My God - look at that bus

big b

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20081028/tod-london-buses-may-advertise-there-s-p-6058bda.html

London buses may advertise 'there's probably no God'
Yesterday, 05:43 pm

London's iconic red buses could be plastered with the slogan "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life," in an atheist advertising campaign responding to a set of Christian ads.
Comedy writer Ariane Sherine, 28, objected to the Christian adverts on some London buses, which carried an Internet address warning that people who rejected God were condemned to spend eternity in "torment in hell".

She sought five-pound (7.80-dollar, 6.25-euro) donations towards a "reassuring" counter-advertisement -- and received the backing of the British Humanist Association (BHA) and atheist campaigner Professor Richard Dawkins.

The campaign has already smashed its 5,500-pound target and the slogan is planned to hit the side of several London buses in January.

"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 BHA chief executive Hanne Stinson.

Dawkins said: "This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think -- and thinking is anathema to religion."

A Church of England spokesman said: "We would defend the right of any group representing a religious or philosophical position to be able to promote that view through appropriate channels.

"However, Christian belief is not about worrying or not enjoying life.

"Quite the opposite -- our faith liberates us to put this life into a proper perspective."

A spokesman for Transport for London told AFP they had not received such an advertisement application and would wait to view it before deciding whether it met their advertising guidelines.

"No advertisement of this kind has been submitted to TfL at this time," he said.

"If approved, then it will appear on our network."



I, for one, welcome the arrival of our new Routemaster Overlords..........

truecrippler

Finally we're breaking out of our religious shell. Should bring that over here... imagine the controversy? Sure its ok to worship and promote God and or Jesus but not Atheism, Agnosticism etc.
....................^^^^^^^^^^^^........
....................Are they real words?.......

WindSock

Pfff. If they really want to turn heads they would replace God with Allah.

Cookie_Monster

Another slow news day is it?

Ruu_Old

I won't rest until I see 'Jesus is coming, look busy.' :pac:

WindSock

Ruu wrote: »

I won't rest until I see 'Jesus is coming, look busy.' :pac:

Is that because Jesus is coming?

chin_grin

Ooh, last news I heard on this was that Dawkins mentioned they were still in 'talks' about getting these ads up. Although I'd correct the advertisement saying "there's probably no need for religion". Like those Carlsberg ads. Getting away with anything by using the word 'probably'. Like 'every poster after me is probably going to be wrong'. Just as an example. I like the cosy safe softness of safe world and vague-planet. Mmmm.

giggsy664

WindSock wrote: »

Is that because Jesus is coming?

Yes.







LOOK BUSY!!!

4zn76tysfajdxp

That's a very good thing, I try to find all spiritual guidance and advice from advertisements off the sides of busses.

Mena

Thread about this originally here

shenanigans1982

Most people are going to just wonder when this movie is coming out.

Acacia

It's fairly presumptuous of either side (religious, atheists, etc) to think that people want to read their personal beliefs on their way to work. It's kind of arrogant for Dawkins to assume that people don't enjoy their life just because they believe in God though. Live and let live, I say.

FruitLover

Jesus is coming, get some tissue.

Dave!

The target was £5,500, which Dawkins was gonna match, bringing it to £11,000.

The campaign is currently on over £100,000!!!!!!!

tis gonna be big

BTW The site is www.atheistcampaign.org

Fanny Cradock

I don't agree with the insinuation that if you happen to believe in God you don't enjoy life. But aside from that, I, as a Christian, have no problem with atheists advertising their belief.

This will, of course, upset many people, which is the entire point. Besides the inevitable and regrettable backlash, this could spark of some interesting debate amongst people who otherwise wouldn't bother to dwell on such matters.

MagicMarker

FruitLover wrote: »

Jesus is coming, get some tissue.

He's just THAT hot!

phasers

"WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?"

This stares me in the face every morning on the way to school. Anybody that can buy advertising space can say whatever they like

Rabies

Ruu wrote: »

I won't rest until I see 'Jesus is coming, look busy.' :pac:

It still won't help the bus arrive on time

tallaght01

100k could do a lot of good in this world. Moreso than sticking an ad on some buses.

