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Original poster

British Humanist Association advertises on buses: "There's probably no God."

102 replies

morningpaper · 21/10/2008 15:24

The complete slogan reads: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

I can't deny that I really dislike this approach. What are they trying to say exactly? Who are these people who are sitting around worrying about the possibility that God exists?

Perhaps they should cut to the chase and say: "There's probably no God. So stop running all the free toddler groups and feeding the poor."

OP posts:
combustiblepumpkin · 22/10/2008 02:41

This is the article that sparked the Humanist bus advert.

Tortington · 22/10/2008 03:09

if the bible bashers want to then the heathens can as well
i dont see a problem

CorpseBrideOfJohnCusack · 22/10/2008 05:58

Am I the ONLY person who has no idea who Richard Dawkins is?

MaryBS · 22/10/2008 07:29

I can't understand why someone would waste their money giving to this poster campaign?

FWIW I'm a Christian and am not offended - I think its "probably" good, because it gets people thinking about whether they believe, rather than just being indifferent.

I also wouldn't contribute to a Christian poster campaign. Would rather give the money to a charity like Oxfam.

ihatemyjob · 22/10/2008 07:52

I run a toddler group and Im an atheist. And I think theres loads of outstanding atheist schools. Most of the church schools are full on non beleivers lying for the kids so they can attend middle class schools.

And religion never caused any harm did it? hmm maybe several million wars

needmorecoffee · 22/10/2008 08:55

what evidence serious? You can't prove or disprove God's existance.
Non-religious types cause a whole bunch of wars too. The nazi's weren't on a religious crusade you know, nor the British Empire, nor the US etc etc etc. Humans cause wars, not religions.

UnquietDad · 22/10/2008 09:30

I saw an interesting argument the other day - that if he's a god of love he'll forgive sceptics, because after all he will have granted you the scepticism. Of all the sins to be forgiven at the pearly gates, this seems a mild one.

All academic, of course, because he "probably" (!) doesn't exist.

Kewcumber · 22/10/2008 09:57

who was it who said on their deathbed on refusing to confess their sins "god will forgive me, its his job" - feel sure you will know UQD...

mabanana · 22/10/2008 10:06

This is what the BHA says about the motivation for the advert and for the use of the word 'probably':

All aboard the atheist bus!

.... the campaign will feature adverts across London?s bendy buses with the slogan:
?There?s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.?
....The Atheist Bus Campaign really began earlier this year, thanks to readers of The Guardian?s Comment Is Free (CiF) website. Comedy writer Ariane Sherine, 28, wrote a CiF article in June about the Christian adverts running on London buses. These ads featured the URL of a website which said non-Christians would burn in hell for all eternity. Sherine suggested that atheists reading her article could each donate £5 to fund a reassuring counter-advert. The campaign received a boost when the BHA undertook to accept donations on behalf of the campaign and Richard Dawkins generously agreed to match all donations up to a maximum of £5,500.
Ariane Sherine, Atheist Bus Campaign creator has said, ?I?m very pleased so many people are behind the atheist bus. This is absolutely brilliant and I?d like to thank everyone who donated for their support. The sky?s the limit for atheists even if we don?t believe there?s anyone up there.?
Hanne Stinson, BHA Chief Executive says, ?We see so many posters advertising salvation through Jesus or threatening us with eternal damnation, that I felt 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. .....?
Bob Churchill, BHA Membership and Web Manager, and ad hoc philosophical sounding board, says, ?Some of our agnostic members might think ?probably? is too strong a word to use in the advert, while some of our atheist members might prefer something closer to ?almost certainly? or even ?God is an analytical impossibility? or something. But either way, the wording was Ariane?s original proposal, it?s proving incredibly popular, ?probably? has a bit more humility than ?almost certainly?, and it sounds a bit funny, like the Carlsberg ?probably the best beer in the world? adverts. This is about taking a light, positive, humanistic message to the public. And it is definitely working! Whereas epistemology doesn?t tend to scan very well on the side of buses, unfortunately.?

QuintessentialShadow · 22/10/2008 10:08

Thanks for linking to the article. I think it was a good article. I agree, actually.

