Skepchick Quickies, 1.12
- Antimatter caught streaming from thunderstorms on Earth. (From Steve.)
- World’s oldest winery discovered in mountain cave. (From cerebus40.)
- Turkish gameshow attempts to convert atheists.
- John Freshwater has been officially fired.
L
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The only way to win a prize is to believe in god? I think there should be a prize for stumping the panel. Perhaps a trip to Disneyland?
Re: Game show – Isn’t this just going to turn into a shouting match between the various clerics, priests, rabbis and such? I would imagine having a bunch of different religious people trying to convert you to their One True Religion ® will only reinforce the atheist’s non-belief. That is, if they do this as a panel-style show and not one-on-one.
On the upside: “A rabbi, a priest, an imam and a monk walk onto the set of a game show…”
either this will be rigged or the producers are going to be VERY disappointed. I can easily see the buddhist winning a few converts. Buddhist faith would be easiest for an atheist to fake and they would get a trip to Tibet out of it!
I imagine the producers, because of their majority-induced blindness, just assume that many people will convert to islam because of it’s obvious benefits.
I gotta agree with vbalbert. Game theory on this one, from the atheists point of view, is pretty simple: Pick a religion with minimal requirements (I’d pick Buddhists; trip to Tibet, and a wide variety of different beliefs. Also, won’t get killed if subsequently deconvert), stick with it for a while (go to the weekly meetings, pretend to be observant), then leave.
Seriously, I’d hold out for a while, but then go Buddhist.
So long, John Freshwater! Don’t let the tesla coil hit you on the ass on the way out!
I used to consider myself Buddhist, during that whole “wander around religions before deciding that they are equivalently nonsensical” stage of pre-atheism.
Of course I’m pretty sure that what I thought was Buddhism was basically new age crap, but what they hell, you know?
I do miss going to temples in Korea though, they really are quite beautiful.
“According to the show’s slogans, contestants will also win ‘serenity’ and ‘the biggest prize ever… the belief in God.'”
But Buddhists don’t even believe in god! Perhaps the producers should have done a little more research.
I was hoping that winning ‘serenity’ meant that you get a Firefly class spaceship.
@spurge: Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand…
@Mark Hall
I don’t care, I’m still free…
That was a great theme song.
All the news stories about the Turkish gameshow were from mid-2009. It was supposed to air in Sept. 2009, but I can’t find any updates on how it went, if it aired at all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penitents_Compete
Crazy Armenians, making wine before the creation of the heavens and the Earth.