Campaign: Atheist Bus
21.10.08 | Ariane |
Atheism, Atheist Bus Campaign, Donation, Donations, Fundraising, Humour, London Buses, Richard Dawkins, Slogan, Thank You
** We reached the total at 1006 BST (GMT+1) on 21st October, just over 10 hours after launch – thank you so much to everyone who contributed! If you haven’t donated yet and would like to then please do – we are now aiming to launch a full advertising campaign across the UK! **
The Atheist Bus Campaign launches today, Tuesday October 21. With your support, we hope to raise £5,500 to run 30 buses across the capital for four weeks with the slogan: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Donate online now!
Professor Richard Dawkins, bestselling author of The God Delusion, is officially supporting the Atheist Bus Campaign, and has generously agreed to match all donations up to a maximum of £5,500, giving us a total of £11,000 if we reach the full amount – enough for a much bigger campaign. Our campaign partner, the British Humanist Association, will be administering all donations.
With your help, we can brighten people’s days on the way to work, help raise awareness of atheism in the UK, and hopefully encourage more people to come out as atheists. We can also counter the religious adverts which are currently running on London buses, and help people think for themselves.
As Richard Dawkins says: “This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think – and thinking is anathema to religion.”
856 Responses to “Campaign: Atheist Bus”
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Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 18 » Show All
October 21st, 2008 at 18:57
I wish the Campaign well although I am not entirely comfortable with it — I fear the way it is presented will add to the common confusion between Atheism and Agnosticism with it being referred to as Atheist yet (unless it is revised) the ‘probably’ suggests Agnosticism which in fact I prefer, being a hard Agnostic, not an Atheist. Furthermore, the explanation of Atheist on the website appears in fact not to be about Atheism but about secular Humanism which is not the same thing, further adding to confusion. I fear clarity about these (to some of us) important distinctions is being sacrificed to the needs of simplified sound bite marketing ——- which I understand but regret.
October 21st, 2008 at 19:00
#26 Paul R- Only you would be so naive as to really believe that just because we have eye’s that we should see everything that is. This universe is FILLED with things that defy explanation based off of the previous days laws of physics. We are constantly finding ways to break our own laws of nature doesn’t that tell you how masterfully we were created. It’s because we have Godly ordained free will that the world is in such turmoil all the time. LOL…sky fairy, that’s a good one!
October 21st, 2008 at 19:03
Ideally, we should look for proof on both sides of the argument. Isn’t that fair?
October 21st, 2008 at 19:18
It would be far more dismissive and effective if it were to read “More than probably there are no gods. So stop worrying…”.
This way of pithily downsizing deity – likening the one to the usually more vigorously dismissed many (Odin, Wakanda, et al) – is an often-missed trick that should always be kept in mind. Just a little less effective on Hindus, I would imagine!
_____
October 21st, 2008 at 19:21
Please ‘Digg’ this story:
http://digg.com/arts_culture/London_to_have_Atheist_adverts_on_Buses
October 21st, 2008 at 19:24
Re #45 by GMAC
You say-This universe is FILLED with things that defy explanation based off of the previous days laws of physics.
This is a very good point and I’m surprised to hear it from someone who doesn’t seem, in other statements, to appreciate the scientific method.
Then, We are constantly finding ways to break our own laws of nature doesn’t that tell you how masterfully we were created..
Er, no. If anyone ‘breaks’ our ‘laws of nature’, and I mean anyone, then experimenters will recreate the ‘break’ over and over again.
It might mean just an adjustment to the law, or occasionally the law gets dumped altogether. Either way we improve our understanding of the world.
October 21st, 2008 at 19:34
RE: Comment by # 20. GMAC | 21.10.08 at 14:51
“This is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever seen. Why do intend to harm the lord in such a way that you say he doesn’t exist on the side of a bus and then ride around like a load of clowns on a psychiatric field trip?”
Perhaps GMAC is right. Let’s change it to say “There’s probably no god, unicorns, or flying spaghetti monsters so, stop worrying and go enjoy LIFE!”
October 21st, 2008 at 19:40
RE: Comment by: 33. Jack Rivers | 21.10.08 at 16:28
“This is all somewhat confusing to me. Isn’t this type of atheism, with the proselytizing and all, just another religion?…..On the whole, all of this seems much more of an effort to convert others to your religion of faith (in an absence), than anything that I have seen lately from any of the other more traditional religions.”
