You've been Fogeled

I'm sitting here watching Treasure Hunters on NBC, and my stomach is just turning. Is it gross-out TV a la the typical Discover Health fare? Of coures not, the stomach turning comes from the behavior of one of the Treasure Hunting teams. Specifically, the Preacher and his family, who basically represent the deceptive duality alive and well in American organized religion of the 21st century.

In the first episode, teams were diving for clues when one of the girls needed to take a quick break for air. The guy honestly competing against her decided to take a break with her because, in his opinion, it wouldn't be fair to take advantage of her while she was grabbing a quick breath. The Preacher didn't think that, however. After the girl retreived her clue and was swimming to surface, Papa Fogel ripped it out of her tired hands and laughed as he swam away.

Tonight's episode featured more dickhead behavior by the family. Their simpering daughter couldn't carry the canoe, as required by the competition, so another team stopped to help. The team that helped was rewarded for their good deed when Mama Fogel convinced them to stop ahead of schedule "just in case" and then hauled ass down the river. They "made up for it" by offering a prayer that basically said, "THanks for getting us into second place, we hope everyone is ok with that." Um, no, they weren't.

Over the last few years, Americans have seen their freedoms ripped away, their basic rights to pursue life, liberty and happiness, an thier children sent to die on a relgious crusade under the direction of a so-called religious administration. As a descendent of those who came to this country in search of religious freedom, I am saddened, no, disgusted byt the direction this county has taken in the last six years. The saddest part about all of this is that if Bush had replaced Jesus with Madison as the author of the documents that ultimately govern our country's laws, he would have actually found what he was so desperately looking for (you know: WWMD).

It's blatenly obvious that this trend is here to stay for the time being. While I can't control the behaviors of most organized religions (though I do have to say that I support the bold steps taken of late by my own Episcopal church), nor can I control the behavior of the governmental leaders "elected" to serve this country. What I can control, however, is what I am exposed to for entertainment purposes. For that reason, I will not be watching Treasure Hunters until the Fogels are gone.