Kennedy's passing and the silence of the Pope

Former US Presidents and Washington power players showed up at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston to pay their last respects to Ted Kennedy.

The Senator was described by President Obama in his eulogy as "the greatest legislator of our time."

There was a certain irony underlying the Roman Catholic send-off for Kennedy. It's hard to overlook that a funeral for an American icon took place in a Boston church rather than the city cathedral. Also to date Pope Benedict has made no comment about Kennedy's passing. The silence of the Vatican speaks louder than words.

As a Time magazine article notes, "the niceties of international diplomacy do not require the Pope to issue a statement on the death of a non-head of state." However the article also points out that when the Senator's sister Eunice was dying, the Papal Nuncio to the US sent a letter to the family saying the Pope was praying for her and her family.

Ted Kennedy fought courageously for abortion rights, gay marriage and stem-cell research - all taboo in the eyes of the RC magisterium. The official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, praised Kennedy for fighting for immigrant rights, gun control and higher minimum wages, but regretted his "unfortunate" support of abortion.

A Vatican official quoted in the Time article had some scathing remarks about how Ted Kennedy is viewed in Rome.

"Here in Rome, Ted Kennedy is nobody. He's a legend with his own constituency. If he had influence in the past, it was only with the Archdiocese of Boston, and that eventually disappeared too."

When President Obama met with Pope Benedict on July 10 of this year, he handed the Pope a letter from Senator Kennedy. There has been speculation it contained a request for a Papal blessing.

A Vatican official queried why Kennedy even bothered to make the effort: "Why would he even write a letter to the Pope? The Kennedys have always been defiantly in opposition to the Roman Catholic magisterium."

The magisterium with its ideological inflexibility and hard nosed adherence to doctrine seems oddly removed from the teachings of the Jesus of the New Testament who placed love and compassion ahead of doctrine.

The Vatican stand-in for the prince-of-peace should maybe reflect on the saying - "Judge not, lest you be judged."

Kennedy funeral - commentary and video highlights here.

Microsoft photo racism row

A photo that appeared on Microsoft's US website turned up on the website of the company's Polish business unit with a few key changes. The pic had been edited to replace the head of the black man with that of a white man.

It's an amateurish photoshop job. The hand of the black man has been left in place. The position of the imported head looks awkward in relation to the torso giving the impression of a bad case of crick-in-the-neck. The head also appears to be a tad too large.

The Asian man made the transition to the Polish site without having any body parts replaced.

The vast majority of Poles are white and some pundits have suggested that the photoshopped pic might reflect, for want of a better term - 'localization' concerns. Another way of putting it is to say that the PS job was about catering to racial priorities.

Microsoft is an international company supportive of diversity and its ads ought to be reflective of that when appearing on Polish sites or anywhere else.

It seems probable the pic was photoshopped in a misguided effort to render it more kosher for a Polish audience, possibly by some party on the Polish site.

Microsoft has apologized for the 'gaffe' and will be investigating to find out who was responsible for the changes.

The company also issued an apology on its official Twitter feed:

"Marketing site photo mistake - sincere apologies - we're in the process of taking down the image."

BBC report - here.

Challiss McAffee: Idaho GOP leader/tea party activist charged with assault

More evidence that the GOP is increasingly being defined in the media by fringe actors and cowboys.

Idaho GOP leader, Challis McAffee, is District 16 chairman from the Boise suburb of Garden City. He's also a member of the Idaho Republican Central Committee and a tea party activist. McAffee has been charged with felony aggravated assault for pointing a .357 Magnum handgun at a 51 year old homeowner, Robert Lutes.

This move wasn't just over-the-top, it was illegal in more ways than one. Ada County's Sheriff's spokeswoman, Andrea Dearden, said Friday that McAffee doesn't have a license to carry a concealed weapon.

McAffee was taking photographs of Lutes' home as part of a foreclosure investigation. When Lutes understandably became upset and wanted to find out why some dude was snapping pics of his house, McAffee retrieved the Magnum from the floor of his truck and pointed it at the resident.