Dear number 33, aka Jack Rivers:
Please try and comprehend that atheism is no more a religion than being bald is a hair color.
October 21st, 2008 at 19:45
@GMAC
Ah, the old God of the Gaps explanation. I’ll say no more as there is nothing to be said on that subject that hasn’t been said a thousand times before.
October 21st, 2008 at 20:42
GMAC,
*Ahem*
October 21st, 2008 at 20:52
“Therefore because you are neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
October 21st, 2008 at 20:58
Give it up GMAC, you won’t convert anybody here. We’re all born again Pastafarians!
October 21st, 2008 at 21:11
So, 60 busses for 12 weeks, and still counting?
Awesome, glad to have helped out, even though London is 300 miles away, this still rocks. Nice to see Atheists can band together like this.
@DB
Speak foryourself, I’m a last-thursdayist.
October 21st, 2008 at 21:29
This pretty much gives the lie to the “atheists are a persecuted minority” assertion, doesn’t it? It also makes it a bit hard for you to claim that atheism isn’t a faith…
What a pity you can’t spend your time and a huge amount of money on something more constructive!
Studies have shown that atheists are the people least likely to give to charity, or to help the poor, the sick or the oppressed. DK
October 21st, 2008 at 21:42
Good idea! My congratulations!
Rosalba
http://www.uaar.it Roma
October 21st, 2008 at 22:19
I don’t try to convert…I pray!
October 21st, 2008 at 22:39
http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/Press/press110.html
‘fellow humanists, not known for their generosity, wouldn’t stump up the cash’
HAAAAAAAAA haaaaaaaaaa hAhahahahahahahahahaaah!!!! – Currently >£42,000 and not even a day old.
What a bunch of fools (to put it very mildly) Christian Voice are – they must be a COMPLETE & TOTAL joke/embarrassment to any half reasonable Christians out there and I don’t ven have to say what they must be to the rest of us.
The next story on their website “Scouts Accused of ‘Grooming’ Children” – NO JOKE.
October 21st, 2008 at 22:55
If you’re right and I’m wrong – I’ve lost nothing – however if I’m right as a Christian and you’re wrong then you’ve lost everything!
By using the word probably it says you don’t know and that you’re not confident in you’re belief whereas as a Christian I am 110% confident in what I believe and why.
I know that Jesus died on the cross and paid the price for my sins and for that I Praise Him.
In the future I expect to see miracles and I have no qualms in praying for someone to be healed or for someone to be raised from the dead. The same POWER that CREATED the world is available to me…today!
And I challenge you to a debate on the television to prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that God doesn’t exist before a totally impartial jury. Are you up for that? I can assure you that you will lose.
October 21st, 2008 at 23:04
Sorry will be last post for a while. Now at >£44,000 including my tenner and rising fast!
Just noticed the next story on the Cristian Voice website:
‘CANNIBAL CHEF SHOULD FACE DEATH PENALTY’
”In the Christian understanding, upon which our laws are or should be based, the death penalty was given to mankind for perpetuity under God’s covenant with Noah. That covenant was sealed with the sign of the rainbow (Genesis 9:12-13).
‘I don’t like the idea of putting a man to death any more than the worst humanistically-minded liberal…’ ”
Doesn’t seem very ‘Christian’ to me… or is it
I’ve got hooked on Christian Voice – it really is very funny, its going to cheer me up no end (though if not in the way they intended)
October 21st, 2008 at 23:28
To add to the clamour for extending this beyond London, now that we’re hitting ~£60,000 in ~18 hours (!!), I’d like to nominate Exeter for a bus or two as it was a recent target of a failed suicide bomber. Having the message drive past people might get them adding two plus two.
~~~~~~
Debbie @ 64:
I’ve heard that claim from the religious time and time again but never a shred of evidence to back it up. Got any?
On the other side, two of the largest ever sources of charitable giving has come from atheists, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.
Remember, just because you say something is true does not automatically make it true. The same rule applies to vicars, imams, priests, rabbis and the writing in old books.
October 21st, 2008 at 23:41
WOW… I love this!
Please please please… could we have one of these beautiful buses in Iran too?
I would donate 1000 pounds for a bus like this in Tehran.
Well done, keep it up.
YOU ARE THE BEST.
