Miss California, Carrie Prejean, stood up for her belief that marriage should be between one man and one woman, and it probably cost her the title of Miss USA.
Regardless of your opinion on this issue, you have to admire Prejean for staying true to her beliefs, particularly as someone running for Miss USA, and particularly for someone who lives in California, where this issue is particularly hot-button right now.
It's important to have faith and values, and even more important to be strong enough to stand up for what you believe in when you get pressure from the opposite side. There are many people who, in the privacy of their homes, among the support of their church families, or behind the veil of the Internet, claim to feel a certain way about issues. They stick to their guns in the safety of their bubbles. But when approached by someone who feels differently, or when engaged in a debate, they often falter, or diminish their beliefs to avoid being persecuted, or to protect their own feelings.
Perhaps they fear that if their true beliefs are challenged, their hearts and minds will be changed. I think that's a shame. Any time my beliefs have been challenged (and they have been!), I've come out on the other side of it with even stronger convictions. If you're that afraid of being challenged, maybe your values aren't as strong as you thought.
(If you're interested in seeing Prejean's answer to the question of same-sex marriage, it's here.)
Question for you. Would you be as admiring if Ms. Prejean had been staying true to her belief that blacks are inferior beings who must not be allowed to intermarry with whites?
ReplyDeleteRespecting someone for standing up for their moral beliefs is one thing. Respecting them for standing against other people's civil rights is something else again.
If you read the article, she's not saying she's actively trying to prevent it. She says that she, personally, is against it. She says she lives in a country where people can choose, but that she is against it.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I admire.
P.S. She's being respectful about it instead of using the answer as a platform for venting anger.
ReplyDeleteLast week I saw a lot of hate and disrespect for no reason. I was glad to see someone who shares conservative beliefs respectfully.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it's necessary to face challenges. Even though I'm a shy person, I try not to hide my beliefs. My friends have asked me a lot of tough questions. I attempt to answer them, although I don't always have the best answers. I guess that my real friends love and respect me enough to ask me these questions.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how respectfully she framed her bigotry, no matter she's not acting on her bigotry, it's still bigotry. I've spent the past day thinking about this, and I still can't find anything in what she did that I can respect or admire.
ReplyDeleteI'm not trying to talk you out of your opinion, btw. Just sharing me own.
I understand. And I understand why you don't respect her.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, last week I saw a *lot* of hate and disrespect of people simply for the color of their skin or their situation in life, and it frustrated the crap out of me. (I actually got up and walked away from a dinner out because of it.) So I think I was just thankful her opinion wasn't expressed the way I'd seen lately.
If that makes sense.