However,
Posted on 10/22/2008 1:02:01 PM PDT by Constitutionalist Conservative
London buses may soon be plastered with ads proclaiming “There’s probably no God,” if a British atheist group has its way.
The slogan is the brainchild of the British Humanist Association (BHA), an atheist organization that seeks to promote a world without religion where people are “free to live good lives on the basis of reason, experience and shared human values.”
Among the campaign’s supporters is well-known atheist activist Richard Dawkins, who promised to match BHA’s goal of raising $9,000 for the ads, according to BBC.
But the group has now raised $59,000 on its own.
“Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride – automatic tax breaks, unearned respect and the right not to be offended, the right to brainwash children,” Dawkins told BBC.
“This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think – and thinking is anathema to religion,” he claimed.
BHA will use the funds to purchase four weeks worth of bus-long ad space on the outside of two sets of 30 Bendy buses.
The complete slogan reads: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
Because more funds were raised than anticipated, BHA will also run posters inside the buses. The group is also considering to expand the campaign to other British cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
"We see so many posters advertising salvation through Jesus or threatening us with eternal damnation, that I feel sure that a bus advert like this will be welcomed as a breath of fresh air,” said Hanne Stinson, chief executive of BHA.
"If it raises a smile as well as making people think, so much the better.”
In response, a British Christian group warned that people don’t like to be preached to and that it wouldn’t be surprising if the public retaliated.
“I should be surprised if a quasi-religious advertising campaign like this did not attract graffiti,” said Stephen Green of U.K.-based Christian Voice.
But the U.K. Methodist Church, on the other hand, expressed appreciation to Dawkins for fueling a “continued interest in God.”
“This campaign will be a good thing if it gets people to engage with the deepest questions of life,” said the Rev. Jenny Ellis, a Methodist spirituality and discipleship officer.
She added, “Christianity is for people who aren’t afraid to think about life and meaning.”
It is well known that Christianity is in decline in the United Kingdom and across Europe.
A report by the United Nations, released earlier this year, found that two-thirds of Britons admit they have no religious affiliation. And a BBC poll last year found that four in five people believe Britain is in moral decline.
The Archbishop of York, Dr. David Hope, the second most senior member in the Church of England, declared in a 2004 interview that the United Kingdom can no longer be considered a Christian nation. He noted that Britons are less committed to the church and “secularist” tendencies were increasing.
The bus ads are slated to run in January.
People might just think, "Well, it means probably there IS God. Just to be safe, why don't we follow His Words? After all, following His Words don't harm."
It started in 1982. It's called the British National Party. But be careful — joining it, or expressing sympathy with its philosophy or aims, means you are automatically a racist that hates Jews, blacks, Muslims, and so forth, whether you actually do or not.
However,
I have no problem with these ads as long as they also accept ads that say “There is a God.”
The first reasonable thing to do if you accept their premise would be to kill everyone that disagrees with you politically, especially if they are leftists. They are logically a threat to your well being and life.
Next would be to euthanize all sub-par humans, as they are a drag on society and oneself. Actually "euthanize" implies some humane methodology. It doesn't really matter how its done if there is no God. Who really cares, just kill them. Of course some inferiors might want to be kept around to serve their new masters. SPARTA!!!
Its flattering that atheists usually pick Christian morals as being "correct", but its hardly logical from a self-preservation point of view. Survival of the fittest and to hell with the rest.
There is some logic to pretending to be honest, etc. to fool the gullible, but you can't actually justify being honest if it comes at any ultimate personal expense. After all, no God means that you're nothing but recycled dung with a very short shelf life.
Awe what a utopia a world without God would be... Logical annihilation without remorse or pity.
**God is no doubt devastated by this.**
God is likely SMILING ... “PROBABLY” ??
Let’s get some COURAGE behind your Convictions... Yes or NO
Hedging the bet with “there’s PROBABLY no god”
I hope God is in a very good mood when he sees this... otherwise London could become Gommorah East
Somebody should post ads for Pascal’s Wager as a comeback.
Good enough. Carry on.
:)
**God is no doubt devastated by this.**
That was sarcasm. I should have put the tag on it.
Sorry I should have too ...
figured since I took it even further, no /sarc was necessary
What is that Popper quote? Something like “It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood.” Applies to the written word too.
What if you end up worshipping the wrong god? What if Mithras is the right god to worship?
I wonder how this will go over with the Muslim population in Britain... probably with spectacular results.
On a side note, ‘there PROBABLY is no God?’ I find that incredibly amusing, not to mention that it’s not great marketing and they can’t say ‘probably’ and still be called atheists (instead of agnostics).
LOL... if a person chooses to believe Mithras, so be it...
“hinking is anathema to religion,” “
The religion of atheism obviously knows nothing about Christianity. I wonder why they are so bent out of shape about someone else’s beliefs and demand theirs be followed?
You should
“Probably” no God?
Is that a bet you really want to make?
I have heard of the BNP. Seems they need a PR overhaul, and a bit more appeal to Christianity.
I pity the English really, English conservatives have little chance. If we don’t do something, that kind of thing will happen here.
God help us.
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