Carrie Prejean to Values Voter Summit: 'God chose me' with the gay-marriage question

It’s easy to make fun of beauty queens -- their plastic smiles, their bottle-blond tresses, their dreams for world peace. But Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California whose declaration that marriage should be between a man and woman earned her the vilification of some in the gay rights community, provided an unanticipated emotional highlight at a conference of Christian conservatives in Washington today.

In a heartfelt talk that moved some in the crowd to tears, Prejean recounted for the 1,700 activists gathered for the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit in Washington how distressing it was to go from shoo-in for Miss USA to not only losing, but being reviled and mocked for the answer on gay marriage she gave to pageant judge Perez Hilton, the celebrity gossip blogger.

“I knew as soon as I didn’t give the PC answer, I knew there was no way I would become Miss USA,” said Prejean, 22.

She had gone into the pageant in April believing herself to be the front-runner, and had spent months preparing: she had makeup coaches, walking coaches, accent modification coaches. For the question-and-answer portion of the pageant, she felt more than prepared because she had studied 500 questions. But then came Hilton’s question.

“Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?”

“I saw all my prep fly by me,” said Prejean.

To the Values Voter crowd’s immense delight, she added: “As I saw my goals and aspirations flash by me, I knew God had a plan for me… God chose me for that moment. He knew I was strong enough to get through all the junk that I have been through.”

What she went through, she said, was “a vicious storm of attacks,” including being vulgarly insulted by Hilton in an Internet video, and having her parents’ divorce records published by tabloids.

She has also had a series of legal tangles with the Miss USA pageant, whose owner, Donald Trump, initially stood by her, as well as the company that owns the Miss California pageant, which she sued after it revoked her crown.

It’s not all bad news for Prejean, though. She also has a book coming out (“Still Standing”) and a burgeoning career on the inspirational speaker circuit.

“Even though I didn’t win the crown that night,” said Prejean, tearing up, “I know the Lord has so much of a bigger crown in heaven for me.”

The crowd stood and cheered. Luckily, it was time for lunch. She would have been a hard act to follow.

-- Robin Abcarian

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Photo: Carrie Prejean with, hosts Billy Bush and Nadine Velazquez,  answers a question from judge Perez Hilton, unseen, about legalizing same-sex marriage during the Miss USA Pageant in April. Credit: Associated Press.

Comments

[David]

ES165 says-"She simply disagrees with one of the most vengeful, hateful segments of our population"

and that in itself is an ignorant generality not to mention vengeful and hateful! Bravo. You and Ms thing should get along famously!

[Mike Nyberg]

Value voters? The only values these people hold are intolerance and bigotry. What a sorry gathering of the ugliest America has to offer. Maybe these people can join forces with other like-minded folk for next year's "summit" -- the KKK and neo-nazis come to mind -- all seem to share the same gay-hating ideology. Just more proof that religion is blinding, worthless poison.

[BradK]

A bit too close to home, eh Robin?

[Katie Murphy]

"God chose me....."

If you think the Catholic church has totally lost its way, an example being its goal of making Gays the "new despicables" re equality and human rights, there is something worse.

Some right wing christian churches actually follow an idea from Calvinism that certain people are pre-ordained to leadership and wealth, and everyone else is to be a follower, or perhaps serf, is the correct term - blind followers of these leaders. The Wikipedia definition of Calvinism says "God preordained...a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation. John Calvin"

And that is what Prajean, who went to a Christian school is really saying. Examples of these right wing, usually Evangelicals, include Gov. Sanford of SC, who ran off on state funded trips to visit a girlfriend in Argentina. And note how there appears to be little if any shame from that "family values" so called Christian. This is because being pre-ordained for power, he is considered to be free of sin, he can do anything he wants, while espousing different standards for the rest of the people.

