Dear Urban Diplomat: should I stop my atheist roommate from joining a Christian talent agency?
I’m sure you’ve seen the billboards around town for the Christian talent agency AMTC (Actors, Models and Talent for Christ). My roommate, a struggling theatre grad and devout atheist, auditioned because he’s desperate for work. He even prepared a speech about being a “follower of the Lord all his life.” I’m appalled and think he’ll get outed. What do you recommend I do?
—Jesus Would Freak, Corktown
Nothing. Your friend won’t be the first job-seeker to exaggerate on his resumé, nor the first human being to conjure religiosity to make a buck (see Hubbard, L. Ron). Lucky for your friend, AMTC, whose success stories include Megan Fox and Mena Suvari, doesn’t require its auditioners to be Christian, let alone Bible-thumpers. Successful auditioners, however, are invited to a six-day “conference” for “unique faith-based educational programming” with admission fees starting at $3,895. Think of it as an incredibly expensive Bible camp that dangles an infinitesimal chance of stardom at the end. If your roomie does get a callback, given the exorbitant price and hard-sell proselytizing, he’ll likely back out without your intervention.
Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/urban-diplomat-jesus-would-freak/&title=Dear Urban Diplomat: should I stop my atheist roommate from joining a Christian talent agency?&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/urban-diplomat-jesus-would-freak-feat.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_271416" align="alignleft" width="292"] (Image: David Clow)[/caption]Dear Urban Diplomat,
I’m sure you’ve seen the billboards around town for the Christian talent agency AMTC (Actors, Models and Talent for Christ). My roommate, a struggling theatre grad and devout atheist, auditioned because he’s desperate for work. He even prepared a speech about being a “follower of the Lord all his life.” I’m appalled and think he’ll get outed. What do you recommend I do?
—Jesus Would Freak, Corktown
Nothing. Your friend won’t be the first job-seeker to exaggerate on his resumé, nor the first human being to conjure religiosity to make a buck (see Hubbard, L. Ron). Lucky for your friend, AMTC, whose success stories include Megan Fox and Mena Suvari, doesn’t require its auditioners to be Christian, let alone Bible-thumpers. Successful auditioners, however, are invited to a six-day “conference” for “unique faith-based educational programming” with admission fees starting at $3,895. Think of it as an incredibly expensive Bible camp that dangles an infinitesimal chance of stardom at the end. If your roomie does get a callback, given the exorbitant price and hard-sell proselytizing, he’ll likely back out without your intervention.
Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com){kind=link}