Primetime conversion

A number of folks have sent me links to a recent story about an atheist "conversion" game show. As you may have heard, Turkish TV station Kanal T hopes to garner some mad ratings with a program featuring representatives from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist faiths, all vying for the souls of atheist contestants.

Most of the obvious jokes have already been made, so I'll just describe the first thing that struck me about this conceit.

Lost in all the chatter about the show's potential to offend is a rather stark little microcosm. The producers behind Penitents Compete may not recognize it, but their game show operates in a remarkably similar fashion to the broader business of organized religion. Far from being offended, believers should appreciate seeing themselves in a televised mirror.

The major faiths perpetually seek new members to replenish their ranks. This is no secret. But what they tend to avoid discussing are their methods. Listening to ministers and priests in this country, one would get the impression that churches attract fresh converts solely by appealing to their better natures and natural intuitions about love and peace, but why then do churches need basketball courts and pools and convenient parking? Conspicuous assumption, anyone?

It's a safe bet the contestants on Penitents Compete won't be bombarded by sophisticated philosophical arguments but rather treated to breathtaking displays of gymnastic reasoning and a barrage of afterlife insurance plans. No doubt the lion's share of the time will be spent drawing the contestants in with promises and playing on their most base, childish emotions and fears.

And at the end of the day, is there really that big of a difference between "winning" souls and winning a game show? Both are, to the mind of a true believer, games. Life is one big three dimensional sport - shirts versus skins, Christians versus Muslims. It's all the same ballgame, so to speak.

Too bad none of it has even the remotest bearing on the truth.