All aboard the atheist bus campaign

www.guardian.co.uk...


The atheist bus campaign launches today thanks to Comment is free readers. Because of your enthusiastic response to the idea of a reassuring God-free advert being used to counter religious advertising, the slogan "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" could now become an ad campaign on London buses – and leading secularists have jumped on board to help us raise the money.


The British Humanist Association will be administering all donations to the campaign, and Professor Richard Dawkins, bestselling author of The God Delusion, has generously agreed to match all contributions up to a maximum of £5,500, giving us a total of £11,000 if we raise the full amount. This will be enough to fund two sets of atheist adverts on 30 London buses for four weeks.

www.guardian.co.uk...

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I saw this on CNN today and found the article online. The atheist counter slogan to Christian advertising. If the buses run, it will be the first ever athiest advertising campaign.

I'm anxious to see how this advertising will affect people. Will Christians ride a bus with this slogan on it?

I think the Muslim reaction will be more interesting.
I give it 2 weeks before it's removed and an apology is issued.

Well, glad to see Dawkins is willing to gamble £5,500 on a "probably."

Most people in the UK will think it's a subliminal ad for Heineken.

sure i can scrounge up at tenner for a good casue like this ^_^

i guess atheism isnt exactly a none profit organisation like my sig says

lol atheists always amuse me so.

let me ask you a question with all the religeons in the world why did you single out christians?

atheists seem to think that christianity feels so threatened by you all but the reality is we couldnt give a rats patootie what you think, from your Op this advertising seems to be nothing more than an attempt to antagonise christians and if this bus will take me to where i need to go i couldnt careless what it advertises.

i think this will have about as much effect as a religeous advert on a bus and that is no effect at all.

those who believe will continue to believe and those who dont will continue not to.

people have been so bombarded by advertising that i suspect most dont even see it around them anymore.

Misread the quote

[edit on 21/10/2008 by OzWeatherman]

reply to post by OzWeatherman


hmm not sure.. maybe it has something to do with this quote....

I saw this on CNN today and found the article online. The atheist counter slogan to Christian advertising. If the buses run, it will be the first ever athiest advertising campaign.

Originally posted by Demandred
lol atheists always amuse me so.

let me ask you a question with all the religeons in the world why did you single out christians?

the reason atheists single out christians is that they ARE so afraid of us they go owe noes and start ridding around through town in the middle of the night shouting "the atheists are comming the atheists are comming"

you really should learn a little more about atheism and what it means before commenting on it after all we took the time to learn about at least 1 religeon

you should also read the op's linked article you might realise why the ads are being run



[edit on 22/10/08 by noobfun]

reply to post by noobfun


i guess i should but "meh" i got better things to do than to listen to even more anti-christian propaganda.

ive never done, bought, thought anything because of an advert i have no inclination to start today.

like seriously for arguments sake your right there is no god i die and theres nothing wether i was atheist or christian, its not like its any skin off your nose if i choose to believe in a god so why do atheists have a bug up ur hineys about christians?

i dont try to convert people, if people ask i answer if people attack my faith i will defend it.

which i seem to have to do quite regularly here on ATS yet if there is a bashing thread of another religeon whom i wont name it gets closed

so why is christianity the exception?

Originally posted by Demandred

its not like its any skin off your nose if i choose to believe in a god so why do atheists have a bug up ur hineys about christians?

i dont try to convert people, if people ask i answer if people attack my faith i will defend it.

if only all theists followed your fine example, unfortunatley they dont and do activley tell us we should follow thier chosen god or burn in what ever hell the dreamed

so why is christianity the exception?

it isnt, it never has been atheists are disbeleivers in ALL religeons other wise we wouldnt be athiests we would be hindu/muslim/jewish/christian/flying sphagetti monsterists

if you mean why are we so knowladgable about the bible ... simple we were brought up in a scoiety where its the most promoted religeon

as to why (im guessing from your hints you meant) threads about islam bieng closed well thats nothing to do with atheists we show no favour for any invisible cloud friend we also do not favour fairies pixies leprechauns or magic lamps with geanies



the reason for the adverts if you had read the op thread as suggested is simple,

a bunch of christians placed adverts on busses that linked to a website with the usual beleieve in me or forever burn in hell owe noes were all doomed message

is they can tell everyone they are all doomed surley atheists giving them a posative message that 'its all fine and nothing bads gonna happen' just enjoy your self message cant be a bad thing