Lutes: "I'm unarmed, I'm an old man. I''m trying to find out why he's taking pictures of my house. I said, 'Knock on my door, let me know what you want.' Then, I think he's reaching for his business card and he pulls out a concealed weapon and I think he's going to blow my head off."

Wells Fargo contractor, Tony Schewmaker, hired McAffee for the investigation, and has been complaining that "we can't use a gun for our own protection."

Schewmaker's complaints don't jibe with comments by Wells Fargo. A spokesperson said "Mr. McAffee's behavior is horrific and absolutely inexcusable. Our policy is to ensure that our customers, including those in financial distress, are always treated respectfully and with dignity. We have already begun to look into this with our contractor to make sure they are reinforcing these policies."

It's kind of ironical that a teabagger is engaged in helping the banks throw people out of their homes. Hiring 'contract employees' is a handy way for corporations to minimize their liabilities - except of course when contract help start behaving like gunslingers.

A friend of McAffee claims that producing the weapon was an attempt to 'de-escalate' the situation. It seems more like escalation. McAffee must be easily spooked. You generally lower tensions in a situation like this by backing off and showing some respect for the homeowner.

After the arrest McAffee was held in Ada County jail. He was released on Thursday when family members and friends posted a portion of the $50,000 bond.

No word if the jail served regular black tea... or possibly Orange Pekoe with a twist of lemon.

More details from Think Progress - here.

Crooks and Liars - here.

Liberty lovers

Gays in Iraq targeted

Sadr City

Human Rights Watch has released a report titled "They Want Us Exterminated: Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq" that documents a brutal anti-gay campaign that began in early 2009.

The attacks began in Sadr City, stronghold of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and have subsequently spread to other cities in Iraq - although the persecution remains concentrated in the Baghdad area.

Human Rights Watch believes the campaign is being coordinated by Iraqi militias and says government security forces may also be involved.

Gay men derisively referred to as "puppies" [jarawi] have been targeted. Mutilated bodies of victims have turned up in garbage dumps - some daubed with offensive terms such as "pervert" or "puppy."

In the case of some of the victims there is evidence that a powerful glue was used to seal the anus. Some of those subjected to this barbarity died after being forced to ingest a laxative.

One man described the attacks on gays as "a slaughterhouse on the streets." Another referred to it as "a theater of humiliation." The public manner in which the atrocities are 'advertised' make clear that it is meant to serve as a warning. Killings have been filmed and the videos circulated via Bluetooth.

Behind this persecution lies a deep-seated paranoia about the "feminisation" of Iraqi men. Being judged as 'too feminine' could be as simple as a lack of facial hair or hair that is slightly longer than average. Dress-choice and fashion accessories can make a person a target... jeans that are too tight, tank tops, the use of gel, a golden earring, a spiky hairdo, the use of perfume or cologne.

One explanation for the upsurge in violence against gays has been connected with the push by the Mahdi Army to reassert its control. In 2007 the Mahdi Army backed away from a confrontation with the Americans. It effectively stood-down and militia members faded into the general population. Rumors circulated that Muqtada al-Sadr had retreated and there was talk that he was seeking refuge in Iran.

A doctor who was interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that the Mahdi Army "has no authority on the street: so they want to use this (the anti-gay campaign) as a way to restore their credibility."

Officials dealing with the attacks face a wall of silence. The relatives of victims seldom volunteer information to the police.

A ministry spokesman Major General Abdul-Karim Khalaf said: "They consider talking about the subject worse than the crime itself. This is the nature of our society."

It's hardly surprising that relatives are reluctant to speak when there are widespread suspicions of police involvement in the attacks.

BBC report - here.

Kate Spall and Katie Brickell: duped into appearing in anti-health reform ads

Kate Spall

Two British women, Kate Spall and Katie Brickell, became unwitting stars in a conservative ad campaign that takes aim at president Obama's healthcare reforms. The women are furious and say they were duped into appearing in the ads run by the anti-healthcare reform group Conservatives for Patient's Rights (CPR).

