Standing Up For What You Believe

This past week has drawn a lot of attention to the gay-marriage movement, and a woman who voiced her support against it. Carrie Prejean, the reigning Miss California and runner-up in last Sunday's Miss USA pageant, has been the lightning rod for the homosexual community as they have bashed her for holding Christian-based, family values. If you've missed any of the discussion, be sure to read the posts from Tuesday and Thursday.

This week, we have seen a lot of supporters of the gay marriage movement call Miss Prejean just about every vile name in the book. That only intensified when she commented to interviewers that her beliefs were based on her faith in Jesus.

To her credit, Carrie has not fired back in the same manner. The world would have immediately retaliated by equalling the muck-throwing, but not Carrie. She has not only held up the integrity of a beauty pageant winner/contestant, but more importantly, she has lived out Jesus' words. And, so long as she maintains her integrity, she will survive this battle.

So, what can Carrie expect now? Two things. First, the Christian community will no doubt attempt to turn her into the newest spokeperson and conference speaker. The opportunities should start rolling in before long, and her story would serve as inspiration to all Christians facing tremendous pressure from the world.

However, there is a danger in going this route. Right now, Carrie is very relavent to society. Her face is in the public spotlight. Her beliefs are splattered across the public viewing screen. But, to turn her post-pageant career exclusively to the Christian world would eventually make her relavent only to Christians, and that may not be the best thing for her or us.

At the moment, she has the attention of the world. People want to know why she believes what she does. The world is asking why she would throw away the thing she worked hardest for all because of her religious beliefs. The world has a genuine interest in Carrie Prejean. To turn away from the world's interest would hurt everyone.

The second thing Carrie can expect is that her opponents will continue to degrade her publicly. The fight began with a voiced repulsion at Miss Prejean's comments at the Miss USA pageant. The media then tried to get her to lower herself into name-calling, but she refused to play along.

If the media and vocal liberals continue their expected pattern, I anticipate they will begin digging into her past in an effort to defame her (see: Sarah Palin). If that fails, they will try to make her irrelavent, likely by ignoring her and hoping she goes away quickly.

All that being said, I think we as Christians have a duty to vocally and prayerfully support Carrie Prejean. Most of us have never held the public spotlight, and therefore do not fully understand the amount of pressure and lonliness that comes when we're being attacked for our beliefs. Right now, she needs to know she has a bunch of friends who view her as a hero, and she needs to know that we'll support her viewpoint to our questioning friends.

One last thing I would like to point out. Carrie has said that she was praying that she would not be asked the same-sex marriage question. However, God allowed her to face that test of faith. Tomorrow, you may face a similar situation where you'll have to make the decision to stand up for your faith, or cave to the pressure and sacrifice your beliefs for comfort, fame or fortune. Here's the ultimate deal...some day we will all kneel before God, and discover that the fame, fortune and creature comforts of this world pale in comparison to an Almighty God.

So, when you're faced with the questions on your faith, consider the eternal consequences.