And another one of this crowd includes Sen Ensign of Nevada, who had an affair with a staffers wife, all the while proclaiming his "family values". One of the greatest oxymoronic statements there is coming out of the so called religious right. No wonder they say what they say with a straight face, while not understanding themselves the vileness for which they stand.

Other examples of this in right wing, hate filled christianity which always need someone to hate to blind the eye and harden the heart, include former megachurch leader Ted Haggard of Colorado. Secretly videotaped ranting against gays. Until he was outed by his gay male prostitute boy friend. And then he claimed he had been "christian cured", and then got caught again. And people like Huckabee, a Baptist minister, and the monstrosity named Virginia Foxx from North Carolina, who said the Matthew Shepard murder was a hoax. One wonders if she would think it was a hoax if someone for religious reasons beat one of her children to a pulp and left them to die tied to a fence.

And when you look at what these horribly corrupted minds are saying, using the power of religion, you must wonder how many murders via induced suicides they have caused of young gay children, all in the Name of Jesus and God. And I hope I've explained how they think they are immune from being sent to hell.

And there is precedent elsewhere for people who believe they have been appointed by (various versions of ) God to fulfill some mission. Examples include the 9/11 murderers, who thought they were doing God's work, and would be rewarded in paradise with 72 virgins for their pleasure.

And to quite an extent, this same mentality was present in the worst of worst despotic murderer of relatively recent time. In his book, he often tells of how he was saved by "divine Providence"". Providence is defined in Wikipedia as "God, esp. when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence, and a manifestation of divine care or direction. Sounds awfully close to the Calvinism doctrine.

The man I'm referring to had a very strict upbringing in Austria, A very Catholic country. And his name will be a "curse" in humankind for a million years. Adolph Hitler.

The only difference is in the degree of damage that these "pre-ordained" mentalities do to the world. As if we haven't had enough mass murder already.

[Kevin Farley]

Yes, God wanted her to get the boob job, spend her life devoted to her looks-that is what Christ really advocated, the shallow, preening self love she displays at every turn. She's just another narcissist angling for her own "Greta" hour on Fox News. If prayer is 'the last refuge of a scoundrel', then pandering to the right wing religious kooks is the last chance for extending that 15 minutes of undeserved fame.

[s.b]

An impressive speech; I'm sure that it will inspire many to resist the corrupt gay agenda. Gay does not even exist; it is an abstract invention by, mostly capitalist, people that want to divide humanity. Call yourself a human being and I will have some basic respect for you; call yourself "gay" and I will never know what that is, so don't blame me for your zealousness.
If we can win California and the Afro-Americans, we can win the world. Well done, Carrie.

[EB]

Closely tied to the notion of “judgment” is “tolerance.” Although many accuse absolutists of intolerance, these accusers most likely have an unclear and distorted notion of what tolerance really is. They often are unaware that the concept of tolerance implies a close relationship to truth. Contrary to popular definitions, true tolerance means “putting up with error”—not “being accepting of all views.”

A MUST READ: “Who Are You to Judge Others?” - In Defense of Making Moral Judgments
http://www.rzim.org/USA/USFV/tabid/436/ArticleID/94/CBModuleId/1045/Default.aspx

[Jason21TX]

Quote " Good for Carrie. I hope she does well in life. She didn't show any hate to anyone. She simply disagrees with one of the most vengeful, hateful segments of our population" UNquote

Notice how the so called religious right totally lies. See what they call the gay people - vengeful, hatefull etc.

It seems to me and so many others that the vengeful and hatefull people are those who warp Jesus' message of God's love for ALL his creation into a hatred and denial of the humanity of gay people. And for the most part, these are the descendants of the same people, who gave America its greatest crime, slavery and segregation. All justified by their so called bible.
\
If you ever wondered how monstrosities come to be, such as Nazi Germany and hitler, it is the same exact mechanism operating here. The use/ direction of hatred against people you don't know to gain power. Hitler, a catholic did it, using the hatred of the Jews - Jesus own people - which came from Rome, to give the world its worst catastrophy. Because the people of Germany sold their souls to that maniac. Just like people like Prajean sell their souls to a hardly different monstrosity.

