Who’s Really Intolerant?

We often hear today that Christians are intolerant – you know, how all they want to do is force their beliefs on everyone else.

Which brings me to the Miss USA pageant held this past Sunday in Las Vegas.

Miss California, Carrie Prejean, had made it to the final fifteen and was supposedly one of the favorites to win it all. Having made it past the swim suit and evening gown rounds, she now came to the part of the competition where she had to answer a single question in front of the five judges.

Her questioner? Perez Hilton, a celebrity blogger, openly gay self-described ‘queen of all media’, and one of the competition’s judges. The question? “Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?”

After a brief pause, Prejean replied:

“Well I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what? In my country, in my family, I think I believe a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be – between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.”

How did the crowd respond? They booed.

How did Perez Hilton respond? After the pageant he called Miss Prejean a dumb bitch on his blog and went on to describe her as having half a brain. He also said he would have stormed onto the stage and ripped off her tiara had she won. Nice.

How did Carrie Prejean respond after her answer may have lost her the title and she was named runner-up? She said:

“I have no regrets about answering the question honestly. He asked me for my opinion and I gave it to him. I have nothing against gay people, and I didn’t mean to offend anyone in my answer.”

Now I have no idea whether Miss California’s answer cost her the crown. That’s not my point. What I find ironic is the same people who call Christians intolerant will not themselves tolerate any disagreement with their agenda.

To Perez Hilton, it doesn’t matter if Carrie Prejean has anything against gay people or whether she meant to offend anyone. To him, her position is intolerable.

And who’s trying to force whose beliefs on everyone else?