TV gameshow offers atheists ’salvation’:
The show, called “Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor,” or “Penitents Compete,” features a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion, according to CNN Turk.
If they succeed, the contestants are rewarded with a pilgrimage to one of their chosen faith’s most sacred sites — Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for converts to Judaism, a trip to Tibet for Buddhists and the chance to visit Ephesus and the Vatican for Christians.
this might be a fake story. first, though operationally buddhism is theistic, i think a buddhist priest would be careful about promoting this idea to a non-buddhist audience. secondarily, a pilgrimage should be to nepal, not tibet.
plimfix 11:22 pm on July 3, 2009 Permalink |
It’s also in The Guardian (see my post below). This reminds me of a horrific reality TV show on Channel 4, where they took a bunch of non-Muslims and allowed an ‘Imam’ to guide them in the principles of Islam for a period of time. One of the contestants was gay, just for a laff (the Imam told him, “It’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” – powerful theological argument, eh?). I’m sure there is a Buddhist monk equally daft enough to take part in this kind of reality TV programme. Laugh? I nearly did.