I cant wait to see more of these buses all around the world.
I also didnt like the “probably” that much. I wonder how Richard has approved of that!
October 21st, 2008 at 23:52
Great job, UK! I’m happy for all of you. Hopefully one of these days, a campaign like this will happen in Jesusland, USA, where I happen to be from. I remain hopeful.
October 21st, 2008 at 23:55
@Richard #68
Pascals wager? Oh dear, please tell me you don’t take that seriously? What if YOU chose the wrong god? There are after-all many hundreds (if not thousands) of gods throughout history and the present day. Any one of them is just as likely as your Christian god.
October 22nd, 2008 at 0:25
Suggestion, change it to “so” rather than “now”, and skip “your”.
I.e. “There’s probably no god, so stop worrying and enjoy life!”. The “so” implies that the existence of a god would mean needless worrying and that the realization that there is no god is directly responsible for relieving that worrying (good message!), and more like gentle encouragement, whereas the “now” seems like you’re telling people what to do. The “your” makes it sound less selfish and more like a shared experience, i.e. don’t just enjoy your own personal life, but the general shared experience of life.
Also, consider proper capitalization, that way you can get an extra dig in by using “god” rather than “God”. Not crucial, but I bet you lots of people do a double take when they see “god” without the capital g, so you get more bang for your buck.
October 22nd, 2008 at 0:43
An excellent idea and it’s great to see it doing so well.
Some variety in future banner messages would be nice, but the gentle humourous touch should stay.
October 22nd, 2008 at 0:57
David @ 70. Re atheists and giving or charity, look it up! I found the studies a few months ago, but I don’t have time to find them again.
It’s true, no because I say so, but because studies and surveys have shown it – those who give time and/or money to others. are overwhelmingly believers in one of the ‘Abrahamic’ faiths.
Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, so what? They’re billionaires. What about yer average internet atheist?
Debbie
October 22nd, 2008 at 0:59
Also, dropping “your” has the added benefit that it’s shorter which means you can register stopworryingenjoylife.com (or perhaps stopworrying.org), and put up an online campain as well, with some short and sweet introduction to atheism (there are plenty of arguments to sew the seeds of free thought, take your pick), and further links, etc.
It would be a shame to not exploit the campaign for more than just a link to a non-campaign site. Have a focused site that links directly to the advert (easier to remember too).
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:01
Debbie, you’re actually wrong about that, I’ve seen studies showing that the opposite is overwhelmingly true.
It’s especially easy to look up the ranking between countries – compare almost entirely atheistic countries like the scandinavian ones with e.g. the US.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:06
Debbie
How many blankets and bowls of hot soup does it take to prove, for example, the Virgin Birth?
Adam
_____
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:15
Debbie:
Yeah, that’s what they all say. No, really, they do – or they just disappear.
I suspect what you’re confusing and conflating is that the religious give through their church and therefore the donation is associated with a religious
organisationcult. Atheists, however, don’t have atheist clubs through which they channel their charitable contributions.You therefore have no way of proving your claim and the ’study’ you found “months ago” most likely did not exist or was some flawed, anecdotal claptrap published by Give Us Money Or Go To Hell Ministries.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:16
I was going to donate, but my contribution is clearly not required.
If, however, I heard that the extra money would be spent widening the campaign to other parts of the country, rather than splashing out on Tube ads for already spoiled Londoners, then I would happily help nudge that total even higher!
Or perhaps something to counter this threatening hoarding on the A1 Northbound
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:19
Adam, I have to ask you what on earth you mean?
Christian giving isn’t meant to prove anything. It just comes out of faith…
Also, Sebastian, I am not talking about countries, but individuals. Talking of atheist or religious countries is largely meaningless. Where would you rate New Zealand (where I am?) The media here proudly proclaim us the most secular country outside Scandinavia. That’s probably true, but there’s no way to prove it!
I don’t know if I can put links here, but here goes…
http://www.islam.co.za/awqafsa/sorce/library/Article%209.htm
There’s also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_religion
about a third the way down…
“Religious belief appears to be the strongest predictor of charitable giving.[86][87][88][89][90] One study found that average charitable giving in 2000 by religious individuals ($2,210) was over three times that of secular individuals ($642). Giving to non-religious charities by religious individuals was $88 higher. Religious individuals are also more likely to volunteer time, donate blood, and give back money when accidentally given too much change.”
