Another Type of Beauty Paegant

This article is fascinating on a variety of levels.

It describes the "Miss Beautiful Morals" paegant in Saudi Arabia. It was briefly described this way:

But at Saudi Arabia's only beauty pageant, the judges don't care about a perfect figure or face. What they're looking for in the quest for "Miss Beautiful Morals" is the contestant who shows the most devotion and respect for her parents. [Emphasis mine]

Given that Islamic law requires women to be almost completely covered, swimsuits and curvaceous-ness are not part of the program. Instead of fleshly beauty, the focus is on (as one organizer said) "beauty of the soul and the morals" of the contestants.

Some interesting facts:

• The paegant is now in its second year. 75 women participated last year; this year it is nearly 200.
• Contestants are between the ages of 15 and 25.
• The contestants will spend ten weeks taking classes and quizzes on various elements of Islamic ladyhood. They will also be observed for one day at a country house, being judged on how each interacts with her mother.
• The paegant is not televised and all the judges are women. Therefore, they are not always required to wear the long robes that are worn in public.
• The winner receives about $2600 and other prizes. Two runners-up each will receive $1300.
• Prior to this paegant, the only "beauty paegants" in Saudi Arabia were for animals.

Last year's winner had this to say:

"I tell this year's contestants that winning is not important," said al-Shurafa, a 21-year-old English major. "What is important is obeying your parents."

Seems a far cry from the Miss USA paegant, huh? Might this be one of those areas where the Western and Islamic realms really could learn something from each other?? Imagine: A beauty paegant with modestly-dressed women (and I don't mean that in the Arab-world sense) being judged on their respect for parents, their intelligence and skills, and their beauty? Could this work?

Carrie Prejean and I Corinthians 6:19-20

It came out in the news yesterday that Carrie Prejean, Miss California and runner-up in the Miss USA contest, had previously posed for naked and/or near-naked photos. She issued a statement regarding this; two paragraphs are copied below.

"My comments defending traditional marriage have led to intimidation tactics that seek to undermine my reputation and somehow silence me and my beliefs, as if opinion is only a one-way street," says Prejean.

"I am a Christian, and I am a model. Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos. Recently, photos taken of me as a teenager have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid website that openly mocks me for my Christian faith."

Let us examine these issues one at a time.

First, her courage to publicly say that she does not support gay marriage was commendable, especially considering that she sacrificed something she wanted in the process. Yet no one—and certainly not a Christian—should be surprised when the ungodly world attacks a Christian who stands up for what is right.

The Bible teaches clearly and repeatedly that marriage is between one man and one woman, until parted by death; that all sex outside of marriage is sin; and that homosexuality, in particular, is an abomination (probably the strongest biblical word for sin) to God. Those of us who believe the Bible accept these things, as well as the fact that we must love those who sin. Those who hate the Bible also tend to hate those who love the Bible and the God Who authored it.

To address the second paragraph, let us first look at I Corinthians 6:19-20:

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Carrie has made a serious biblical mistake. The emphasized words above point out that her body, beautiful though it may be, is not hers to parade publicly—it is God's, to be used for His glory.

It is taught throughout the Bible that modesty is a virtue, and that to be immodest and provoke lust in the mind of another is sin. I heard on the radio this morning that the first released photo of Carrie, wearing nearly nothing, was getting thousands of web hits every second. Thousands of men—if not millions—are going to lust after her body because...she allowed them to. God is not pleased when a Christian flagrantly disobeys Him, nor is He pleased when a Christian seeks to rationalize or justify his or her sinful disobedience.

Naturally, those who hate Carrie are going to crow about her hypocrisy—You claim to be a Christian, yet you do this!—and, sadly, their observation is correct. David was rebuked in II Samuel 12:1-14 because not only did he take his friend's wife, and arrange for his friend's death, but also because "thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme."

I believe that Carrie's biblical responsibility now includes the following:

• To repent of her sin of immodesty
• To publicly apologize for allowing herself to be photographed in this manner
• To humbly resign from her position as Miss California
• Going forward, to exemplify the life of a Christian

That last item can still include promotion of biblical marriage and exemplification of modesty and beauty. And I hope it does.

Thoughts on Miss California

Carrie Prejean will be known henceforth as the tall, pretty, blonde Miss California who unleashed a firestorm by stating her view that marriage should be between a man and a woman. She very likely could have won the Miss USA competition had she instead answered the question posed to her in a politically correct manner.

My thoughts are these:

• You must give Carrie credit for speaking her mind—indeed, for speaking the truth—in an environment which she knew was hostile toward the truth. National TV, homosexual judge, expectations, etc...these all dictated that she give the politically correct answer to grease the slide of her success. And she spoke the truth anyway. Good for her! (And on top of it all, she reminded Americans that you can be beautiful, successful...and still speak the truth.)
• On the other hand, when you see Carrie in your mind, what do you see? I have not yet seen a picture of Carrie in anything but an evening gown or a very, very small bikini. That is the only image I have of her. Carrie speaks of being a Christian—and I sincerely hope that she is—but she was participating in an activity where she had to essentially disrobe and parade her body in front of millions of people—and her body has been in the view of millions more (like me) since this story broke. Modesty is a Christian virtue, and participation in these kinds of paegants forces you to throw that virtue aside.
  
• I hope that Carrie gives up the beauty paegant business and that she becomes a voice for what is righteous and true in whatever career God has for her. And I hope that she does it in modest clothing. She will still a beautiful girl—perhaps even more so—with the joy of the Spirit in her heart and some lovely, modest clothing on her person.