Atheist message on London buses

“There’s Probably No God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

[quote]Bendy-buses with the slogan “There’s probably no God” could soon be running on the streets of London.

The atheist posters are the idea of the British Humanist Association (BHA) and have been supported by prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins.

The BHA planned only to raise £5,500, which was to be matched by Professor Dawkins, but it has now raised more than £36,000 of its own accord.

It aims to have two sets of 30 buses carrying the signs for four weeks.

The complete slogan reads: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

As the campaign has raised more than anticipated, it will also have posters on the inside of buses as well.

The BHA is also considering extending the campaign to cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Professor Dawkins said: "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.

"Even on the buses, nobody thinks twice when they see a religious slogan plastered across the side.

“This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think - and thinking is anathema to religion.”

Hanne Stinson, chief executive of the BHA, said: "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.

“If it raises a smile as well as making people think, so much the better.”

But Stephen Green of pressure group Christian Voice said: "Bendy-buses, like atheism, are a danger to the public at large.

"I should be surprised if a quasi-religious advertising campaign like this did not attract graffiti.

“People don’t like being preached at. Sometimes it does them good, but they still don’t like it.”

However the Methodist Church said it thanked Professor Dawkins for encouraging a “continued interest in God”.

Spirituality and discipleship officer Rev Jenny Ellis said: “This campaign will be a good thing if it gets people to engage with the deepest questions of life.”

She added: “Christianity is for people who aren’t afraid to think about life and meaning.”

The buses with the slogans will run in Westminster from January.
[/quote]

“Bendy-buses, like atheism, are a danger to the public at large.” :laughing: Priceless!

Coincidentally, I was talking to a Septic friend earlier today who reckons (with regards to presidential candidates) the “religion barrier” will prove to be much more difficult to break than the “race barrier”.

Great. Everyone go out and enjoy your life! Responsibility? Ha! I laugh. Let’s all stop worrying about stuff and do whatever we please. Life has no purpose so might as well, ne?

Some fucking slogan. Since when is a bit of worrying a bad thing?

So that leaves death & taxes.

I’d love to see this in a US city. A refreshing change from those God billboards…

Where is there any mention of neglecting your responsibilities and going on a hedonistic binge? You make it sound as if only religious people have any sense of responsibility.

Yeah, the age-old religious guilt trips, e.g. “you are born into sin”, are certainly something to worry about.

Personally, I don’t see any need to include the word “probably” in their slogan. I mean, how often do you see “God is probably great” or “Jesus probably saves”?

[quote=“Infidel”]

Where is there any mention of neglecting your responsibilities and going on a hedonistic binge? You make it sound as if only religious people have any sense of responsibility.[/quote]

It’s implicit. It doesn’t matter what is meant, it matters what people will interpret it as. It’s like taking a fat kid to McDonalds. Hey, you’re not forcing him to eat anything! But he probably will. Does that put you in the clear?

So where does that put the anti-smoking lobby? People who are against gun ownership? Animal liberationists? Greenpeace? Where does that put any activist in the world, anyone who is telling me what is right and what is wrong? What about atheists? Many are certainly trying to make me - a harmless Christian with no intention of forcing my beliefs on anyone else - feel guilty about my religion. Is that any different?

“All men are sinners before God” has nothing to do with guilt: it is about humility and striving to be a better person.

[quote][color=#FF0080][b]However the Methodist Church said it thanked Professor Dawkins for encouraging a “continued interest in God”.

Spirituality and discipleship officer Rev Jenny Ellis said: “This campaign will be a good thing if it gets people to engage with the deepest questions of life.”

She added: “Christianity is for people who aren’t afraid to think about life and meaning.”[/b][/color][/quote]
Yeah, I’m with the Methodist Church on this one. It’s a good campaign, and people should be encouraged to think about “big picture” issues.