Has anyone every converted to religion because they see a sign saying "get yizzer holes to church or you're going to hell. Jeremiah 24:8". ?

Or do you reckon any hardcore religious heads are gonna change to atheism because of these new ads?

I don't see a lot of point in all of this.

Ciaran500

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

I don't agree with the insinuation that if you happen to believe in God you don't enjoy life.

More tasteful than being told you're eternally damned if you don't believe :pac:

Pfft where's the "I don't know if Jesus is coming. He might be" for the agnostics.

Dave!

Yeah yeah, you can't spend 10 pence without someone saying it could have gone towards a packet of crisps for an Ethiopian child.

Fact is the idea was an attractive and novel one to alot of people, and it's unlikely that the money would have been raised so quickly (nor would it have gotten the media attention) if it was just "okay let's raise money and save sick children".

Nobody thinks the Pope is going to apostatize after seeing the bus going down the street, but if it makes people stop and have a think or a conversation about it, then that would probably be considered a success by those who started it.

Silenceisbliss

Ciaran500 wrote: »

More tasteful than being told you're eternally damned if you don't believe :pac:

ooooooooooohhhhh....your gonna BURN for THAT!

m@cc@

Why the hell would you bother preaching that you don't believe in God? That's just as irritating as the holy Joes.

tallaght01

Dave! wrote: »

Yeah yeah, you can't spend 10 pence without someone saying it could towards a packet of crisps for an Ethiopian child.

.

Aside from the fact that a dehydrated Ethiopian wouldn't thank you for a packet of crisps, sometimes it's right to point out that expenditure can be both extravagant and wasteful.

Dave!

And sometimes it's just petty. There's bigger fish to fry than 100k. If everyone bought clothes from Dunnes instead of River Island... if football clubs gave 50% of their transfer fees to charity... if governments were less wasteful... etc etc

Yeah 100k could probably send an ice-cream truck to Somalia, but it wasn't raised for that purpose and there's no reason to believe that it would have been. I'm not one for taking money off people and then spending it on something other than what was intended.

Run_to_da_hills

These must be the new satanic busses, They won't let you board them unless you chip your right hand :eek:

MoominPapa

tallaght01 wrote: »

Aside from the fact that a dehydrated Ethiopian wouldn't thank you for a packet of crisps, sometimes it's right to point out that expenditure can be both extravagant and wasteful.

Give him a can of coke as well then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3a0g4-gHfQ

tallaght01

Dave! wrote: »

And sometimes it's just petty. There's bigger fish to fry than 100k. If everyone bought clothes from Dunnes instead of River Island... if football clubs gave 50% of their transfer fees to charity... if governments were less wasteful... etc etc

Yeah 100k could probably send an ice-cream truck to Somalia, but it wasn't raised for that purpose and there's no reason to believe that it would have been. I'm not one for taking money off people and then spending it on something other than what was intended.

Ur comparing people buying things that are useful, or are profitable, to people buying somehting that will have literally zero use.

jim o doom

tallaght01 wrote: »

Ur comparing people buying things that are useful, or are profitable, to people buying somehting that will have literally zero use.

Ehh, things that "have no use" in your opinion. What is the use in some footballers transfer fee? it seems like a TOTAL waste of money to me (in my opinion). Just because YOU don't agree with how a group spends money doesn't mean it will have zero use. If anything at all, perhaps it will show the god bothering crowd that people who couldn't care less about religion have a voice and are willing to use it. That seems like a pretty damn good use of money to me, religion has been a pain in the rear for a lot of people for a long time. REPENT!

Dinter

WindSock wrote: »

Pfff. If they really want to turn heads they would replace God with Allah.

Oh God no. His followers aren't laid back and unlikely to declare Jihad on you.

