Quick Note: The Christian Right Gets Its Own Game Show

Game show contestant Angela Morgan (left) with show host Natalie Grant in Charlotte, N.C.

GSN, (the Game Show Network), will be premiering a new, eight-episode reality game show next year.  "It Takes a Church" will be hosted by singer Natalie Grant and sponsored by the Christian Mingle dating service.

The hour long show will take a pre-selected single person across the U.S. to visit different Christian churches where the pastors will ask their congregations to find a romantic partner for her/him. Each church will present several prospective partners, and at the end of each hour, the contestant will choose one candidate to join her/him on a date.  The church's candidates who are left standing "near" the altar (so to speak) will be awarded a free membership to ChristianMingle.com.

I would laugh if this wasn't so patently sad.

At the end of the season's "competition," the contestant will choose her/his favorite date from her/his eight weekly partners and the church that put forward that partner will win a cash prize.

In the press release, Ms. Grant said, "I'm so excited to host 'It Takes a Church' and to have the opportunity to interact with churches all across America to bring a family-friendly show based on Christian faith and values."

You have got to be kidding me.  I can't help but wonder if Jesus is going to make a surprise appearance in episode six and throw these buffoons out of His house.  Or as television columnist Neil Genzlinger put it:  "The show is utterly frivolous and is reviewed here only because it's another development in the continuing spectacle that is religion in America."

And, in a final note, please look at the photo at the top of this post one more time.  Am I the only one who finds the group of grinning men surrounding contestant and host just plain creepy?