Originally posted by noobfun
it isnt, it never has been atheists are disbeleivers in ALL religeons other wise we wouldnt be athiests we would be hindu/muslim/jewish/christian/flying sphagetti monsterists

if you mean why are we so knowladgable about the bible ... simple we were brought up in a scoiety where its the most promoted religeon

I don't know, I'm not entirely sure I agree with that. Yes, there is some Christian influence in Britain, but really, how much? Sunday is the new Saturday, the shops are open nearly all day, multi-channel programming ensures the day isn't taken up with Songs of Praise &c. There's no tax or social pressure to go to church.

Even the major Christian festivals in this country as so thickly covered with consumerism that you now need a spade to dig down to any real Christian message.

How many people have their children Christened these days as a religious insurance protection against infant mortality? How many people get marriage because they see it as some kind of religious duty?

How much real input is there from the Church on our laws? We're hardly practising a Church of England version of the Sharia.

Yes, I can appreciate the idea of school hymns as possibly being a bad thing, similarly class-based religious education. However, what always seems to be amiss in all this is the fact that adults decrying religion in schools are obviously missing the fact that it didn't actually brainwash them. Or is it they think they're the intelligent ones (after all, they're the 'Brights') and somehow they're only worried about the thick people in society who can't think for themselves? That's a bit condescending isn't it?

It's funny, I'm 40-years-old now and when I was younger I went to a grammar school with mandatory religious education and classical studies. Yet, out of all the pupils in my year, I'm not aware of one that identifies as Christian, let alone regularly goes to Church and nor am I aware of anyone becoming a pantheist who worships Greek, Roman or Egyptian deities.

As for specifically Christian influence, I'd debate that too as increasingly in what time is allotted on a curriculum for religious education, Christianity jostles for any coverage with Muslim and Hindu festivals as well as other religions in the name of 'inclusivity'. I know this from children in my own family that have recently gone to school.

Also, over the last decade, there's been only one religion that has had much genuine bearing over British life in terms of impression on society and that's Islam, not Christianity.

I truly believe that the Brights focus on Christianity is a cop-out. Out of all the religions in this country, Christianity has little with regard to 'militancy'. The bulk of vociferous dissent from the clergy seems to be aimed at other clergy over issues such as women bishops and gay marriage. There are some genuine fringe elements to Christianity - such as recent stories as to exorcisms and witchcraft - but these seem to have a foundation in the ethnic communities. However, as with Islam, it almost seems treated as a secondary or minor issue whilst the Brights seem more interested in attacking the white, flabby underbelly of a general, middle-ground Christianity.

Originally posted by noobfun

the reason atheists single out christians is that they ARE so afraid of us they go owe noes and start ridding around through town in the middle of the night shouting "the atheists are comming the atheists are comming"

yeah that's it, you got them silly "xians" pegged using your superior atheist logic and critical thinking skeeels and they are skeeeered of all of you in your atheist uniforms or what ever it is you think makes them so recognizable. The Atheists are coming? wouldn't the have to ask first who they are? I mean it isn't like anyone would know what they are unless they are like most of them I see here shoving their Atheism in everyones faces with more religious zeal than a Jehovah's Witness

you really should learn a little more about atheism and what it means before commenting on it after all we took the time to learn about at least 1 religeon

Whats to know? You either believe or don't believe and what you say they all know about one religion is hysterical since what they search for on atheist websites are strings like "looking for things I can attack the Bible on" "Bible contradictions" and ALL Atheists say they don't believe in God yet the websites they have are totally obsessed with a pre occupation for not believing in God and why or how to do it. I think they are some of the most emotionally disturbed people I have ever seen.

