Last week the Miss USA beauty pageant made headline news.  It was, of course, no surprise that the event drew attention in the national media; it always does.  As you already know, unless you were really avoiding the news, Miss California was asked for her thoughts about gay marriage.  And you undoubtedly already know that her response included the assertion that, in her opinion, marriage should be between a man and a woman.  Surely it was no surprise that many in the media were quick to condemn her answer as hateful and intolerant, including that world-reknown champion of the faith, Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana), who opined that Christians should be loving and not judgmental and that everyone deserves to be happy.  Normally, I would have no clue what Ms. Cyrus has to say about anything, but this was headline news.  No one is going to try to stop Miley Cyrus from claiming to be a Christian, just like no one would stop my five-year-old daughter from claiming to be a nuclear physicist.  I find it rather difficult, however, to believe that either would be able to substantiate her claim.

What Ms. Cyrus has left out of the equation is that the same God who loves is the same God who hates sin.  When Jesus rescued the woman caught in adultery, he lovingly told her to “go and sin no more” (John 8).  He did not say, “Those guys are just judgmental and unloving; now go and do whatever it takes to be happy.”  Jesus came to seek and save the lost  (Luke 19).  Jesus made it clear that his purpose in coming was not to do away with the Law (Matthew 5).  Nowhere is it written in scripture that our happiness is paramount.  Rather, our salvation is paramount, and it must be preceded by a sincere turning away from sin.  Incidentally, scripture makes it quite clear that homosexual sex is a sin (1 Corinthians 6, Romans 1, Genesis 18 & 19, Leviticus 18).

The most disturbing aspect of this story is not the reaction of Hollywood liberals but the fact that many Christians are holding Miss California up as an example of a “fine Christian lady.”  I have no wish to cast aspersion on her, but does Miss California really deserve to be regarded as a hero of the faith?  I didn’t watch the pageant, but didn’t she walk the stage in a skimpy bikini?  Were there not 50 scantily-clad women showcased?  Where are the champions of modesty in Christendom?  Jesus said that if you look at a woman with lust you’ve already committed adultery with her in your heart (Matthew 5).  Tell me that you can observe a beautiful woman in a bikini for more than a second or two without lusting and I will assume you are lying.  If you can really observe that much skin, man, without any desire for it, then you are capable of something entirely unnatural.  God never meant for a man to fill his eyes with images of Miss California, or any other beautiful woman, in such a state of undress and remain free of sexual desire.  Nor did He ever mean for such a sight to be offered to any man other than her husband.  As all partipants are required to be unmarried, not one single contestant of the Miss USA pageant was eligible for viewing by a Christian man last week.

Again, my purpose is not to critique Miss California, but to lament the response of those Christians who are so proud of her “stand.”  While she did say marriage was for a man and a woman, which is a good thing, she also tried to soften the effect of her answer to her detractors by noting that we live in a country where we can choose gay marriage or “opposite” marriage, and that she wished no offense with her opinion.  It wasn’t the kind of bold defense of Christian principles that merits such an outpouring of support from Christians.  Moreover, the headlines have now revealed a photo of Miss California partying, beer-in-hand, with an obviously-drunken Michael Phelps.  I would prefer to let these two have their privacy, and not hold either up as role models.  I submit to you that Christians should shun skimpy standards, as well as skimpy clothing.