May 5, 2009 | 12:59 pm

Naked nonsense: More on the Miss California mess

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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Miss California Carrie Prejean remains in the cultural crossfires because she honestly answered a loaded question from Perez Hilton about whether she thought gays should marry. (Prejean doesn’t, which has led to a lot of Hollywood gossipmongering and appearances on the talk show and church circuit.) Today TheDirty.com, of Matt Leinart fame, posted a photo of Prejean doing her best Victoria’s Secret pose and got characteristically preachy:

Exclusive: Self-proclaimed bible thumper Miss California, Carrie Prejean, should start pointing the finger at herself for her own indiscretions. TheDirty.com has received exclusive images of the homophobic debutante that would clearly strip her of her Miss California crown. So much for being a good role model for the state of California Carrie. Looks like your Dirty photo shoot makes you a sinner too. I decided.

The celebrity gossip site then invites you to “Click On Image To Enlarge On This Sinner.”

Talk about judgmental. Prejean responded with this statement:

“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 Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith. I am not perfect, and I will never claim to be.”

I’ve got to say I agree with Miss California on this one again. Many Christians would.

I don’t know pageant rules and, frankly, I couldn’t care less. This post is not about whether Prejean should lose her Miss California crown. This is about the public stoning she’s received during the past two weeks, which I’ll agree she has only inflamed with TV and speaking appearances.

Prejean isn’t Ashley Harkleroad posing for Playboy and showing off more than just her Jesus fish tattoo. This a lingerie pic. Nothing is revealed, though not a lot is left to the imagination. What matters here, I think, is context.

Furthermore, it’s ludicrous to call Prejean a “Bible thumper.” Better would be to call her a “Bible believer,” who has a socially and biblically conservative perspective on sexuality. Agree with it, disagree with it—but don’t write her off as some nut.

As Kate wrote in the comments for my previous post on this topic:

I am a Christian who believes that the Bible condemns homosexuality but I also voted No on Prop 8 in California because I believe that banning gay marriage strips a certain section of the population of their fundamental human rights.  Although I find merit in the arguments on the both sides of this specific controversy, I don’t think Perez should have been allowed to use the pageant as his personal forum nor do I think Miss CA’s answer was bad or offensive.  Please let this story die.  Please.