Between Two Worlds

I've hesitated to comment thus far on Carrie Prejean, Miss California. (As I'm sure most people know, in answer to a question about gay marriage from a judge who is gay she expressed her personal opinion that marriage should be between a man and a woman.) For this she has been vilified by some and praised by others.

I agree with Ray Ortlund who reminds of of the need for mercy:

So a few years ago she did something wrong [semi-nude pictures]. A world of love would say, "Let's bury this and give her her life back. She can still have a great future. God bless her." But the actual world we live in, this merciless world, says, "Let's embarrass her and shame her and destroy her."

Thank God for God the merciful. All who, like her, like me, need mercy should stand together with defiant trust in him. He will have the final word, a very happy word.

I don't think this is incompatible with Doug Groothuis's analysis:

This young woman is a beauty queen, both ensnared by and loving that sad and silly skin game. However, the category should not exist. American society has created an unreal and cruel standard for women to reach: the beauty queen--a woman known for curves and perfect skin, heavenly hair and preternatural teeth. They prance and pose and preen; the cameras churn and burn; the media salivates and speculates. My stomach turns. It is all sinful a waste of the short time we have on this fallen planet. Moreover, in addition to the intrinsic immodesty and vanity of the beauty queen persona, this woman apparently posed for even more indecent photographs. This model is no model (of character).

Carrie Prejean is no heroine. She does not deserve any more attention. To give it to her, whether you are James Dobson or Sean Hannity, reveals the paucity of both real virtue and Christian discernment today. We have defined decency down. Perhaps we should lift some prayers up.

Amen.