They are funny though

you should also read the op's linked article you might realise why the ads are being run

I know why they are being run, what atheists might not understand is nobody cares what they have to say other than God haters like them and their problem is obvious but it is one they can't see, they won't agree and I can predict will be one I am not informed enough about to judge lol

Like I said, they crack me up

Originally posted by Merriman Weir

Originally posted by noobfun
it isnt, it never has been atheists are disbeleivers in ALL religeons other wise we wouldnt be athiests we would be hindu/muslim/jewish/christian/flying sphagetti monsterists

if you mean why are we so knowladgable about the bible ... simple we were brought up in a scoiety where its the most promoted religeon

I don't know, I'm not entirely sure I agree with that. Yes, there is some Christian influence in Britain, but really, how much? Sunday is the new Saturday, the shops are open nearly all day, multi-channel programming ensures the day isn't taken up with Songs of Praise &c. There's no tax or social pressure to go to church.

Even the major Christian festivals in this country as so thickly covered with consumerism that you now need a spade to dig down to any real Christian message.

How many people have their children Christened these days as a religious insurance protection against infant mortality? How many people get marriage because they see it as some kind of religious duty?

How much real input is there from the Church on our laws? We're hardly practising a Church of England version of the Sharia.

Yes, I can appreciate the idea of school hymns as possibly being a bad thing, similarly class-based religious education. However, what always seems to be amiss in all this is the fact that adults decrying religion in schools are obviously missing the fact that it didn't actually brainwash them. Or is it they think they're the intelligent ones (after all, they're the 'Brights') and somehow they're only worried about the thick people in society who can't think for themselves? That's a bit condescending isn't it?

It's funny, I'm 40-years-old now and when I was younger I went to a grammar school with mandatory religious education and classical studies. Yet, out of all the pupils in my year, I'm not aware of one that identifies as Christian, let alone regularly goes to Church and nor am I aware of anyone becoming a pantheist who worships Greek, Roman or Egyptian deities.

As for specifically Christian influence, I'd debate that too as increasingly in what time is allotted on a curriculum for religious education, Christianity jostles for any coverage with Muslim and Hindu festivals as well as other religions in the name of 'inclusivity'. I know this from children in my own family that have recently gone to school.

Also, over the last decade, there's been only one religion that has had much genuine bearing over British life in terms of impression on society and that's Islam, not Christianity.

I truly believe that the Brights focus on Christianity is a cop-out. Out of all the religions in this country, Christianity has little with regard to 'militancy'. The bulk of vociferous dissent from the clergy seems to be aimed at other clergy over issues such as women bishops and gay marriage. There are some genuine fringe elements to Christianity - such as recent stories as to exorcisms and witchcraft - but these seem to have a foundation in the ethnic communities. However, as with Islam, it almost seems treated as a secondary or minor issue whilst the Brights seem more interested in attacking the white, flabby underbelly of a general, middle-ground Christianity.

WOW I couldn't have said anything near as well as you have so eloquently described as what i think is a psychosis of sorts with many Atheists

Great Post and hard to argue with that's for sure.

Originally posted by MAINTAL

yeah that's it, you got them silly "xians" pegged using your superior atheist logic and critical thinking skeeels and they are skeeeered of all of you in your atheist uniforms or what ever it is you think makes them so recognizable. The Atheists are coming?

sorry forgot the sarcasm tags

i was making fun of the poor little perescuted christian -_- and his belief that we
A)singel out christians
B) think they are afraid of us ... we really dont care

Whats to know? You either believe or don't believe

unfortunatley he seems to beleive atheist only do not believe in christianity .. o why are we bieng singled out ow why

guess ill go invest in a pair of lions

I know why they are being run, what atheists might not understand is nobody cares what they have to say other than God haters

we dont hate god to hate him we would have to beleive in him in the first place.

and we dont care what a bunch of god lovers believe but we are still told we are wrong evil gonna burn in hell damned for all eternity etc etc etc

and thats ok im allowed to hate god/jesus becasue they loves me apparently no matter what i do ..