You do something like that against an "angry" religion and it's likely your last view is gonna be the reflection of your severed head swimming in the lens of a video camera.

faceman

Ironically many atheist take exception to religions that try to convert them, yet are trying to convert others to their cult with this pointless campaign.

m@cc@

I'm apathetic about the whole religion thing. I don't like the God squad shoving it in my face but similarly I don't like being bombaded with ads telling me there is no God.

tallaght01

jim o doom wrote: »

Ehh, things that "have no use" in your opinion. What is the use in some footballers transfer fee? it seems like a TOTAL waste of money to me (in my opinion). Just because YOU don't agree with how a group spends money doesn't mean it will have zero use. If anything at all, perhaps it will show the god bothering crowd that people who couldn't care less about religion have a voice and are willing to use it. That seems like a pretty damn good use of money to me, religion has been a pain in the rear for a lot of people for a long time. REPENT!

A footballer's fee attracts an amazing footballer to your club, and brings success to the club. That brings money in. How much money would man utd make if they were paying 200 quid a week.

What will these ads do? Like, really?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

why is it that you never brought this up in relation to christians spending money on these ads?

irishconvert

Dinter wrote: »

Oh God no. His followers aren't laid back and unlikely to declare Jihad on you.

You do something like that against an "angry" religion and it's likely your last view is gonna be the reflection of your severed head swimming in the lens of a video camera.

Don't get the "angry people" mixed up with the religion the supposidely follow.

tallaght01

Mordeth wrote: »

why is it that you never brought this up in relation to christians spending money on these ads?

Have we had a thread on that?

Dinter

irishconvert wrote: »

Don't get the "angry people" mixed up with the religion the supposidely follow.

I kid, I kid.

irishconvert

big b wrote: »

London's iconic red buses could be plastered with the slogan "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life," in an atheist advertising campaign responding to a set of Christian ads.

I believe in God, I don't worry and enjoy my life. The campaign seems like a complete waste of money to me. A poster on a bus is not going to change my views.

irishconvert

Dinter wrote: »

I kid, I kid.

Good, I thought I was going to have to chop your head off there for a minute

jim o doom

tallaght01 wrote: »

A footballer's fee attracts an amazing footballer to your club, and brings success to the club. That brings money in. How much money would man utd make if they were paying 200 quid a week.

What will these ads do? Like, really?

Annoy a bunch of Christians, God willing :P

thelordofcheese

irishconvert wrote: »

I believe in God, I don't worry and enjoy my life. The campaign seems like a complete waste of money to me. A poster on a bus is not going to change my views.

do you feel the same about ads on busses telling people to repent and believe in god?

irishconvert

thelordofcheese wrote: »

do you feel the same about ads on busses telling people to repent and believe in god?

Yes, waste of time and money IMO

thelordofcheese

irishconvert wrote: »

Yes, waste of time and money IMO

Well at least your a consistant.

ejmaztec

Rabies wrote: »

It still won't help the bus arrive on time

If there isn't a god, how do you account for the miracle that happens when one of the buses actually shows up on time?

ShooterSF

irishconvert wrote: »

I believe in God, I don't worry and enjoy my life. The campaign seems like a complete waste of money to me. A poster on a bus is not going to change my views.

I dont believe in God. Enjoy my life and don't like being threatened with hell constantly. Think the atheist reply is a bit tongue in cheek. It's not trying to get you to change your views its just a nice alternate ad.

Dyr

I dont have much time for professional athiests like ould dawkins they're just as bad as charlie church and minnie mass but I, for one, welcome londons new atheist buses. I'd have more respect for them if they put that money where their mouth was and dissed allah, jesus et al. Be funny to watch all those religious nutters refuse to get a blasphemous bus to work. Also the potential for a fatwah on public transport would be interesting.

UsedtobePC

ejmaztec wrote: »

If there isn't a god, how do you account for the miracle that happens when one of the buses actually shows up on time?

Amen to that, brother.

faceman

The ad would have been better if it had said:

There is no God...

humanji

If it actually happened it'd be a miracle, but since it doesn't, it proves there's no god!

Biggins

Get that bus over here.

Would make a change from the street religious nuts with the megaphones (shouting in our ears), handing out religious material and books, etc.
Not even safe in your own home, they call to your door (for whom I have two words for)!

I wish the organisers of the bus posters every success.