All aboard the atheist bus

pH · 19-01-2009 11:48AM

Catholic Church blocks plans for atheist bus adverts
The Roman Catholic Church has blocked a plan to put atheist slogans on buses in Italy.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4287979/Catholic-Church-blocks-plans-for-atheist-bus-adverts.html

It's not clear from the article exactly how the Catholic church managed to block the ads, it seems to be pressure on the companies themselves rather than a legal move.

Mena · 19-01-2009 12:04PM

Proof, if ever it was needed, that the Church still wields far too much power.

Dades · 19-01-2009 12:09PM

I'm sure they could still get a billboard or something.

Their slogan is a bit more 'in your face', though.

Myksyk · 19-01-2009 01:31PM

SirDarren wrote: »

Have you guys seen the pictures?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1106924/Theres-probably-God--stop-worrying-enjoy-life-Atheist-group-launches-billboard-campaign.html

Place your cursor over Dawkins and you'll see that we've finally answered the eternal question!!:D

oshead · 19-01-2009 02:09PM

Myksyk wrote: »

Place your cursor over Dawkins and you'll see that we've finally answered the eternal question!!:D

The same could be said for Ariane Sherine.

Dave OS

toiletduck · 19-01-2009 02:28PM

Tha Gopher wrote: »

you dont honestly think creationism will be taught in UK schools for example.

Eh it already is in a lot of faith based schools.

lostexpectation · 19-01-2009 07:16PM

is the italian bus system still public, like our bus system and possible the australian bus system, but not the uk system?

pH · 20-01-2009 10:42AM

This needs to be filed under "shouldn't there be a law against this?"

Offensive advertisements on public transport
That this House notes that posters with the slogan `There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life’, appear on 800 buses in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as on the London Underground; notes that this causes concern to Christian and Muslim people, many of whom feel embarrassed and uncomfortable travelling on public transport displaying such advertisements and would not wish to endorse the advertisements by using that public transport; regrets that the British Humanist Association backs the campaign; and calls on Ministers responsible for public transport and advertising media to investigate this matter and to seek to remove these religiously offensive and morally unhelpful advertisements.
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=37418&SESSION=899

More commentary:
http://www.mediawatchwatch.org.uk/2009/01/16/bus-ad-draws-from-mps-and-a-bus-driver/
http://www.nullifidian.net/2009/01/19/mps-attempt-to-ban-atheist-bus-campaign/
http://friendlyatheist.com/2009/01/19/british-mps-try-to-ban-atheist-bus-ads/

MrPudding · 20-01-2009 11:42AM

pH wrote: »

This needs to be filed under "shouldn't there be a law against this?"

Offensive advertisements on public transport
That this House notes that posters with the slogan `There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life’, appear on 800 buses in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as on the London Underground; notes that this causes concern to Christian and Muslim people, many of whom feel embarrassed and uncomfortable travelling on public transport displaying such advertisements and would not wish to endorse the advertisements by using that public transport; regrets that the British Humanist Association backs the campaign; and calls on Ministers responsible for public transport and advertising media to investigate this matter and to seek to remove these religiously offensive and morally unhelpful advertisements.
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=37418&SESSION=899

More commentary:
http://www.mediawatchwatch.org.uk/2009/01/16/bus-ad-draws-from-mps-and-a-bus-driver/
http://www.nullifidian.net/2009/01/19/mps-attempt-to-ban-atheist-bus-campaign/
http://friendlyatheist.com/2009/01/19/british-mps-try-to-ban-atheist-bus-ads/

Seems like it is working then....

MrP

The Mad Hatter · 20-01-2009 11:51AM

pH wrote: »

This needs to be filed under "shouldn't there be a law against this?"

Offensive advertisements on public transport
That this House notes that posters with the slogan `There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life’, appear on 800 buses in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as on the London Underground; notes that this causes concern to Christian and Muslim people, many of whom feel embarrassed and uncomfortable travelling on public transport displaying such advertisements and would not wish to endorse the advertisements by using that public transport; regrets that the British Humanist Association backs the campaign; and calls on Ministers responsible for public transport and advertising media to investigate this matter and to seek to remove these religiously offensive and morally unhelpful advertisements.
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=37418&SESSION=899

More commentary:
http://www.mediawatchwatch.org.uk/2009/01/16/bus-ad-draws-from-mps-and-a-bus-driver/
http://www.nullifidian.net/2009/01/19/mps-attempt-to-ban-atheist-bus-campaign/
http://friendlyatheist.com/2009/01/19/british-mps-try-to-ban-atheist-bus-ads/

Holy ****.

