Britain's atheist bus campaign
Are anti-religion ads constructive or a waste of money?
Guardian journalist Ariane Sherine, left, and Professor Richard Dawkins in front of their handiwork.
(Anthony Devlin/PA URN:6714605)
British comedy writer Ariane Sherine wanted to raise $8,000 to put an atheist billboard on a few London buses, as a “corrective” to religious ads, said Sarah Lyall in The New York Times. “But something seized people’s imagination,” and she raised more than $200,000, with atheist writer Richard Dawkins and the British Humanist Society. Now 800 buses across Britain sport the message: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
Thank goodness for that, said biologist Paul Myers in Pharyngula. The “godless signs” are a real solace to the silent masses of rationalists who are “appalled at the blind faith of their neighbors” but “reluctant to speak up” because they think they’re alone.
“Atheists are by definition free-thinkers who don’t follow the crowd,” said James Randerson in Britain’s The Guardian, but it does feel great “speaking with a single voice.” That’s one reason people gave so much. The other is the “charming” Sherine, who has been “the antithesis of the shrill, dogmatic, and shouty atheist that is so beloved of religious caricaturists.”
She “totally wussed out by tossing ‘probably’ in the slogan,” though, said Allahpundit in Hot Air. And if these “dopey ads” hoped to get a rise from religious groups, early indications are that they failed. Some Christian churches even welcome the ads, because they might encourage people to think about life's big questions. So it’s hard to say if this is a “bigger waste of time and mental energy,” or just money.
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11 Comments
Posted by Chip, Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 10:33 am "Probably" captures the feeling of a lot more of us than you'd think. Just like "they" cannot know for certain there is one, it'd be quite an act of hubris for me to say that there definitively isn't.
Posted by Pamela, Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 1:01 pm Awesome.
Posted by bob dole, Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 1:20 pm Since they added the word 'probably' to the ads, I think this should be called 'Britain's Agnostic bus campaign', which is not nearly as interesting.
Posted by Truth Teller, Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 2:13 pm These silly stunts say more about the actors and virtually nothing about their message. Like Hamas rockets, no one takes you seriously while you violently jump up and down like a child having a temper tantrum. When you're ready to talk, I'm listening.
Posted by Kam, Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 8:15 pm What I find amusing is the implication that atheists in any manner stifle themselves on their screeding against those who believe in a god. Ever since Time Magazine published the "God is Dead" issue, atheists have shown how incapable of "free-thought" they are.
Posted by Sammler, Thursday, January 8, 2009, 10:34 am "Atheists are by definition free-thinkers who don't follow the crowd," preened James Randerson, confident in the expectation of exchanging mutual congratulations with millions of other self-regarding "free thinkers".
Posted by bob dole, Thursday, January 8, 2009, 12:47 pm Truth Teller, I don't think your analogy works very well: Hamas' rockets are taken very, very seriously indeed.
Posted by Brett, Thursday, January 8, 2009, 2:22 pm Even if there is a God, that being is nothing like any organized religion describes it to be. "...shrill, dogmatic, and shouty ATHEIST"?!?!?! That description doesn't fit your average atheist....
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