17 November 2009

Beauty Pageants, Breast Implants, and Sex Tapes (What the Bible says about Carrie Prejean)

Here are some quotes from Carrie Prejean's interview with Christianity Today -- along with some stupid stuff I found in the Bible.

"I think you can be a Christian and compete in a pageant."

That could be. But, as usual, the Bible is far from clear about this.

On the one hand, there is Esther, who became queen by winning a raunchy beauty/sex contest (As Misty pointed out in the comments and I had completely forgotten). Here is her story.

King Ahasuerus throws a party and encourages his guests to drink to excess. Then, when they are all drunk, he orders Queen Vashti to show her stuff before him and his guests. Esther 1:7-11

Vashti refuses to entertain the king's drunken guests by dancing before them. For this she is no longer to be queen, to be replaced by someone better (prettier). 1:12-19

So "all the fair young virgins" throughout the kingdom are brought before the king, and the one that "pleaseth" the king the most will replace Vashti. 2:2-4

When it was Esther turn to "go in unto the king," she pleases him the most. So, having won the sex contest, she is made queen in Vashti's place. 2:8-17

On the other hand, here's some stuff from the New Testament that might be a problem for Christian beauty pageant contestants.
I will that ... women adorn themselves in modest apparel ... not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array. 1 Timothy 2:8-9
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel. 1 Peter 3:3
(Well, at least she doesn't have braided hair!)

"I don't see anywhere in the Bible where it says you shouldn't get breast implants."

Carrie might be right about that. For example, here's a case where God brags about helping a woman enhance her "ornaments". Heck, he even personally fashioned her breasts for her! (God is a hair dresser and a breast enhancer. Who knew?)
I [God] have caused thee to ... come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown. Ezekiel 16:6
And here's a case where the Bible expresses concern for a woman's small breasts. (If breast implants were available at the time, the problem would have been solved.)
We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? Song of Solomon 8:8
And in this verse, her big sister brags about her big breasts.
My breasts like towers. Song of Solomon 8:10
So score this one for Carrie. God likes big breasts, natural or not.

"There is a video out there of me."
(According to RadarOnline.com, there are at least 8 of them, each showing her performing solo sex acts.)

God might have a beef with Carrie on this one, depending on what kind of props she used in her videos.
"Thou hast ... madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them." Ezekiel 16:17
And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. Jeremiah 3:9
They have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. Lamentations 1:8-9

So, on the whole, I think Carrie should be careful. God does some nasty stuff to women when he thinks they've misbehaved.

Here's just one example from Ezekiel.

The nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms .... Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out ... and pluck off thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 23:29-34

10 comments:

Mountain Mom said...

What about Esther? Wasn't she a beauty queen? I mean, literally? Out with Vashti and her morals and in with the hottest virgin in the land for the queen! I think that Prejean may have some Biblical precedence for her chosen profession.

twillight said...

Wow, you really "know" the Bible!

Baconsbud said...

I liked how she said that no where in the bible does it say you can't have implants. If someone says the bible doesn't say abortions are wrong or that the bible doesn't say two same sex can get married, it sure makes the extremist go nuts with their wild interpretations.

Steve Wells said...

Hey thanks, Misty. I completely forgot about Esther! I'll add something about that later tonight.

Brucker said...

I think your first point is a valid one entirely; the fact that she doesn't have braided hair is not the point, I'm pretty sure Paul and Peter are saying that you shouldn't use fancy looks to impress people. I will say that I don't think Paul is giving a command so much as practical advice for good Christian living. Prejean is setting a poor example at best.

While you're thinking about Esther, I'd like to point out about that story that Esther was essentially ordered by the king to compete in a pageant, which makes for special circumstances, as the Bible does say that people are to respect authority. The only authority that Prejean is showing any respect to is Donald Trump. (Not my idea of an authority worth debasing yourself for.)

Oh, and Baconsbud's point is excellent as well.

Unknown said...

If it is a matter of interpretation, I would say from a christian point of view breast implants are probally a big no no. Christians beLIEve the body is a temple. The bible does not directly say Implants but it does mention tattoos or body piercings witch give us insight to that gods desires
Lev. 19:28- No Scarification or cuts in the body and no Tattoos
Exodus 21:6 + Deut 15:17 refers to piercings as a sign of slavery

The best way for a Christians to look at it is found in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

Basically keep your body the way god made you don’t mutilate and distort gods perfect creation. No cosmetic surgery of any kind you are born the way god intended. It could all be a part of god’s plan and no one know god’s plan.
So if god made you flat chested, bow-legged, with a severe over bite, drooping eyelid that constantly covers your Lazy eye, 10 Abnormally size toes and 11 webbed fingers yes even the sixth finger on you left hand, a severe split lip, abnormal development of the face or skull, Born without a left outer ear and your right ear is just a lump of flesh, and large growth birthmarks that cause disfigurement. It is just the way god wanted you to be.

All natural birth defects another part of gods perfect creation.

P.S. Ezekiel 16:6 god only likes real breasts that he makes. Fake breasts just don’t feel right to god.

RR said...

Some good stuff...

I think god was a misogynist ... seems pretty evident to me.

nazani said...

I never understood his issue with braided hair until I looked at pictures of Roman hairstyles. I can only imagine that it would have taken all day to create one of the complex braided styles, and I hope the hairdresser would have been well paid. The good news- the 'do would have lasted about two weeks.

Unknown said...

Hi, I just want to clarify what the whole little sister wall thing means.

The "wall" is a chaste woman.

The "door" is the loose, immoral one.

If the young sister, who is 12 years or younger by the description, is getting into trouble - if she starts acting like a door, they will protect her. Like a good older brother or father should do, to prevent trouble down the road.

If she is a wall, stays chaste, she will be honored and rewarded by "palace of silver" - figuratively, with prosperity of life, or of heart.

"in the day when she shall be spoken for" <- it was dishonorable in that society to not be a virgin in arranged marriage. Laugh at that if you want, but you have to respect others' cultures, because look at this one. Loose living has caused pain, disease, divorce etc. Even nature says promiscuity is wrong via VD etc.

Then the woman says she is a wall, but has breasts, this signifies she is fully matured. She has remained a chaste virgin through her young womanhood. That's desirable to her husband, her lover, her spouse.

I don't think anyone can argue that someone saving themselves for marriage is an honorable thing, and a great gift to the one that finds them.

Thanks for listening.

Linda

shereflects said...

I think many people believe that Esther is not exactly a good role model. One interpretation of the book of Esther is that God used her despite being promiscuous in order to save the nation of Israel.

Also, many of these verses are taken out of context. You must consider the cultural and historical background. Not just apply "words" to today's circumstances. Principals are much more important.