I don't see how the ad singles out the Christian religion - Isn't "god" a title?

Don't Muslims believe in "god"?

I think the message is positive, unlike the christian message of " You'll go to a pit of eternal torture and suffering if you don't believe"

One poster mentioned that Britian isn't much influenced by Chistianity, I agree. I lived in America most of my life and I was always uncomfortable with the undercurrent of fundamenatlism that prevades American society.
He also mentioned that Islam has far more influence and I'm not sure if I agree or not, but it's something that definitley has me thinking.

I for one will be donate a tenner to the casue of happiness with out fear of going to a pace of eternal torture, pain and damnation.

I do not understand - why some people who do not believe in God feel the need to promote it to the masses? Is inquisition back? I do not think that someone in UK can be forced to join any religion against their will , and if there are such cases - law system will protect them. So basically i see it as anti-religious campaign. And the last thing world needs is another anti-something movement. So there are religious people (from all the religions) that can be annoying in their conversion attempts. But they are no different then sale persons - do not want, do not buy. I do not see anyone spending money on anti-salespersons campaigns.
Fight-the-religions-because-they-are-reason-for-all-the-evil is nonsense. People treat other people awful due to trillion of different reasons, main one is that they are humans. Of course religions can gather large masses of people that can easily be driven to do awful things on large scale, but not only religions can do it. Socialistic atheistic approaches of 19th century did similar job and even before them all the ancient empires did awful things without need for organized religion.
This campaign is not even fighting with windmills, it is simply creating friction between different members of a society in order to do ... what?

Originally posted by Merigold
One poster mentioned that Britian isn't much influenced by Chistianity, I agree. I lived in America most of my life and I was always uncomfortable with the undercurrent of fundamenatlism that prevades American society.
He also mentioned that Islam has far more influence and I'm not sure if I agree or not, but it's something that definitley has me thinking.

I wasn't trying to suggest that the influence Islam has is necessarily one of people converting to Islam, although apparently, conversions are on the rise in some demographics. Or that people are adopting what might be perceived as 'Islamic' attitudes.

My point was, generally, that I think Islam makes a bigger impression generally on society than Christianity does. Whether stories are actually true about how Muslims 'interfere' with Christian festivals or how they complain about porcelain pigs, or police dogs feet and all kinds of things, the fact of the matter is that people are conscious of this kind of thing, as well as the oft-suggested 'all Muslims are terrorists!!!1' type thinking.

Stories about how Muslims are foisting their views and beliefs in this country are far more prevalent than stories where Christianity are said to be doing similar. Again, whether these stories are accurate is debatable - it's often argued that it's white non-Muslims who are, unsolicited, taking up the arguments on behalf of Muslims - is immaterial. What matters is the exposure and the subsequent depth of impression that this exposure makes.

When it comes to exposure and people talking and thinking about religion and religion-influenced culture, Islam is far more of an issue than Christianity in this country.

reply to post by Merriman Weir



i would completely agree christianities influence has been slipping away for a while

but the casues for that are consumerism and the politically correct brigade not atheism

im a couple of years younger then you im 31

but when i was a kid sunday you would wake up early watch a couple of hours of cartoons then on the the main tv channels yoy would get various morning christian orientated programs morning worship was one the others names slip by

then it would be off to church followed by sunday school back home

in the evening we would get songs of praise on the telly box

and through out the day there were only 2 kinds of buisness allowed to be open

your newsagent for i think it was 5 hours maximum and the pub for limited times

--------------
the reason saturday is the new sunday shopping wise is simple consumerism

supermarkets argued they sold exactly the same as corner shops why couldnt they open too, they were allowed and others followed suit soon everyone was allowed to open (still limited to 6 hours maximum)

also people were bieng asked to work saturdays more and more, limiting thier time to do things like buy groceries etc which i beleive was also a contributing factor to the everything opens sunday shopping

so it was social and economical pressure

----------------------------------
the religeous tv programs have gone for the most part now its some quasi theological clap trap where everyones afraid to say anything that might offend any religeon