As others have said, it has nothing to do with God, and all to do with power and money. The roots of all evil.

[trent1280]

I hope Ms Prejean wasn't alone at this forum. Surely she was joined in her revelations by such other Values Voters as Rev Ted Haggard, Rev Peter Popoff, Sen Jon Vitter, Rep Mark Foley, and Sen Larry Craig.

By their sterling examples, we understand better how her world really operates.

We trust they applauded her too. God continues to work in mysterious ways.

[melro]

Yet another dingbat who thinks she's the "chosen one."

[Rilla]

This woman is NOT a Christian role model. Period.

[californication]

She belongs on Broadway.

[Gary SF]

Did God choose the size of her breast implant too? I mean, without them, she wouldn't have been there at that precise moment for God to 'choose' her to say those things.

That 'people of faith' are not speaking out against Prejean for her blasphemy is beyond me, and I'm not even talking about the gay stuff.

It appears that many people of faith have been co-opted and duped by moneyed, political interests. Religions that frown upon 'free thinking' and critical thought risk having pretentious, ignorant people like Prejean represent them. But then, they probably deserve worse.

[es165]

It's funny, the country was founded on religion.

To quote John Adams.... remember the founding fathers????

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."-John Adams

Now you hear people say that you can't believe what someone says because they are "religious"

There are some seriously disturbed people in todays society.

[dave™©]

One word: nutjob.

[Shawn]

Let us get one fact out of the way. Becoming a homosexual is not God's will. You can continue to justify your case with all the false doctrine that you want. It is written that men will fall in love with men and women will do like-wise in the bible. God came down on homosexuals once and said next time it will be fire. So while I sit here today in this world and watch his Word come true, I pray for all who seek homosexuality to learn the truth. You will get the votes to hold the title Marriage. I see it. This event will only put us, who are the true believers, closer to his coming. So in enjoy your sin. :)

[NStormRider]

I hate to say this, but you're showing your ignorance. There's nothing 'below' the center of the earth. Hell is a place for souls, not for bodies, as is heaven. At the very least, the idea that heaven and hell are above the earth and below the earth shows that you've been getting your theology from Hallmark.

But, hey, bigotry comes in all sizes, right?

As for her, I think that answering honestly with heartfelt belief is just fine. Regardless of previous bad decisions. She made the right one, and it still pisses people off.

I think, though, that the left needs to figure out that you don't have to hate someone to disagree with them, or stand in their way. It might lend to them acting in kind.

[Values_Driven]

How awesome to have a young lady take a stand based on eternal values and moral imperatives! The vast majority of the world believes homosexuality as well as the murder of the unborn is a major sin. But a relativistic culture has tried to reframe the argument by relabeling "gay" and " woman's right to choose". Left unsaid is what the woman is choosing: she's choosing to kill an unborn child, a child with his/her own DNA, a fully formed child though not fully grown. And we have "gays" who've reframed the argument from one of perversion to a "choice" of lifestyle. Their choice is to "do what I want" rather than to do what I should. To be sure, there are heterosexuals that do the same with adulteress affairs. Who are the ones who hate? Sounds like Perez is full of hate. The losing side of Prop 8 was full of hate engaging in vandalism, personal attacks, etc. It is THEY who are the hateful, bigoted, fascists. We live in a world in which truth is absolute, not relative. Where does one get the truths of the moral law (or natural law). How does one differentiate between "good" and "evil". Preference? That gave us Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao. An atheistic German philosopher made this statement regarding Europe: “Christianity, and nothing else, is the ultimate foundation of liberty, conscience, human rights, and democracy, the benchmarks of Western civilization. To this day, we have no other options [than Christianity]. We continue to nourish ourselves from this source. Everything else is postmodern chatter." Amen

[Wally Greenwell]

C'mon - you don't think she got where she is by using her mind do you? So why would she start doing so now?
Beauty queens are meant to be seen, not heard.
Remember that Carrie, and you'll have a stellar career well into your mid 20s.