Ms Spall and Ms Brickell said they agreed to give their views for what they believed was a documentary on healthcare reform. Neither was aware that the footage would be used in conservative anti-reform ads carried on US networks.

They claim their views of the British National Health Service (NHS) were misrepresented.

In fact both women support government-run health care. They admit that as with most systems, the NHS could use improvement in some areas and were prepared to advocate reform within the NHS - but not its abolition.

It should come as no surprise that the unethical treatment the women allege came at the hands of Conservatives for Patients' Rights (CPR), a group led by Rick Scott, the disgraced former CEO of Colombia/HCA Healthcare.

The Hospital Corporation of America/Columbia Hospital Corporation that Scott founded was charged with defrauding the government for more than a decade and had to pay a record 1.7 billion in fines.

Rick Scott

This background hasn't prevented Scott and his group from smearing the British National Health Service.

Scott is on record saying that he wanted 'to do for hospitals... what McDonald's has done in the food business.' Compared to Scott's graft-ridden enterprises and 'double cheeseburger' model, the British NHS comes off looking pretty good.

The eminent physicist Stephen Hawking has also been misrepresented by conservative anti-reform advocates.The right-wing Investor's Business Daily (IBD) ran an editorial written by someone who was severely fact challenged. The claim was made that Hawking "wouldn't have a chance" in the UK because the NHS doesn't offer proper care for the elderly.

It so happens that professor Hawking is British. The professor reminded IBD that he resides in the UK and that without the NHS's "high quality of treatment" he wouldn't be alive today.

The attack on the British health service by American anti-reform conservatives is part of the effort to scare the American people away from the president's healthcare plans. It has sparked a backlash in the UK.

The up and running welovetheNHS campaign has drawn so many hits on Twitter it crashed the site. Support has come from across the UK. British PM Gordon Brown and his wife are included among the fans. A message from the PM's residence at 10 Downing Street said: 'NHS often makes the difference between pain and comfort, despair and hope, life and death. Thanks for always being there.'

The PM's wife added her own comment - 'welovetheNHS - more than words can say.'

Story and video from Think Progress - here.

American doctor says US has much to learn from the NHS - here.

British conservative leader Cameron stands up for the NHS - here.

Anti-Obama wingnuts

Anti-health reform extremists sabotage debate

American health reform is an enormously complex and arduous task - but one that is long overdue. There are approximately 45 million Americans who are uninsured.

Critics of Obama administration policies on health have resorted to scare tactics. To suggest as some critics on the right are doing that health reform is a trojan horse for 'socialism' in America is delusionary thinking but typical of the tactics being used. Misrepresentation and outright distortion of the government's message is the name of the game for many in the anti-reform camp.

Efforts have been made to legitimize the mob displays at town hall meetings by arguing that it is some type of spontaneous grassroots uprising. This is little more than the stuff of Fox News propaganda. The town hall showdowns have been orchestrated, just as 'astroturf' tea parties were orchestrated, by those who oppose the Obama administration with a vengeance and who are prepared to stir up the worst in their fellow Americans in an effort to sabotage health reform.

Behind the bogeymen and scare tactics of the anti-reform zealots lies an appeal to a deep vein of paranoia, xenophobia and in some instances outright racism... the type of fear that can take people to the brink and create the conditions for violence.

The specter of Timothy McVeigh still looms large. A favorite slogan of McVeigh's was "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants." A man who showed up at the New Hampshire location where the president was scheduled to hold a town hall meeting, had a gun strapped to his leg and was carrying a sign that announced "It Is Time to Water the Tree of Liberty."

It's beyond ironical that people who behave like brownshirts are accusing health reform advocates of being Nazis. Truth is many of the agitators on the right are less interested in constructive solutions than destructive polarization.