If you spend a lot of money putting a bible quote on bus, with a web address, why scare the shit out of people and come down hard with doom and gloom and condemnation? (you have mumsnet for that )
That is not the way. Shouldnt the website rather say something cute and fluffy such as "come into my folds, sweet little lamb, and you will worry forever more?"

A little bit like mumsnet.

flimflammum · 22/10/2008 10:13

Ha, ha, ha, 'god will forgive me, it's his job'

I love that, as another no-longer-a-catholic.

Re the OP, I don't think the slogan is particularly effective for converting people to Humanism, but maybe it's actually meant to make people smile and lighten up a bit. Those of us who agonise about what we really believe or don't belive. For anyone with a faith, it's irrelevant, and if theirs is a strong faith then it should be water off a duck's back to them. They would only be offended if deep in their psyche somewhere, they had doubts too. Otherwise, why be offended? It's just someone else's opinion.

flimflammum · 22/10/2008 10:16

cross -post with Mabana's quote from the article - sorry - obviously it's meant to be light-hearted, it was originated by a comedian.

edam · 22/10/2008 15:20

The Nazis were on a religious crusade, they wanted to destroy all Jews. And they were what a polite person might describe as very close to the Catholic church - children, church and school and all that.

Arfabrain · 22/10/2008 15:25

MP, some of us athiests (I am sort of Humanist) do good deeds because it is the Right Thing To Do. Not because we need the apprtoval of some supreme being or fear of hell or because we will be rewarded in heaven. I have been on preschool committees, fund-raised for several charities (including Christian Aid and church-run ones), have been a long-standing volunteer for 3 local charities, given my time, expertise and moeny freely. Just because it will beneft my fellow man.

InLoveWithSweeneyTodd · 22/10/2008 15:33

I think you will find most Christians involved in community work also do it because they feel it is the right thing to do, and not because they want to please God.
There is an assumption in your comment that Christians only act moved by fear of retribution or by a desire to impress God. That's not so.

edam · 22/10/2008 15:48

Sweeney, I think arfa is reacting to comments by Christians claiming that all or most charity work is done by believers.

singersgirl · 22/10/2008 16:05

I think it's great and hadn't realised it was happening.

Arfabrain · 22/10/2008 18:30

I'm sure that is the case sweeny, I was merely responding to MP, who seemed to be implying that only Christians did good work...
In our town, many church-goers I know only seem to do good works in order to earn points for entry to local faith school.

The school has been forced to abandon that particular criteria of entry and subsequently - coicidently I'm sure - I have already heard of some committees/charities struggling to find volunteers.

UnquietDad · 22/10/2008 18:36

I think that quote was from one of the poets I read at university - good old Heinrich Heine.

dittany · 22/10/2008 18:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SqueakyPop · 22/10/2008 18:39

Do people really think that Christians do good works in order to get the Lord's favour?

Blu · 22/10/2008 19:20

Squeaky - "Do people really think that Christians do good works in order to get the Lord's favour?" Of course not! They do it to get a place in Reception, don't they??

Seriously - no. They do it because it is the right thing to do. Just like atheists of a similiar disposition.

Except for my Mum's neighbour who is an absolute martyr to the church maramalade effort, even though she is in agony with her arthritis, but she is kept going by the Lord's calling.

onager · 22/10/2008 19:53

I'm sure many christians do things because they want to do the right thing. However they do belong to a 'club' which claims they will be rewarded for it.

For an atheist then it's a bit like being a volunteer and working next to someone who is expecting to get paid.

SqueakyPop · 22/10/2008 20:28

Not any Christians I know do anything for reward.

IorekByrnison · 23/10/2008 10:07

This is so lame. Have the BHA put a 14 year old in charge of their marketing department?

On the other hand, if you're going to have a dumb slogan on a bus (and it seems that we must), I'd probably prefer a dumb humanist one to most. Hope other groups don't feel the need to retaliate. It could escalate. I would hate to see whole ideological wars being fought on the sides of buses with comments as excruciatingly fatuous as this everywhere you look.

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