[Maggie Knowles]

That wasn't God that chose Prejean to answer the gay-marriage question, that was Perez Hilton. :)

[chuck]

Did she actually say that the Right should be the symbol of tolerance and civility? LMAO Obviously she hasn't been to a Teabagger party and seen the Obama Witch Doctor signs or been to any townhall meetings and dealt with the screaming right-wingnut morons. Or maybe she's just a complete tool/fool that ignores all that. My money's on the latter.

[Sharon Leslie-Clarke]

She's the modern day Esther. God has blessed her for such a time as this.

[Daragh Ryan]

I wonder how they much the paid her to tell this anti-gay crowd that God's looking after her bottom line?

Nauseating.

[Punisher]

"Bless her for knowing the "truth" that God did choose her for that question ... sadly, she didn't answer it according to God's plan!"

That's funny since in several of the gospels, Christ spoke of marriage as between man and woman, pointing to God's creation from Genesis. Funny all these folks bashing her as not being a good Christian for what she said claim the name of Christ when they agree with her, not them! Now, who is being hypocritical?

[Robert]

A Judgmental Values Summit is the modern-day version of the Pharisees, who practiced "morals" by putting other people down. That didn't make them followers of Jesus. Jesus himself said "judge not, that ye be not judged." Jesus did not cast a stone at the "harlot woman," either. These so-called "Christians" merely put others down while "sinning" themselves (for example, Carrie Prejean posed seminude---oh wait, a "Divine Wind" blew her top off, that's right.)

[Canon Richard T. Nolan]

When anyone (lay or ordained) today declares that "God chose me ....." it is an example of what one writer has called a "sanctification of their own desires" blended with delusional narcissism. Such proclamations may be very self-satisfying, but, in my opinion, they should be set aside by hearers with a touch of pity.

[D.Woodward Van Nuys.]

Carrie Prejean,To me, she looks and sounds like that if she jumped off of a tall building,on the way down she would need to stop and ask for directions.

[Dale]

It's the real Christians in this country that are laughing and yet in awe. It flies in the name of the Lord to think your self-importance is tied to a political agenda.

Carrie will be judged twice. Later in the years when she is seen as nothing but a bigot. And then by the Lord.

[andrew]

Saying that God - the alleged creator of the whole universe - actually chose that phoney peroxide blonde airhead to give a rather shaky delivery 'his' message to the rest of mankind proves she is either a liar, hallucinating... or that this God is an appalling judge of character and needs a better spokesperson. However 'vile' the response has been to her, it doesn't come close to how vile the discrimation of gay people is in this country. I have nothing but contempt for the shallowness, hypocrisy and faux-victimhood of this bigotted woman.

[Thom H]

It is tiresome to have religious quotes selectively chosen from Leviticus. Hilton should have asked Prejean if she is unclean when she gets her menstrual period, and if a chair she has sat in becomes unclean. Why restrict her to homosexual prohibitions?

[Jenna]

She can't possibly think that she was "chosen by God" can she? It's not like she's Joan of Arc or Mother Theresa or anything. The gall of that little girl!

[Bill]

Prejean states, “Even though I didn’t win the crown that night, I know the Lord has so much of a bigger crown in heaven for me.”

It's just too bad no one told Prejean that it is a crown of thorns.

[George]

Is she for real??? I mean seriously - GO AWAY!!!

[Jeff]

Why does everyone keep saying the question wasn't fair? Gay marriage is a reality (it is already legal in some states)...so pick a side but you can't say it isn't a FAIR question!