and so have the school assemblies where you would wonder in sit cross legged say the lords prayer sing a few hyms pray again and all file off back to class (yes the was public primary school)

in secondary school we got a dose of complusory religeous education which was dull watered down and tried to fit so many brief glimpses of different religeons you never really got an understanding for any of them

those influences just arnt around today becasue of the pc brigade and crappy tv rating figures for religeous programs which is why sunday morning programming is various chefs and cooking programs


the exposure to christinity isnt there anymore like it used to be and in some cases thats a good thing(school) but you would be hard pushed to say this is the result of athiesm attacking christianity at work

if anything as you say christianity is so busy attacking itself it confusing and driving away people

if you join one church gays are fine in another women are ok to preach in it has for the one true message of god a whole variety of different messages

Originally posted by noobfun
reply to post by Merriman Weir

 

i would completely agree christianities influence has been slipping away for a while

but the casues for that are consumerism and the politically correct brigade not atheism

I think you are confusing some of the points I'm making. I'm not saying that the lack of influence Christianity has is because of any particular reason, simply that the Christian influence is not the threat it's perceived to be by some, particularly when juxtaposed with the influence and exposure that Islam has in this country. For the record, I agree consumerism, and just the nature of modern life (pace, priorities &c) is perhaps the factor in the weakening of influence.

I know that the idea of 'creationism' getting taught in school is an issue for the Brights. I know it's a concern because it interferes with the way science may be taught in schools. However, again it's another strawman. If Dawkins is really concerned about the way science is handled in schools, then he's pointing fingers in the wrong direction.

The real problem with the way science is taught at school is the wider problem of government general interference regarding the syllabus. There's no continuity in teaching now, as every couple of years the government jumps on some bandwagon or other and implements change to give the impression that they're doing something. "Introduce new tests, scrap old tests; focus on maths and english; oh no, we need more sport, scrap some languages; what, our kids are doing badly in foreign languages? that's bad for Europe! We need more foreign languages! let's sell off some school playing fields whilst we're at it!; less bright kids not getting jobs? Take them out of academic classes and teach them trades!"

It's this kind of thinking that's messing up how science - and everything else - is being taught in the class rooms. It's nothing to do with Christianity.

As for everyone over school-age, seriously, how many people leave school being ardent Christians despite singing hymns for years and having religious education?

[edit on 22-10-2008 by Merriman Weir]

reply to post by Merriman Weir


yes some of the problems are most deffinatley the way teachers are allowed and the goverment tinkewring away with its own ever changing desires. but some teaching has become PC mine field a problem we have created for our selves

did you watch 'the genius of charles darwin' it was a 3 part documentry a couple of months back where dawkins adressed schools

he spoke to a science departement and it was astounding,a biology teacher can stand there use what limited time they have to cover evolution and if a student turns around and says ' my dad/priest/imam says your lieing' there is literally nothing the teacher can say(really gonna build respect for our education system and educators)

they are not allowed to say anything that might offend or go against someones religeon so cant correct anything like this

and thats where much of the problem lies children being taught religeon is pure truth before they even see a school

this is the point with creationism it wasnt a problem(lets face it we were taught an apologist version of creation at school/church)

the literal creationist ideals are starting to be imported from the U.S. they are being taught in churches and are bieng taught to children from an early age

creationist/id foundations are sponsoring religeous schools and private schools in an effort to influence creationist teachings

go to your local salvation army, you can walk in and pick up numerous creationist pamphlets. My mothers a memeber and ive been down for various reasons and seen them there and seen the ones others there have suggested she reads

the influences of the church of england are fading fast but creationalistic fundamentalism is increasing, as christianity is percieving its self as persectuted they are battening down the hatches and taking on a more fundamentalist view to combat it

it isnt a big threat but it is growing not diminishing like the main stream church of england

the same can be said of islam but its working from the other end not telling us we should be teaching ID/creationism but saying we shouldnt teach XYZ

while christianity is trying to make it (education) a tool to teach chrisitianity islam is trying to make it a tool to not teach anything anti islamic

[edit on 22/10/08 by noobfun]