Don’t worry. Be Happy. We’ll all going to hell anyways.
Some just a little quicker than others… :smiling_imp:

Because disproving God is like disproving Russell’s Teapot: lack of evidence isn’t evidence of lack.

[quote]“All men are sinners before God” has nothing to do with guilt: it is about humility and striving to be a better person.

[/quote]
That’s your interpretation and of course you’re fully entitled to hold it. It’s different from mine, though, and I’m equally entitled to hold mine.
Other than that, I’m with the Methodist. It’s absolutely no different from “Jesus saves” or “repent ye sinners” or whatever, and if religious types are allowed to plaster those messages on the sides of buses, then surely non-religious types should be equally entitled.
All it can do is make people think, and that, surely, is a good thing.

[quote=“sandman”][quote]“All men are sinners before God” has nothing to do with guilt: it is about humility and striving to be a better person.

[/quote]
That’s your interpretation and of course you’re fully entitled to hold it. It’s different from mine, though, and I’m equally entitled to hold mine.
Other than that, I’m with the Methodist. It’s absolutely no different from “Jesus saves” or “repent ye sinners” or whatever, and if religious types are allowed to plaster those messages on the sides of buses, then surely non-religious types should be equally entitled.
All it can do is make people think, and that, surely, is a good thing.[/quote]

Sure, if religion was about facts then it wouldn’t be about beliefs anymore, would it? You’re free to interpret it all as you like. It’s just that this is not something which can be held against Christianity as such: when people say “all men are equal” I feel pretty underrated sometimes because I know this complete asshole and… Anyway.

I’m not against the “There is probably no God” part. I don’t feel strongly about people claiming either that or the opposite. It’s the latter part of the slogan which I have my doubts about.

I don’t agree with that one, either. Not even a little bit. And what’s the matter with exhorting someone to stop worrying and enjoy life? I know whole entire regions of the UK in which religion makes people spend their entire time worrying about Jehova’s wrath and what he might do to them if they’re insufficiently pious.

“So stop worrying and enjoy your life”?

What doubts can one have about a friendly reminder to enjoy life?

The slogan could just as easily have said “Jesus loves you. So stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

Because disproving God is like disproving Russell’s Teapot: lack of evidence isn’t evidence of lack.[/quote]

Good point. So how about…

Mark 12:32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is i[/i] no other but He.

…or…

Luke 18:19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? i[/i] No one is good but One, that is, God.”

(Quickly checks sky for approaching thunder clouds) :unamused:

Atheists evangelize. News at 11. Anyone with sufficiently held convictions will evangelize.

[quote=“Chris”]“So stop worrying and enjoy your life”?

What doubts can one have about a friendly reminder to enjoy life?[/quote]

That’s not the context in which it’s placed. The context in which it’s placed is that as long as there’s no God, you have nothing to worry about. It’s a sort of cross between Polyanna and Aldous Huxley.

[quote=“Infidel”]Good point. So how about…

Mark 12:32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is i[/i] no other but He.

…or…

Luke 18:19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? i[/i] No one is good but One, that is, God.”[/quote]

It’s called “faith.”

And Cainan lived seventy years and begat Mahalaleel: And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years. Probably.

[quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“Chris”]“So stop worrying and enjoy your life”?

What doubts can one have about a friendly reminder to enjoy life?[/quote]

That’s not the context in which it’s placed. The context in which it’s placed is that as long as there’s no God, you have nothing to worry about.[/quote]

No, that’s not what it means. It means you don’t have to worry about making a misstep and being sent to hell by an angry god, or waste time and energy praying or attending church in an attempt to win enough piety points to get into heaven.

Instead, you can live your life.

That “probably” makes it an agnostic, not atheist, slogan.

A genuinely atheist slogan would say, “There is no God.”

The vast majority of people are agnostics, whether they realize it or not. Most people aren’t militant atheists or theists. They’re most indifferent. They don’t give religion very much thought. Considering that, I agree with the Methodist church’s opinion - at least such a slogan will stimulate a little thought.