In a recent appearance in New Hampshire, president Obama went on the offensive and urged his town hall audience to tune out those who are aiming to "scare and mislead the American people." He accused critics of creating "bogeymen."

New Hampshire town hall meet

On the charge by Palin and others that Democratic health care legislation would create "death panels," the president said that the provision in question would only authorize Medicare to pay doctors for counseling patients about end-of-life care, living wills, hospice and related issues, if that was what the patient wanted. He said that the provision was not an okay to "... pull the plug on grandma because we decided that it's too expensive to let her live anymore."

The tone of the meeting was friendly. When a member of the audience shouted support over the applause, the president responded with "I love you back"... a marked difference in mood from the acrimonious confrontations elsewhere.

Story of a medical industry whistleblower - here.

Health insurance nightmares - here

Bottom line

Vigilante 'citizen patrols' now legal in Italy

Italy has legalized controversial 'citizen patrols.' The move has been defended by Italy's Interior Minister, Roberto Maroni, of the right-wing Lega Nord party who claims that the decree isn't about creating vigilantism, but regulating it. Many Italians are highly skeptical of Maroni's explanation.

The legislation gives legal sanction to citizen groups that have already been in operation as a result of a loophole in the law. Volunteer patrols have been on the streets in Milan, Padua, Parma and Bologna. The new law will enable local councils to fund these groups.

Critics of the measure include the police. The president of the police union Gianni Tonelli described the patrols as "surrogate law enforcers" and warned of what he described as "racist episodes" that could involve fights between vigilantes and anti-vigilantes. He said that this would end up giving the police more rather than less work.

Other critics are concerned by the neo-fascist undercurrent associated with the rise of vigilantism. Michele Caianiello, a professor of criminal law at Bologna University said the citizen patrols were uncomfortably reminiscent of the "ronde nere" or so-called blackshirts - Fascist paramilitary patrols authorized by Benito Mussolini.

The fascist theme certainly seems to be in vogue these days in Italy. The new uniform of the Italian National Guard has raised eyebrows. It features the Black Sun symbol on the armband reminiscent of the Nazi Sturmabteilung (SA) and military style caps that feature the eagle of the Roman Empire.

Many believe that the citizen patrols have a racist element, especially in the north where the anti-immigrant Northern League has a lot of clout. This has motivated groups on the left to challenge the patrols. Earlier this month there were clashes in the Tuscan town of Massa Carrara.

Those who seek to justify the citizen patrols have made comparisons with the group City Angels, founded by Mario Furlan in 1994. Furlan has a problem with the comparison. He said: "The classic vigilante is a person who goes on the streets to look for an enemy. We go on the streets to look for people to help."

Dario Franceschini, leader of Italy's Democratic Party opposes citizen patrols. He has referred to the use of vigilantes as "demagogic and dangerous."

Guardian article on citizen patrols - here.

Limbaugh's Hitler rhetoric and the loony right

The anti-Obama rhetoric coming from the right in the US seems to have no limits. If a crackpot theory needs to be exploited to the max in order to score a point, there is someone who will try it.

Obama-as-AntiChrist, Obama-as-Hitler, Obama-as-Muslim-fifth-columnist, Obama-as-Kenyan-outsider, Obama-as-alien-space-invader... no problem... just add spin and some talking head will go on-air and present the hairbrained theory with a straight face knowing that there will be a percentage of Americans out there who will buy into it.

They resort to these tactics because they are pitching to people who are angry and open to this type of manipulation - a percentage of them racist and deeply fearful of change.

It's rash to dismiss those who buy these theories as crackpots because for one thing - they vote. But it is startling to see how many Republicans wholeheartedly endorse or have some sympathy for the out-there theories being pedaled by on-air snake oil salesmen such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

Limbaugh recently compared the White House artwork used to promote health reform with an insignia used by the Nazis. The blue graphic highlighting the caduceus of the medical profession evokes the menacing iron eagle and swastika of the Nazis in Limbaugh's mind... go figure.

