about her or her history. Fox News (which I watch) quickly latched on as well. As Christians, we absolutely are NOT going to change the world through personalities or politics! As for gay marriage, polygamy, man and WHATEVER is legal (you name it) - these can NEVER take from us GOD's uniting of a Christian man and woman.

R.J.D.

Posted: June 18, 2009 8:37 PM


It appears that her comments were made with out any real theological meaning or thought. The fact that her minister and Dr. Dobson have joined in and labled her some type of Profit based on her convuluted comment on the subject should give one pause.

Lesson to be learned from this

Posted: June 18, 2009 6:49 PM

There's a good lesson to be learned by young people from all of this. What you do in your teens will follow you, and possibly, keep you from that dream job a few years down the road, or come out when you've earned some real honor that you really deserve. If this young lady had told the truth in the first place, she wouldn't have even been allowed in the pageant as the pictures she'd had taken were in clear violation of the pageant's policy. It was the equivalent of lying, in other words, and that occurred recently, not when she was a teen. Also, instead of showing contrition for misrepresenting herself, she's parading around like a martyr, making all evangelicals look like fools and hypocrits, all the while pointing the finger at gays. Does this make sense to you?

Elton

Posted: June 18, 2009 6:00 PM


This little lady now has perfect boobies. Why shouldn't she show them off. Everyone around including Sen.Ensign has commented on this and and she should show them off and give credit to the surgeon. Well she will be a big star and that is all that counts.

Ted Hewlett

Posted: June 18, 2009 5:32 PM

The author makes some good points regarding life and belief. However, let us not forget the public lesson of the Prejean incident. The time seems to have come when all who stand up for traditional morality (including tradtional marriage) are liable to gross discrimination. In Canada this has manifested itself in a variety of cases: e.g. Dr. Chris Kempling, a Christian teacher who spoke out in his own time against pro-homosexual propaganda in the schools, and Scott Brockie, a Christian printer who refused to print for a homosexual organization. None of us are perfect, and Ms Prejean is no exception. Let us be thankful that she stood up for her beliefs, disregarding the cost.

Truthmeister

Posted: June 18, 2009 4:26 PM

The article seems to sanctimoniously focus on Prejean's supposed lack of modesty, but we wouldn't even be talking about her if she weren't ambushed by a a loaded question from a hatemongering marriage redefinitionist. Let's be clear: SHE didn't start it. Why has Perez Hilton not been the focus of a lot of the buzz surrounding this? Why has the media and even many Christians been so critical of Prejean, while giving Hilton a pass? What entitles THEM to set the rules of engagement? Those who are defending Prejean regarding the gay marriage issue are not automatically endorsing everything she does. It just goes to show you how, in the current cultural climate, fairness and objectivity take a back seat to agendas, agendas that more often than not are dictated by modern left-wingers.

Skip	Posted: June 18, 2009 2:54 PM

It's not just the "swimsuit competition" that's being discussed here. Ms. Prejean posed for some seimi-nude photo's prior to the pageant that got her in trouble with the pageant authorities themselves. It certainly did not help her witness as a believer to do this. Both the posing and the fact that she did not disclose the information to the pageant committee say sometning about her character. She may well be a believer, but these actions cause all sorts of questions and open up the door for the criticism she is now receiving.

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