Miles McPherson, the pastor of Miss California Carrie Prejean, is getting sick of what the media is doing to the Miss USA Runner-up who reportedly lost the Miss USA crown for her comments and views on the sanctity of traditional marriage. Many people want to make this about bigotry when in reality it is nothing short of religious persecution and censorship. If there is any bigotry involved, it’s with those who continue to attack this woman for her personal faith and moral convictions. See interview below.

Here are a few lessons we can learn from this media frenzy:

1. Stay true to “who” you are. In this culture of political correctness, Christians all over this land are watering down their faith to become more socially accepted. There’s a broad line between being culturally relevant and just trying to fit in and be “cool” with our faith. We are to be the “salt of the earth”, implying the moral and spiritual preservers of truth. Too many folks think we are to be the “sugar” of the earth – sweet, safe, and innocuous. A.W. Tozer said, “In many churches Christianity has been watered down until the solution is so weak that if it were poison it would not hurt anyone, and if it were medicine it would not cure anyone!” At the end of the day, we are here to share our faith. Not win popularity contests. It’s time to step up and be the salt of the earth not the sugar of our culture.

2. Walk in forgiveness. That’s what Carrie Prejean expressed in this interview with Sean Hannity about her feelings for Perez Hilton, the gay man who ridiculed Prejean for her convictions about marriage being ordained by God between a man and woman. She said she forgave him for his hateful and inflammatory comments. We can all learn something from these remarks. Be who Christ called you to be and don’t apologize for that – but forgive when you are hated for it.

3. If you stand on the Word of God you will be slandered. It’s important for the church to have the right tone. But too many “Downy” believers (saints for softness) are writing books and flooding the blogosphere with these gentle illusions that all we have to do is give the gospel a makeover and its new attractiveness will all of a sudden cause people to turn to Jesus by the droves. That might foster mega-churches, but that doesn’t produce authentic disciples. Discipleship is what Christ is after. And there is a cost for that. And that cost will at some point include a DISTINCTION from the world.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” (John 15:18-22)

I’m amused and nauseated at the same time (think Sandlot boys on the carnival ride after chewing tobacco) with those who think that they will not be hated for their faith by sugar-coating it with political correctness when Jesus himself was hated and said one of the trademarks of being his followers is that we would inevitably be hated as well. The reason isn’t because of bad PR by the church – although there has been plenty of that. It’s because of verse 22 of the passage referenced above. As long as sin is in the world there will be hostility toward those who expose it. If you aren’t being hated to some degree, you might need to check your Christ-ometer. And if you are really offended that I used the word “sin” then you likely don’t have a Christ-ometer to begin with.