This obscene comparison is typical of the spin tactics Obama detractors on the right use. It doesn't matter how inherently irrational or absurd a comparison may be, they dream up alleged similarities and then proceed to try and make a fusion.

Limbaugh went so far as to compare the Democratic Party with the Nazis: "This party, the Democrat Party, and where it’s taken this country — the radical left leadership of this party — bears much more resemblance to Nazi policies than anything we on the right believe in at all. "

He also said that "Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, ruled by dictate." Audio - here.

Only someone with little knowledge of what the Nazis were all about and with a highly impressionable mind could possibly be sucked in by the Limbaugh comparison. At worse his rhetoric caters to the perverse who want to smear Obama at any price, even if it involves resorting to irrationality-of-convenience.

Hitler-Obama signs have shown up at tea parties.

Some on the right have no problem smearing their duly elected president with an offensive Hitler comparison. Europeans with relatives who experienced the Nazi horror first hand have expressed disgust and disbelief at the tactic.

Salon: reactions to Rush Limbaugh's Obama/Hitler comparison - here.

Putin 'personality cult': photos of great leader

Vladimir Putin claims he doesn't like the idea of a 'personality cult' surrounding him. Nonetheless he appears to take every opportunity to 'perform' for his adoring fans - especially when it involves bare chested photo-ops.

Russia is Putin-obsessed. This national fixation is behind a number of bizarre stories that center around the shiny perfect personage of Vladimir Vladimirovich.

Putin doesn't actively encourage the idol worship. That would be too obviously crass and would provide fuel for his critics. But despite his alleged reservations about the personality circus, he seems entirely comfortable in the role of action hero. His attitude is rather like the faux humility of a superstar who 'puts up' with the attentions of the paparazzi, but who nonetheless is happy to reap the fame and adulation.

The Putin obsession in Russia has been gathering steam over the past few years, but back in 2002 it was clear where it was headed. An all-girl group called "Singing Together" came out with a song venerating Putin. It was little more than a propaganda exercise. The recording didn't turn up on sale anywhere and radio stations had no idea where their copies came from.

The lyrics include:

My boyfriend is in trouble again,
He got into a fight and got stoned on something,
I am sick of him and so I told him, 'get out of here',
And now I want a man like Putin.
A man like Putin, full of energy,
A man like Putin who doesn't drink,
A man like Putin who wouldn't hurt me,
A man like Putin who wouldn't run away from me.
I saw him in the news yesterday,
He was saying the world was at the crossroads,
It's easy with a man like him at home or out and about,
And now I want a man like Putin.

The outdoor photo-ops of Putin-as-action-man also play out the superleader theme. He's shown shooting a rampaging Siberian tiger with a tranquilizer dart... fishing bare chested in the roiling waters of the Yenisei river... posing as great leader mounted on a horse - bare chested of course because the world can't get enough of those hairless pecs.

It's all a bit much and comes off as staged and rather comical to the western eye. But Russians don't seem to care how the rest of the world reacts. Their Putin fixation is so compelling they probably view outside criticism as sour grapes.

Some aspects of Putin 'worship' really do involve worship.

A group of 'alternative' Orthodox ascetics have included an iconographic image of 'saint' Putin in their religious worship. The head of the group, Mother Photinia aka Svetlana Frolava, believes that in another life Putin was prince Vladimir to her princess Olga. She also believes that she was the queen of Sheba around the time when Putin was Solomon.

Saint Vlad

Putin like Stalin is omnipresent in Russian life. He is all things to all people. Leader, outdoorsman, psychotherapist, friendly uncle, dog lover, art critic, friend of children... the list of attributes is endless. Everyone has a story. There are monuments to Putin, a Prospect named after him in Grozny, a collective farm named after him in Altai... and doubtless more to come.

Perhaps the adulation is going to his head. Putin isn't shy about posing as an authority on matters he knows little about. When visiting the artist Ilya Glazunov, the prime minister offered his opinion of a painting of a medieval knight - commenting that the sword was too short. He reputedly said "It's only good for cutting sausage." Glazunov, with the slavish compliance of one in the presence of greatness, immediately agreed to correct his mistake and make the sword longer.

