Why Miss Philippines Got the 3rd Runner Position in Miss Universe 2011?

Congratulations to Miss Shamcey Supsup for being the 3rd Runner Up for this prestigious beauty pageant, Miss Universe 2011!

This is the question she received from Vivica Fox:

Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person you love? Why and why not?

Miss Philippines' answer:

If I had to change my religious beliefs, I will not marry the person that I love because the first person that I love is God, who created me. And I have my faith, my principles, and this is what makes me who I am. And if that person loves me, he should love my God too.

Well, it's her answer and it's her own opinion.  There is no doubt that she loves God more than anyone else.  Miss Shamcey Supsup is a Born Again Christian.  We heard on her revelation that she is now into a romantic relationship and her boyfriend was a Catholic before, now a Born Again Christian just like her.

For me, there is a loophole with her answer. Let's focus with the statement,

And if that person loves me, he should love my God too.

In the Philippines, we have several religious groups who believe in Jesus Christ.  These are the Roman Catholic, Born Again Christian, Seventh Day Adventist, Latter Day Saint, Iglesia Ni Cristo and etc.  They even have the same Holy Bible from the Roman Catholic.  The problem is that people have different interpretations with the Holy Book.  These people believe in the same God but they have different religious practices.

There are other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and they have different gods.  Well, I am not very familiar with other religion because I have no background study with the different religions of the world.

Some people even created their own religion and proclaimed themselves as god.

My impression of the statement is very SELFISH.  Why? It sounds too conditional.  It's like you are forcing someone to love someone else's god.

I asked this question through Facebook

Do you find it selfish if you tell your boyfriend/girlfriend, 'If you love me, then you should love my God.'?

A friend of mine answered this

Yes, it sounds selfish because you're telling your man to love God so that he will be accepted by you and your relatives.  In God's law, we should love Him above anything else.  He must be our top priority and not because it is the lady's preferences.

I agree with her answer because God's love is unconditional, no if(s) and but(s).  Miss Philippine's answer is her own opinion and she believes in it.  It's just that her answer is not worth the crown.

If I have to answer the question if someone will ask me the same, this would be my answer:

I don't want to change my religious beliefs just to marry the person I love.  Why? If he loves me then he should RESPECT my religious beliefs as what I have given respect for his religion.

Honestly, it is really hard to choose between LOVE and RELIGION.  But why I have to choose between these two when I can have RESPECT?

I should say that love has different meanings.  Love is everything.  You can share love to your family, friends, and lover and even to your religion.

• If we have a relative who is practicing another religion, I will still love him or her because he or she is also a family.
• I have several friends who are not Roman Catholic, I still love them because we are friends.
• If I have a lover who is also practicing another religion, I will still love him because I already accepted him whoever he is.

Maybe we have different religious beliefs but we can still LOVE THE PEOPLE around us.  The important thing is WE HAVE RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER.