UK Atheist Advertising Campaign Begins; It's a Blow For Equal Time On the Sides of London Buses

A novel advertising campaign underway in the United Kingdom reads "There's probably no God. Now, stop worrying and enjoy your life." Residents will see it on the sides of buses, and perhaps, based on the amount of funding rolling in, on posters, and elsewhere. The campaign is sponsored by people interested in encouraging atheist and freethought; writer Ariane Sherine suggested the idea last year. Read more about the campaign here.

I have to say that I'm of two minds concerning this campaign if it were tried here. On one hand, I'm all for engaging the debate. At least in the U.S., religious messages seem to be everywhere, and atheist and agnostic messages, well, not so much. Despite conservative Christian clamor that Christians are "persecuted" in this country, I fail to see any signs that such a thing is true. Most people claim to be Christians, most people claim to go to church, at least on the Christian holidays. Consider the flap over whether Senator Obama is a Christian or not. He says that he is, and we have no reason to doubt him, any more than we have reason to doubt what Senator McCain says about his faith, but the controversy just won't go away. A gentle reminder that some people, by some estimates, as much as 15-16 percent of the U.S. population is atheist, agnostic or "unaffiliated," and that these beliefs and belief systems are protected by the First Amendment, just like those of the Religious Right (which seems to forget this fact, every so often), would be welcome.

On the other, I'm not certain that I particularly want to be urged, on a city bus, or a city park bench, to buy ideas like peanut butter. But I can avert my eyes (Cohen v. California). Nor do I relish the idea of open ideological warfare, which might be the outcome of this kind of advertising, though it's better than real warfare, which we're seeing in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Quite honestly, could people successfully take out these kinds of ads in some parts of the U.S. in the kind of ideological climate we have now, and have had for some time? I think not, but perhaps things are changing. This country does tend to seek balance, does tend eventually to seek the middle, so perhaps they are.

Legally, could an atheist or agnostic group purchase advertising space on city buses for a campaign like the one in the U.K.? It depends on whether the city considers its buses public forums. If it does, as does Madison, Wisconsin, then I would think that if it accepts ads from, say, the local Catholic and Methodist and Unitarian churches urging people to come and worship, it would have a difficult time rejecting ads from a freethinking group urging people to consult their Hitchins or Dawkins. (Note that I don't have any indication that Madison has accepted any such ads from any religious group). If a city hasn't so designated its buses, then the city will have (or should have) set up standards by which it decides to accept ads, and it can accept or reject ads based on suitability, public policy, etc. But it would still need to be consistent in its acceptance of these ads, and it would need to give notice of these standards.

In spite of this doctrine, though, I really do think anyone who would try to buy advertising space for such a message on city buses in a city that had designated its buses public forums would have an uphill battle, simply because of the existing prejudice against atheists, agnostics and "unaffiliated" folks. As many as 53 percent of the U.S. electorate still won't vote for someone for President who doesn't attend church or says he or she doesn't believe in a supernatural being. If a city bus carried such a message the incumbents in office might find themselves in real jeopardy of being tossed out of office come election day. Sad. And to tell the truth, I think that people with an extreme religious or ideological message of another sort would also have trouble (think a sect that practices polygamy, for example). As far as I'm concerned, that's not the way it's supposed to work. I would hope that we could discuss these ideas calmly and dispassionately, like adults. But some of us don't. We yell, and shout insults, some of us from the pulpit, and condemn those who don't worship as we do, secure in the belief that the other person is going to the other place (which isn't the one we would choose for ourselves, if it exists). What a comfort.

Comments

[U SLAAAAAAGZ]

Top marks to them! :)

[SkeedR]

This sounds like a great plan, but it's just the same as christians advertising on buses saying "There is a God, repent or go to Hell".
Why do both parties feel the need to go to such extreme lengths to make their voices heard? Give society the information and let the people choose for themselves.

[John Woods]

I suppose ignorance is bliss.

Jiff
www.anonymity.pro.tc

[Heather]

As much as I like this message, I would really hate to see pro-religion messages on the side of buses.

[CluterTIm]

Wow, I guess ignorance truly is bliss! Sad.

Jiff
www.anonymity.pro.tc

[Robert Adamson]

Reminds me of the Titanic results! Ha.

[Religion Debate]

As atheists why did they say "God PROBABLY doesn't exist?"

