MAKING it to the final cut of the Miss Universe pageant for another year was indeed an achievement, but the failure of Shamcey Supsup to win the crown was blamed by some in the way she answered the final question about marriage and religion.
Asked by Hollywood actress Vivica A. Fox whether she would change religious beliefs to marry the person she loves, the 25-year-old General Santos City native answered: “If I had to change my religious beliefs, I would 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.”
Shamcey only placed third runner-up in the competition.
There had been comments saying she should have answered that love conquers all, even religion, and that she failed to present the idea that there is only one God.
As the country’s representative, Shamcey successfully exemplified Filipinos by showing the values that we have and are known for—the “pagka-maka-Diyos.”
True enough, there is only one God, one Creator, but the different religions also give us different ideas of God. Of course, the Holy Trinity—Yahweh (God the Father), Jesus Christ (God the Son), and the Holy Spirit—is different from the Hindu Gods Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu.
Shamcey never said what religion is right or wrong. People have different religions, and what is needed is respect for one another’s beliefs.
A lot of people, unfortunately, seem to have forgotten the real essence or meaning of religion. Religion is far different from a maiden name or a parents’ home, which a woman gives up once she settles down with her husband.
Religion is an enormous part of oneself; it should bond two people together because God should be in the center of every relationship. Moreover, religion is a form of communication with God—the true source of the highest form of love.
Going back to the analysis of Shamcey’s answer, others think it was a trick question, but it wasn’t. The question was meant to test one’s standpoint in her values and beliefs. Shamcey followed her heart, as guided by her conscience, and never compromised her values and beliefs. “Good morals over glittering tiara” was the powerful message she showed to millions of people around the globe.
There’s one great reason why others find it difficult to understand Shamcey’s answer—they don’t know the right concept of marriage that everyone must know.
Though having the same religion would be more helpful for couples to understand each other, there have been stories of successful relationships of couples with two different religions. The key to these relationships is “respect,” which was mentioned by Miss Brazil and Miss Angola in the same pageant.
“I would explain to people that the premiere quality of human being is respect…we should respect each other as human beings,” Priscila Machado (Miss Brazil) said during the final question round.
“Respect one another,” Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes (Miss Angola) said.
Anyway, it’s part of human nature never to be fully contented with what one has, but a lot of people have overreacted in the way Shamcey answered that as if they were the ones who failed to win the Miss Universe title.
It was pitiful for those who failed to understand Shamcey’s message, which was, in the first place, explained in the universal language.
The other contestants in the top 5, in fact, answered in English during the web interview, but used an interpreter during the final question to, perhaps, break the time and think. Shamcey was the only one who gave a snappy answer and without an interpreter.
This is no longer a question of who should have won the pageant, but without any doubt, Shamcey gave the best answer in the final round.
