Holy people to compete to convert atheists on Turkish TV show

June 27, 3:00 PMAtheism ExaminerTrina Hoaks

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According to a report on the Hurriyet DailyNews.com Web site, a new Turkish TV show is set to air in September that will challenge holy people to convert atheists to their brand of godliness. The show, which is loosely translated as "Penitents Compete," will feature a "Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a Jewish rabbi... a Buddhist monk" and 10 atheists.

The holy folk will compete to see who can turn the most atheists into followers of their given religion. Their goal is to convert at least one non-believer each week. According to Ahmet Özdemir, Deputy Director of Kanal T which will air the new show, "'The project aims to turn disbelievers into [believers in] God.'"

The premise of the show, according to the report is that "[e]ach week, a different group of atheists will appear in front of the religious leaders. The producers of the show are well aware that there is a chance none of the atheists will be convinced by the arguments presented to them. Yet if an ex-atheist is 'persuaded' to start following one of the religions, he or she will have the chance to travel to that religion’s center, whether Jerusalem for Christians and Jews or Mecca for Muslims or Tibet for Buddhists." The main goal of producers for the show is to teach people about a variety of religions.

The show is said to be highly anticipated, though not all people are supportive of it. One columnist, Hakki Devrim, said of the show, "'[r]eligion is not a science, and it is not open to discussion." He seemed concerned about the fact that atheists' opinions would also be aired on this show. He went on to say that "'If I had to describe it with a word, it would be "unsuitable."'" Further, he sees the show as a risk.

Not surprisingly, the head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, expressed concern over religion being discussed - especially in this forum. Reportedly, "[h]e said such an extreme program could create complications in peoples’ minds." Further, it was reported that he, "[n]oting that the Religious Affairs Directorate is responsible for any appearances of imams on television, as well as the content of their speeches... said if the imam participating in the show worked within the Istanbul borders, he would not have let him appear." Makes you wonder what they're afraid of.

I wonder what the prize would be if it just so happened that any of the holy people were "converted" to atheism during the course of the show. Some might answer "rationality."