I mean atheism and theism is all about being so confident that there is or isn't a god, this seems more like an agnostic campaign.

[nake]

"There's probably no God. Now, stop worrying and enjoy your life."
Here we go!!
http://newblogtopic.blogspot.com/

[Cy]

Hrmmm, I'm a Christian, and I don't worry much (in fact, several Biblical passages encourage us NOT to worry). Also, I do happen to enjoy my life (in fact, several Biblical passages encourage us to have joy). I don't understand the relevance of these ideas with reference to being an atheist.

[Michael Brito]

Thank "God" someone has the courage to do this!

[JJ Berg]

@ Religion Debate
Not true. You'd be very hard pressed to find many atheists who would claim with absolute certainty that god doesn't exist. We just consider it so unlikely that it's not worth worrying about.

@Heather
I think that's the whole point. There already are pro religion messages all over the sides of buses and stuff like that, so this is meant to counter.

[Vicky]

"Probably"? That sounds more agnostic than atheist to me. Besides, encouraging freethought through... propaganda? Don't think so. Let people think whatever they want.

[D. Libertine]

One news headline you'll never see is...

"Armed Agnostics Storm Atheist Stronghold"

[alex]

"As much as I like this message, I would really hate to see pro-religion messages on the side of buses."
It's not pro-religion, and I wouldn't go so far as to say anti-religion either; it merely tells people to stop worrying, which is worlds away from telling them they're going to hell.

"I mean atheism and theism is all about being so confident that there is or isn't a god, this seems more like an agnostic campaign."
Wrong, and on two counts. Atheism merely means 'not a theist', and theist means someone who believes in [a] god. Agnostic is not mutually exclusive from either theism nor atheism. In other words, you can be an agnostic theist or an agnostic atheist, as 'agnostic' is only a descriptor for if you think that God's existence is proven or provable.

Agnostic theist = Don't know if God exists for sure, but doesn't see harm in believing
Agnostic atheist = Hasn't seen enough (or any) evidence for God's existence, and so does not believe until such time as the burden of proof is fulfilled.
Gnostic theist = 'Knows' God exists, and that he is provable.
Gnostic atheist = 'Knows' God does not exist, and that he is provable.

[Timothy Wood]

@Cy
I guess that's what campaigns like these and billboard campaigns in some US cities are designed to address. Most people don't know that they know any atheists. They don't understand it and so they don't trust atheists in general (just like people who've never met a black person).

[Mac]

I hope my children grow up in an age were it's foolish and looked down upon to believe in imaginary beings.

[Track]

Yes, this country seems to forget why those Brits who started the transition from east to west came here in the first place: To Escape Religious Persecution. I don't understand why religion and state are so closely intertwined in this country where we are supposed to be free but if I was to run for public office, it will be certain that I must worship at a Christian establishment. Thank you Brit's for taking a step forward against a form of racism. Atheist groups have just as much of a right to spread ideals as does any other religious institution.

[Gogetr]

This whole thing stems from the basic concept that there's such a thing as an "Infinite God" .If you accept the concept of infinity, I suggest that the "Universe always was, and always will be".
Note that this will also be at odds with the scientific community as well as the theists everywhere.
I am comfortable with the statement simply because - to the scientists- I don't care where or when you think the Universe started, I believe there was something there before it.(Infinite) I don't care how much effort goes in to finding out how many light years there are , as you try to limit the size of my Universe, my response is something akin to "are you about to hit a brick wall or some equivalent"? I postulate that there is something in which the Universe is growing and something in which that something is growing and on and on -Infinite. Don't forget I started this on the premise that God is Infinite and my position would have as much validity as any theist, as their premise is also based accordingly. The main difference is that the theist is able to relax because he/she has convinced themself that they have found the answer they seek, for the alternative is too simple. For me the position from either corner is one of "Belief", which by my definition is limited, neither I nor the theist can PROVE our positions, so in any discussion of this topic I find it very comforting to get to the kernel of the disagreement and it boils down to the word "belief". Once we agree on the meaning (oxford Dictionary)is my source, which implies to "not know", which now begs the definition of "know" the discussion comes to an end. This format leaves us both holding on to our beliefs,and I might add our integrity, and realizing that at the core it doesn't matter what you believe, at this moment in time,it is just a BELIEF. We "DON'T KNOW" . So get over it already.