Russian authorities that have a vested interest in promoting the macho image of action-man Putin have scant regard for freedom of expression.

This was demonstrated during last Independence Day in Russia. An artist named Alexander Shednov, aka Shurik, was arrested for depicting Putin dressed as a woman. Shednov had the novel idea of beaming the portrait onto the side of an administrative building in his home town of Veronezh.

Alex Shednov portrait:

Putin as a woman

The FSB was not amused. The artist was arrested by counter-intelligence agents, questioned for several hours and beaten. Friends claim that his apartment was searched and some paintings removed. Last report Shednov was scheduled to go on trial.

The image of Putin-as-crossdresser emasculates the image of the strongman. The ultimate insult. But the fact is... karate expertise, buffed body and outdoor-theater aside, there is something rather androgynous about prime minister Putin. He has a cute, elfin look that is the antithesis of macho. With a long blond wig, make-up and heels he could pass as a female rather easily.

Kremlin Circus presents: upcoming Vladimir Putin attractions

Stormy Daniels charged with domestic violence

Adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels who has been considering a run for the US Senate as an "independent" was arrested last week on a domestic violence charge. The incident occurred at her home in Tampa, Florida.

Hubby, Michael Mosny, told the cops that Daniels hit him several times in the head. It's also alleged that she threw a potted plant in the sink, threw a wedding album on the floor and broke a number of candles.

Mosny claims that Daniels was unhappy with the way the laundry had been done and was upset that some bills hadn't been paid.

Police mug shot

Before this bump in the road came along, Daniels' appearance as a possible candidate in the Louisiana Senate race helped keep alive memories that Republican incumbent David Vitter would probably prefer to bury. In 2007 the 'sinator' - a family values conservative - was outed when his name showed up on a client list of a Washington prostitution ring.

It was a rough week for Daniels. Her political adviser Brian Welsh also made headlines when his car was blown up outside his apartment building in New Orleans on July 23.

Welsh is the manager of the Stormy Daniels Exploratory Committee LLC.

Stormy Daniel's promo banner

Surveillance footage aired by ABC-26 shows a man opening the driver's side door of Welsh's Audi convertible just prior to the explosion.

Footage also available on YouTube - here.

Welsh wasn't hurt in the explosion but believes he was the target. He said: "When you rule out everything else, you're sort of left with the obvious."

The motive for the attack isn't known. There has been speculation that it could be an effort to derail Daniels' ambitions or related to former political rivalries. Welsh has been involved in state politics in other capacities. He was the communications director for Walter Boasso's gubernatorial bid.

Video with Welsh's comments here.

In the lead-up to the Senate race, Daniels - who hasn't lived in Louisiana for a number of years - said it was her intention to re-establish her residency in the state.

In early July she embarked on her second "listening tour" - a meet-and-greet opportunity. During the previous listening tour in a not-so-veiled veiled reference to Vitter's cheating ways, she used the slogan "Stormy Daniels: screwing people honestly."

Cycles Gladiator wine banned in Alabama

The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) has banned the sale of Cycles Gladiator wine - a California pinot noir with an eye-catching label, produced by Hahn Family Wines of Soledad, California.

The Bama ban wasn't related to any factor that might justifiably raise concerns, such as an alcohol count that exceeded what was listed or concerns that at certain room temperatures the bottles may explode possibly maiming nearby diners. No, the ABC Board sprang into action because the label features an illustration of a 'nymph' in a state of undress.

The clever art-nouveau illustration is more fantasy than raunch. The label shows a floating woman in profile with long flowing locks. Nothing overtly sexual about the image - just a neat little graphic well suited to gracing a bottle of vino.

The illustration was copied from a 1895 French advertising poster for Cycles Gladiator bicycles - a work by the French painter Georges Massias. The mythological image of the 'winged bicycle' is original and evocative.