Pun intended.

MatthewVII · 20-01-2009 11:54AM

pH wrote: »

morally unhelpful advertisements

I really fail to see how saying "There's probably no God" is morally unhelpful. I fail to see how ads saying "Jesus is our Saviour" is morally helpful in comparison.

Religion =/= morals. I wonder why people still don't get it?

robindch · 20-01-2009 01:29PM

MatthewVII wrote: »

Religion =/= morals. I wonder why people still don't get it?

Coz lots of people who gain reputation from/make money out of religion tell their flocks that religious people are better people than irreligious ones?

Plus, quite a few religious people seem to think that they're only nice because there's a god out there who'll clobber them if they're bad, so they conclude erroneously that everybody else must also need to think that there's a god out there, so that they remain sociable.

If you're been brought up from birth to believe that there's a causal link between religious belief and being good, then any threat to the religion can be seen as a threat to the "moral order" of society too.

swiss · 20-01-2009 01:38PM

MatthewVII wrote:

Religion =/= morals. I wonder why people still don't get it?

I recall seeing a clip on youtube where Richard Dawkins was on a radio station with Alan Colmbes where he was making the point that people don't get their morals from religion. A caller called in who believed that without God there would be nothing to stop him from murdering and raping.

I know its an extreme example, but there are people who think that it is religion that gives them their moral compass. In fact, I think they're partially right. I'm not going to treat the bible as any source of factual accuracy but I do agree with the parts about treating each other with respect and other tidbits of moral philosophy that are consistent with my view about how people should behave.

Its just a pity it's wrapped in a big pile of crazy.

pH · 21-01-2009 05:39PM

phew!
(ASA have ruled)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7842769.stm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5561137.ece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/21/asa-clears-atheist-bus-ad-campaign

Dades · 21-01-2009 05:53PM

Huzzah!

Daily Bugle wrote:

Today, in a landmark ruling the Advertising Standards Authority decided that there was, in it's opinion, "probably no God".

They also added that people should "stop worrying and enjoy their lives".

The Mad Hatter · 22-01-2009 08:17AM

Dades wrote: »

Huzzah!

D'you have a source that's not a newspaper from Spiderman?

The Daily Planet, say?

:P

MrPudding · 22-01-2009 10:56AM

swiss wrote: »

A caller called in who believed that without God there would be nothing to stop him from murdering and raping.

Yes. He is called Wolfsbane and you will find him on the christianity forum.

MrP

failsafe · 01-02-2009 10:30PM

Found a site that lets you make your own slogan. Link

My version:

condra · 01-02-2009 10:42PM

Hours of fun

failsafe · 01-02-2009 10:51PM

Only minutes after I posted this I came accross Victor Stenger's version here

bnt · 01-02-2009 11:02PM

It is a lot of fun, isn't it?

Zamboni · 01-02-2009 11:32PM

Sorry but I had to go low brow!

Galvasean · 02-02-2009 01:50AM

Goduznt Xzst · 07-02-2009 05:11PM

attachment.php?attachmentid=72345&stc=1&d=1234023014

pH · 14-08-2009 09:33AM

epic bumpage

Can I has meme now?

pts · 07-09-2009 01:48PM

Looks like those crazy kids are creating something new: "The atheists guide to Christmas"

Might be worth ordering a copy for the whole family.

And in the spirit if Christmas (no pun intended) the full advance and all royalties from the book are going to the UK HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust.

EDIT: pre-orderable at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Atheists-Guide-Christmas-Ariane-Sherine/dp/0007322615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252064471&sr=8-1

Dades · 07-09-2009 02:20PM

They could also release a kids version...

"There's probably no Santa. The atheist child's guide to Christmas".

robindch · 07-09-2009 07:11PM

pts wrote: »

Might be worth ordering a copy

Hmm... does it come with a pinup of Ms Sherine?

(for anybody who might have forgotten)

Zillah · 07-09-2009 07:37PM

That's a pretty good British celebrity list. I like how this is turning into a whole movement.

pts · 07-09-2009 09:14PM

robindch wrote: »

Hmm... does it come with a pinup of Ms Sherine?

(for anybody who might have forgotten)

In that case I'd buy a few of them

Zillah wrote: »

That's a pretty good British celebrity list. I like how this is turning into a whole movement.

Yeah I liked the list too. It contains a fair few people who were on my list when ChocolateSauce asked for suggestions for speakers a while back.

All aboard the atheist bus

Comments