[Norman]

Anyone against gay marriage is a bigot-there is no way to weasel out of that.
Because, now listen close, religious nutballs, when you state that a gay marraige is less than or in some way inferior to your own marriage, you are establishing an inequality. You are stating, in no uncertain terms, that your union is some how better or more blessed than one between same sex people. That is the very definition of bigotry.
There is no longer any hiding behind religion.
Marriage, for all of you ignoramuses, was created for hereditary puropose, LONG BEFORE THE BIBLE-got that? Before the bible, there was marriage-religion did not create it.
The bottom line is, in this coujntry, marriage is not a religious institution-it is a lawful contract-you only make it religious if you are religious.
So, to sum up, people who think same sex couples should not be treated equally under the law-that is, their marriage should not be recognized, are bigots.
Do not lie that the word "marriage" offends-in WA, bigots are fighting the "everything but marriage" law-you do not want us not to have marraige, you simply hate us. No one is forcing anything upon you (don't want a gay marriage? don't have one!) and the institution of marriage is not being destroyed. In MA, the first state with gay marraige, the divorce rate is the lowest in the country-got that? the LOWEST divorce rate is in MA-the state that first allowed gay marriage. Gay marriage actually helps marriage-wow! Imagine that!
God is testing you and you are failing miswerably-just like the bimbo with the fake tan, fake teeth and fake tits
So, stay out of my bed! You are on the wrong side of history and have no chance to win!
Look at Anita Bryant, Carrie-bankrupt, poor, and God granted her a gay son-Bless Him.
God bless the gays

[Much2Mutch]

I proud of her. She has beliefs and is not afraid to show them. Go Carrie!!

[1equalityUSA]

They ought to make a horror film, "Carrie". Her face is changing ever since she went on this anti-gay rampage to appease her hurt ego. Anyone noticing? It's weird. I blamed it on plane snacks, but now believe she morphing. Watch. You think I'm kidding don't you? Look at her today and then look at her in two months time.

[Christ is AWESOME!]

I challenge anyone to find any circumstance or instance in which Carrie Prejean showed hate or said anything discriminatory against gays! As far as her crown in heaven, it's going to be alot nicer than the heaps of coal you'll receive in hell. And whoever thinks values need to be ridiculed and harassed obviously have no values to begin with. And who's the bigot here? The only reason "society" hasn't destroyed itself is because of Christ's influence on those who believe in Him!

[steve rodriguez]

Carrie Prejean is gifted from God!!!!!

[Norman]

Christ is awesome-uh...when she said marriage should be between a man and a woman-that is hate-she thinks any relationship she has is better and holier than mine with my husband-there, challenge accepted and beaten.
Society hasn't destroyed itself because of christ? wow-you're dumb. Only about 10 to 15% of the world believes in christ as the son of man (you do know that the immaculate conception story was taken from the greeks-zeus and danae, right?). I hardly think 10 to 15% of believers have somehow saved the world..more peopel are actually buddhists or taoists-petty egotistical of you to think your beliefs somehow control the world...

That's ridiculous

Anyway, keep your religion out of my bed and out of the lawbooks!!

[NarNar]

Pailin can see Alaska, and Prejean says "God chose her"...It's as if Palin have given birth to Prejean? What genetic chain does these people come from?

[person]

I can't decide whether she is just ridiculous or sad?

[Truth]

Truth is not hatred.

If I warn someone that is planning on jumping off a bridge that he will die, that is not hatred. That is truth and, in fact, love.

The Bible says that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom of God (1st Corinthians 6:9). Instead, they will go to a place of eternal torment, where "there is weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Thus, the homosexual's argument is not with Ms. Prejean, but with God Himself.

[Carol]

Being gay is often genetic, like having blue eyes. Banning gay marriage is like banning blue-eyed people from marriage. For example, changes in hormonal secretion or expression of hormone receptors during early development could cause changes in the development of the hypothalamus, which is where sexual orientation is determined. This could of course be influenced by endocrine disruptors, such as pesticides, but genetic alterations (mutations) are often a source.

