Convert an Atheist and win a free trip!

[SphereGuy]

Why can't they bring a show like this to the states? I'd like to see a show where the reverse happens as well. Put a bunch of xtians in a room with an atheist...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090703/od_nm/us_gameshow_odd

[CelticRose]

"Doing something like this for the sake of ratings is disrespectful to all religions. Religion should not be a subject for entertainment programs," High Board of Religious Affairs Chairman Hamza Aktan told state news agency Anatolian after news of the planned program emerged.
I tend to agree with this. Reality shows have stooped to a new low. :oldroll:

[Rasmus]

I tend to agree with this. Reality shows have stooped to a new low. :oldroll:

Why should religions "not be a subject for entertainment programs"? Seriously, why not?

[Wauthan]

Love the fact that they have a team that will ensure that the contestants are really atheists, and not just there for the free vacation or the "fame". Right... And the skies are thick with winged pigs. :rolleyes:

[Aepervius]

Maybe ask the mods for a merge with this thread ? (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=147164)It is the same I think

[KarlG]

Why should religions "not be a subject for entertainment programs"? Seriously, why not?

All religions should be deemed "For entertainment purposes only" anyway :)

[Rasmus]

All religions should be deemed "For entertainment purposes only" anyway :)

They should come with warning signs like cigarettes do, and not be handed out to anyone not of legal age yet.

[CelticRose]

Why should religions "not be a subject for entertainment programs"? Seriously, why not?
It's disrespectful. It's also disrespectful to the atheists. The whole premise of the game implies that atheists will not be able to stick by their principles, and that they'll be easily converted for the sake of a prize. The whole thing is set up so that people can laugh at others' religious beliefs or the lack thereof.

As a Christian, I feel that this show trivializes the effort to save someone's soul.

If I were an atheist, I think I would be insulted by the premise of the game. I may not agree with you folks when it comes to religion, but I think you have every right not to believe if you so choose and that it's wrong to persecute or belittle you for it.

[HansMustermann]

Still, it should provide a nice illustration of the caveat of Pascal's Wager. There are 4 different religions there, 3 of them with slightly different ideas as to how you'd get saved, and one (buddhism) with a _fundamentally_ different idea of how it all even works and what salvation even is.

And if it were by me, I'd also throw in a flavour or two of Hinduism, Taoism, some kind or another of animism, and so on. Heck, bring on the 20'th century inventions too, they're no less believable. Bring in the Wiccans. The Kemet Orthodox. Bring in the neo-druids. The Scientologists. The Jedi. The Sub-geniuses. Let's make it one big free for all.

Let's illustrate that you can't trivialize that which is already stupid beyond belief: the idea that you can try to "save someone's soul" when you have no more idea of how it's done than anyone else. The idea that surely your way is just the right one, never mind that it's one of several thousands, and all have just as much credibility. Or lack thereof.

[laca]

"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," Soylu said.


Hold a minute.... So according to this guy (presumably muslim) all the religions are compatible? :eek:

[Sideroxylon]

Hold a minute.... So according to this guy (presumably muslim) all the religions are compatible? :eek:

I can understand this as far as it extends to Christianity and Judaism but not Buddhism. It is considered perhaps the greatest of sins not to recognize the creator of the universe and his gifts like sustenance. Some Turkish Sunni friends suggested that for this reason Christians may not be punished with hell as Atheists are to be. Sorry that I can't provide info on how they back this up with Qu'ran references.

[Rasmus]

It's disrespectful.

Oh ... how so?

Representatives of various religions are allowed to try and convince some poor atheist of the truth. How is that disrespectful?

It's also disrespectful to the atheists. The whole premise of the game implies that atheists will not be able to stick by their principles, and that they'll be easily converted for the sake of a prize.

uh ... no, it does. They at least claim that they will make sure that this is not the case.

Further to the above, I am not an atheist out of some silly principle. I am an atheist because there is nothing that justifies the belief that there is a god. If anyone can show me convincing evidence to the contrary I will not only change my mind, I will also be *extremely* thankful and I'll most likely try and show others the truth I have discovered.

That religion has a track record of several millenia of epic failure in bringing forth that evidence is not really relevant.

The whole thing is set up so that people can laugh at others' religious beliefs or the lack thereof.

Religion has always been set up to be laughed at. It's just tragic that a lot of people fail to get the joke ...

As a Christian, I feel that this show trivializes the effort to save someone's soul.

As an atheist, I am happy to see religion where it belongs. In the same spot as any other ridiculous talent show.

If I were an atheist, I think I would be insulted by the premise of the game.

Not in the least. Why would it insult me to see religions for what they are? At least this time they offer a tangible prize as opposed to empty and meaningless promises of a saved soul. This is pretty much the best deal they've been offering for the past 600 years or so.

I may not agree with you folks when it comes to religion, but I think you have every right not to believe if you so choose and that it's wrong to persecute or belittle you for it.

I don't deel belittled. Well, I feel a lot less belittled if i am offered a free trip as I would be with the more traditional alternatives.

[Babbylonian]

Further to the above, I am not an atheist out of some silly principle. I am an atheist because there is nothing that justifies the belief that there is a god. If anyone can show me convincing evidence to the contrary I will not only change my mind, I will also be *extremely* thankful and I'll most likely try and show others the truth I have discovered.
Exactly what I was thinking as I read the thread. I think the premise is dumb and I wouldn't care to watch it, but I don't find it "offensive" on principle. Now, if the unconverted atheist was burned alive...

[Rasmus]

As a Christian, I feel that this show trivializes the effort to save someone's soul.

Seriously, what does that even mean?

And what does it matter?

Is it better to put a lot of work into saving a soul? With somewhere around 2/3 of all people needing to be saved, wouldn't it be much better to trivialize the act as much as possible and save as many of the easier cases as possible?

So what if a soul gets saved for nothing more than a free trip to Jerusalem? Wouldn't that still be a good thing?

How *should* a soul be saved?

[Rasmus]

Also,

"A team of theologians will ensure that the atheists are truly non-believers and are not just seeking fame or a free holiday."

All hail the thought-police!

How on earth do they want to ensure that someone is truly an unbeliever let alone that they truly changed their mind? (Or is this where the aforementioned burning alive comes into play?)

Most people do not realize that I am an atheist. The presumption that everyone around here is a Christian is simply too strong. How do the interviews go?

Oh, I know:

You let the contestant eat a Cheeseburger with extra bacon whilst loudly denying the spirit of the holy ghost ... makes the following excercise of converting the guys a bit pointless but at least you know you have found a real atheist. No religious person would ever not follow the commandments of their respective religion let alone tell a lie ...

[JetLeg]

Also,

"A team of theologians will ensure that the atheists are truly non-believers and are not just seeking fame or a free holiday."
All hail the thought-police!

How on earth do they want to ensure that someone is truly an unbeliever let alone that they truly changed their mind? (Or is this where the aforementioned burning alive comes into play?)

Most people do not realize that I am an atheist. The presumption that everyone around here is a Christian is simply too strong. How do the interviews go?

Oh, I know:

You let the contestant eat a Cheeseburger with extra bacon whilst loudly denying the spirit of the holy ghost ... makes the following excercise of converting the guys a bit pointless but at least you know you have found a real atheist. No religious person would ever not follow the commandments of their respective religion let alone tell a lie ...

This one made me laugh. Why is being a theologian make you an expert to see if someone is lying or not? :D

[fuelair]

Why should religions "not be a subject for entertainment programs"? Seriously, why not?

Because they are not all that entertaining.