PalenQ

so says the headline of a blurb in today's NYTimes - an AP report on how London atheists are mounting a counter ad campaign to counteract one by evangelical Christians who have bought ads on London buses to promote their agenda of Christian evangelism - England having more of a fundamental evangelical movement than i've seen in any other European country - indeed evangelical preachers now greatly outnumber atheists at Speakers' Corner it seems.

The atheists have now bought ad spaces on buses that say <There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.> the ads appear on 30 buses and are paid for by $113,000 in donations within hours on the Internet after the evangelical ads hit the buses.

So in London you will know why their is a religion war of sorts going on on London bus adverts.

flanneruk

Because, by and large, we're sane here:

- the Methodists think the campaign's a great idea
- the Muslim Council of Great Britain thinks it's probably a good idea
- one pro-religion think tank has donated to the cause, because they think the campaign's so crap it'll get people into churches.
- the ad industry's over the moon: practically no-one else but bankruptcy advisors is buying ads right now. Could atheist fundamentalists be the salvation of J Walter Thompson and Saatchi & Saatchi?

BTW: did anyone actually see the loonies' ads that sparked all this off in the first place? All I've seen are those "Happy 2000th birthday, Jesus" ads still on the side of churches after the millennium

PalenQ

BTW: did anyone actually see the loonies' ads that sparked all this off in the first place>

<Comedy writer Ariane Sherine started the campaign after seeing a series of Christian posters on London buses. She said she visited the Web site promoted on one ad and found it told nonbelievers they would spend eternity in torment in hell.
'I thought it would be a really positive thing to counter that by putting forward a much happier and more upbeat advert, saying 'Don't worry, you're not going to hell - aetheists believe this is the only life we have, and we should enjoy it'>

<The British Humanist Association, which is administering the fundraising drive, said it had been so successful the campaign might spread to Manchester and Edinburgh and other cities.>

<Oxford Univ biologist Richard Dawkins donated $9,000 said "the campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think - and thinking is anathema to religion.>

<Dawkins said as an atheist he was wasn't wild about the ad's assertion that there was 'probably' no God.>

Sherine said "the word was included to ensure the posters didn't breach transit advertising regulations, which stipulate ads should not offend religious people.>

(Wow - the British state dictates that adverts must not offend religious people - so much for saying Britain does not have a state-sponsored religious bent - where is freedom of speech if religious concerns can trump it - Dawkins also mentions "that Bishops are automatically granted seats in the House of Lords and religious officials get preferential treatment on all sorts of commissions"

hetismij

Surely if they are Atheists the message should say there is no God, not there probably isn't a God. that statement makes them Agnostics I would have thought.
Signed A. Pedantic.

mnapoli

"Bidden or not bidden, God is present".

Carl Jung, eminent psychologist 1875-1961

zeppole

Where do I send a donation?

nona1

I like the idea but I really dislike the wording. All of the wording.

gertie3751

http://www.justgiving.com/atheistbus

PatrickLondon

>>Wow - the British state dictates that adverts must not offend religious people - so much for saying Britain does not have a state-sponsored religious bent - <<

Nothing to do with the state, just TfL's sensitivity to its position as a public service, I suspect. The advertising industry also runs its own watchdog body, which might have something to do with it.

zeppole

Thanks, gertie! How heartwarming to see they reached their fundraising target so quickly. As that unapologetic atheist Shaw might say, they're doing God's work!

Cholmondley_Warner

On Have I got News For You last night one of the people said "perhaps if there was sign saying "there is no God" then people would think twice before blowing themselves up on our buses.

Maybe, just maybe, they have a point.

nona1

Pal

The Advertising Standards Authority is the independent body set up by the advertising industry to police the rules laid down in the advertising codes.

Nothing to do with state control. Why don't you at least find out what you are talking about before you criticise us?

_ira__

&gt;The atheists have now bought ad spaces on buses that say &lt;There's <i>probably</i> no God. ...&lt;

Typical wishy washy Europeans.

PalenQ

"Bidden or not bidden, God is present".

Carl Jung, eminent psychologist 1875-1961>

The very same Carl Jung who said "you have to suspend logic sometimes"?