Based on the relatively new Act that congress had passed, discrimination for someone's genetic composition would be illegal, and I would consider it immoral.

[Ron]

I would just like to point out that she has a right to whatever beliefs she wants, and unlike the people criticizing her, she never resorted to name-calling and personal attacks. In fact, I would go so far as to say that she has shown infinitely more class than the people criticizing her.

If all you can do to "further your goals" is publicly attack everyone against you... you don't deserve your goals. Attacking everyone against gay marriage is a sure-fire way to make everyone hate the idea out of pure spite.

Besides, whether I agree with her or not, I find it admirable that she chose to answer what she truly believed, rather than selling her beliefs for a chance at the crown. As to her modeling career before the pageant, I don't think anyone here has the right to call her hypocritical. Isn't the whole Christian beliefs system based on the fact that no one is perfect, everyone does bad things, and Jesus forgives you for it? I'd say the whole "I did something bad, I regret it, and I am forgiven for it" deal kind of goes along with her beliefs perfectly.

Lastly... where on Earth does everyone get the idea she hates gays? She thinks its wrong, sure... but that's a drastically different story than HATING them. Do you hate everyone that has ever told a lie? Do you hate everyone that has stolen anything in the past? Then you are either the world's biggest misanthrope, or you are just as hypocritical as you claim she is. I vote for the latter.

[Steve Consilvio]

Isn't it funny how people are in favor of free speech, until somebody says something that they disagree with? lol The Left wing is full of the same hypocrisy as the Right wing.

I didn't actually hear her answer, so I will reserve commentary on it. But her position, like everyone else's, is valid, and is probably a lot more narrowly focused than those who cheer or vilify her. The extremes of love and hate are both a mark of imbalanced thinking and misunderstanding something.

God wants us to love one another. Those who cannot love their enemy are not following God, or a moral path, regardless of how they 'dress' their views in political or religious propaganda. We should be able to love and accept one another, regardless of our flaws.

[Aaron]

Good lord! The really IS something wrong in California if this is the state's "representative female." By the way, God chose me to read this article and to respond as I have.

[BeautyQueen]

Well, all these comments show is the same thing that always happens between the gay and straight worlds: We don't understand or accept you, you don't understand or accept us, and every time someone stands up and shows it, a brouhaha ensues. Let's just say everyone is intolerant and get to deciding the issue(s) at hand. Carrie Prejean is nothing in the overall scheme of things, when you look at the bigger picture. I won't address her further.

The real issue of course, is "Is California/America going to allow gays to marry?" The answer: Some day, absolutely. Just the way, eventually, slaves were freed, civil rights were instituted, etc., etc., etc. It's always a matter of time before change like this happens, but it happens. Right now, we're in a holding pattern until enough of the younger generation who doesn't care one way or the other about the gay/straight issue grows up and votes. Until then, Gay America (and the world) will keep making noise until they're heard - and satisfied with the response.

Remember, it took a couple hundred years for slaves to get free, and a hundred more to have civil rights recognized, and nearly 45 more years for a president who is anything other than a white male to be elected...

The sad part is that there has to be this waiting game, when we all know that it's eventually going to happen anyway.

[john u]

God talking to you.......usually the first sign you're well on your way to neurotic egotism

[Gaston Boykins]

Carrie Prejean has done nothing more, than,Honestly Answering,a Question of Free Speech,which, is alotted in the United States.Simple Representation of this,backs up, All, the Ms. USA Title,should stand for. Second,She stated Her Opinion, not the, Backward Beliefs, of what was,Politically Correct.Last-So,Carrie Prejean's Answer, didn't, AGREE, with some, in the Homosexual Community? It does, coincide, with GOD's Word, which, is Un-Fallible,and Again,a Statement of Freedom of Religion, in the United States.Prejean's Answer,backs up, Core-American Values. The Crown does represent:USA.Carrie Prejean, represents,what makes the United States, the Country, We Are:Free,Brave,and Honest.