France back in the 19th century was less hung-up about the fantasy nude than the ABC Board in 21st century America.

Alabama seems kind of conflicted. Not so long ago it slapped a ban on sex toys. You can buy a gun in Bama more readily than a vibrator. Nonetheless there's no shortage of strip clubs. Club Volcano and Furnace in Birmingham. Foxx Tails and Fantasies in Huntsville. Candy Store and Diva's in Mobile ... to name but a few. All the skin a tippling patron could wish for.

But still... Cycles Gladiator pinot noir is Banned-in-Bama because the label allegedly shows a person posed 'in an immoral or sensuous manner.' At least according Board attorney Bob Martin.

What is 'immoral' about the illustrated female form - especially when posed in profile? And how is levitating with a bicycle 'sensuous'? There is no suggestion of an unnatural relationship with the bike. The flying fem appears to be guiding the bike somewhat like a navigator. She looks as though she's working rather than 'behaving in a sensuous manner.'

The colorful and whimsical Cycles Gladiator label has an appeal that sets it apart some of the racier wine and beer labels labels out there.

A few samples:

Marilyn "Merlot" vintages

Risque Kenwood label

Hoegaarden beers featuring a horny
Adam and Eve

Aussie "Wanker" beer

The banning of the wine has actually worked to the benefit of Hahn Family Wines. They are reporting a tenfold increase in traffic to the company's website and have been fielding calls from across the US from people eager to buy the Bama-banned wine.

That's the thing about bans - they tend to be good for business. Hahn's president predicts "... a significant increase in our sales."

Related cartoon - here.

Alabama Beverage Control Board acts to protect the innocent

Turkish game show looks to convert atheists

Game shows can great pretty weird, but nothing quite matches a new Turkish game show called Penitents Compete (Tovbekarlar Yarısıyorfor in Turkish) for unusual content.

The show will feature local leaders of four religions and a group of ten atheists. The religious proponents will compete on live TV in an effort win the atheists over to their faith. Atheists who are convinced by the proselytizing efforts get a free trip to the sacred site associated with their religion-of-choice... Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for Jews, Tibet for Buddhists and the Vatican for Christians.

The creators of the program say they want to promote religious faith while also educating Turks about different religious beliefs.

The atheists recruited for the show will be closely vetted, in case some turn out to be atheists-of-convenience more interested in winning a free trip. Those who claim to have converted in the course of the show will be monitored to ensure that their religious transformation is genuine.

The deputy-director of Kanal T station, Ahmet Ozdemir, said: "They can't see this trip as a getaway, but as a religious experience."

Atheists are no less convicted about their beliefs than the religious. Having religious leaders vying to win over alleged atheists on a TV game show sounds more like comedy than a spectacle anyone is liable to take seriously. You also have to wonder why any self-respecting religious leader would actually volunteer to go on TV and 'perform' under these conditions.

Atheists don't arrive at their beliefs lightly. Convicted atheists tend to be smart and philosophically well armed. It's highly unlikely that the time-pressured exertions of the religious in the course of a game show is going to change the mind of any except the highly impressionable.

Turkey has a secular tradition, however an absence of religion in one's life doesn't necessarily make a person a capital 'A' atheist. Obviously someone who is secular because he or she was brought up that way may be more easily influenced by religious appeals of this sort.

With free trips on offer it is difficult to believe that conversions in the course of the show will be entirely legit. A game show isn't the best forum for this type of debate. So it isn't surprising that there have been complaints from both believers and non-believers.

Mustafa Cagrici, head of the state-run religious affairs directorate said: "I don't find it right to discuss religion in such environments."

Others have been put off by what they see as the rise of an intolerant attitude toward atheism.

A more novel approach might have been atheists trying to convince a group of religious that there is no God. Free trips for newly-minted atheists could include an all-expenses trip to the Natural History Museum.

Tovbekarlar Yarısıyorfor will air on Turkey's Kanal T this September

Global Post story - here.