Turkish reality show to turn atheists to believers

This is NOT the best way to turn atheists into believers nor to educate Turkey's Muslims about other faiths:-


Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist leaders will attempt to convert non-believers in a Turkish TV game show designed ‘to turn disbelievers to God’. An eight-strong theological team will vet entrants to ensure they are genuine non-believers and then monitor their progress during the show. Those whose religious transformation is genuine will win a pilgrimage to the spiritual home of their new faith. Muslims will visit Mecca, Christians and Jews go to Jerusalem and Buddhists travel to Tibet. The show’s producers say it will educate Turkey’s Muslim majority about other faiths, but critics believe it will trivialise faith and God.

Sources: The Guardian (2/7); Daily Telegraph (3/7)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/02/turkey-penitents-compete-gameshow
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/5729452/Turkish-gameshow-attempts-to-convert-atheists.html

Muslim heads up BBC’s religious TV output

The BBC has attracted controversy by giving a Muslim the job of head of religious programming. It is the second time in the BBC’s history that a non-Christian has been appointed to the post, but Aaqil Ahmed will be the first Islamic believer to take up the role. The other previous non-Christian was an agnostic, and was also a recent appointment – Alan Bookbinder in 2001. The decision comes despite the Archbishop of Canterbury voicing his concerns about the sidelining of Christian programming to the BBC’s director general last month. Ahmed is a former Channel 4 executive. Meanwhile, the BBC has appointed a Methodist local preacher, Christine Morgan, as the new separate head of religion on radio.

Sources: The Guardian (11/5); Methodist Recorder (14/5); Daily Mail (13/5);

Britons back religious values

Most British people want religion and religious values to have an important role in public life, a new BBC survey has found. The ComRes poll of 1,045 people found 62 per cent in favour. Around the same number (63 per cent) said that British law should respect and be influenced by the UK’s traditional religious values. Despite secularist calls to ‘free’ society from the views and beliefs of religious traditions, the survey demonstrates public support for religious values. Researchers found a higher proportion of Muslims and Hindus supporting the role of the country’s traditional (essentially Christian) values.

Source: BBC (24/2)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7906595.stm