Sick of watching American game-show contestants vie for increasingly bigger cash prizes and parting gifts? A budget-strapped Turkish producer has come up with the next best thing: Winning a relationship with God, plus an exotic getaway with Him in the Holy Land of your choosing. Think of it like The Bachelor, except with 10 atheists in the title role and persuasive men of faith attempting to lure their prey into the hot tub of spirituality. But what else is in it for the new recruits?
Perhaps another comparison is actually in order for Penitents Compete, which will bring together a priest, a rabbi, an imam and a Buddhist monk to convert a nonbeliever to one of their faiths. The winning religion will host the convert on a journey of its respective capital, either Vatican City, Jerusalem, Mecca or Tibet. Reuters reports that a blue-ribbon panel of theologians is screening out the freeloaders, hoaxsters, Speidi, etc. from among 200 applicants.
Some of Turkey's religious leaders, meanwhile, are outraged over the show, which they say makes a mockery of religion. Network executive Seyhan Soylu disagreed, saying: "We are giving the biggest prize in the world, the gift of belief in God. [...] We don't approve of anyone being an atheist. God is great and it doesn't matter which religion you believe in. The important thing is to believe."
Actually, no. The "important" thing is to change that unsavory title posthaste, and maybe even glitz up the presentation a little bit. Try something like Deity or No Deity, perhaps, featuring a pyramid of interfaith models with briefcases unveiling new and different spiritual prizes of increasing value -- a dozen Virgin Mary/Baby Jesus candles, a signed headshot of the Dalai Lama, a prayer rug, a belated bar/bat mitzvah -- all the way up to the grand prize of God Himself. Then bring in Woody Allen or another famous atheist as the Banker equivalent, urging you to just take the bris and go home with your doubts intact.
Or maybe add Scientology to the mix? There are no bad suggestions; contribute your own below.
ยท Turkish TV gameshow looks to convert atheists [Reuters]