DK
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:20
Er.. . David, see number 81, and apologise!
DK
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:30
On deep 1am reflection, I’m not sure how far I’d take the “stop worrying” slogan…
Seriously. I’ve donated and everything, but… humanism requires worry, doesn’t it? It requires effort and actually *doing* things rather than relying on god to sort things out for us.
We have massive responsibility because the invisible bearded ghost in the sky doesn’t. We can’t pray away cancer. We have to do. We have to worry because nobody else will. The “stop worrying” throwaway reminds me of the blissful, disengaged ignorance religion encourages: don’t worry; god will sort it out.
I know you were going for “stop worrying about whether there’s a god” – but it seems very general as it’s currently phrased, as others say.
Just thinking out loud, as is obvious.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:42
Nick, actually I think they’re going for “stop worrying about accidentally angering an invisible man and being sent to hell”.
The anxiety about always being “good” (according to some bronze age mythology) is one you can let go of once you realize that it’s not real, hence the “stop worrying”.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:57
Sebastian,
I really like your alteration to the slogan.
“There’s probably no god, so stop worrying and enjoy life!”
It sounds far less aggressive and much more positive. Such a slight a change but a world of difference, great suggestion
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:29
Sebastian, that’s probably true but why not be specific? To me, the message of secular humanism is “There’s probably no God, so it’s up to us to make the world a better place!”
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:30
Lets put it this way,
1. If there is a god, and we have good deeds, well we’ll go to heaven, also if we made sins, we’re gonna burn in hell
However
2. If god doesnt’ exist, we got nuffin 2 lose, by being nice, nuffins gonna happen, u made f*ckin sins, nuffins gonna happen
To sum up:
We aint got nuffin 2 lose dudes, from a ‘gamblers’ point of view, i’ve chosen 2 believe
for cryin out loud sweet mother of atheis bitches….. f*ck yo’ll!!!
peace, over n out
samantha!
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:22
Great idea and I’ve donated.
But as it’s an ATHEIST campaign could you not just forget the ‘probably’ part of this slogan and make any future ones more direct too?
Here’s hoping…as this would help the silent secular majority to feel comfortable voicing their views more loudly.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:07
We can’t deny the existence of God nor can we be sure that he doesn’t exist.
That is why people call it “FAITH” and not “KNOWLEDGE”.
I personally cannot imagine a world without God. If there’s nothing after death, everything here (even “enjoying life” 24h/day) seems pointless to me.
It is up to every single person to choose wheather he or she wants to believe or not.
God does not force anyone to believe in Him.
Unfortunately it seems like today’s world is doing the opposite way urging people to leave their faith behind them.
The phrase written on the bus can be given one name: “Intolerance”.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:13
I like the “probably”. It’s whimsical. I think discussions about our existence and meaning are better for a bit of humour. It also allows for opening people’s eyes without prevailing on people to agree (or dismiss) right off the bat.
For those who say this is “just an alternative religion being rammed down their throats”, compare to raising awareness of gay and lesbian issues (eg the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney). It’s about letting people know there is an alternative and getting people used to it. It’s not about making everyone conform to the new idea as a new social norm. Gay people don’t want everyone else to be gay too, they just want to be able to be open about themselves without fear of prejudice. Likewise, atheists would like it to be more socially acceptable to be open about the fact that they don’t believe in a god or a hereafter.
All power to the campaign!
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:52
“We can’t deny the existence of God nor can we be sure that he doesn’t exist.”
I deny the existence of God, so that is disproved quite easily.
I am sure the God of the Bible does not exist, in general the idea of a personal God is ridiculously juvenile. A God (or Gods) that exist outside of the Universe is a little trickier, but given they would not be able to intervene in human affairs why bother about it?
“The phrase written on the bus can be given one name: “Intolerance”.”
I think you have to have “faith” that is the case as you provide no working out to explain how you came to that “name”.
From where I am sitting the only intolerance shown is by the religious who seem to think that atheists should shut up and go quietly into the night. Even something as mild as this message has caused a wholly disproportionate reaction amongst so many believers.
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:59
Fantastic campaign, and I shall be donating. Shame it has to have ‘probably’, but I guess it seems to have been necessary to get the campaign on the buses.
I love the idea taking the campaign further afield and maybe running TV adverts, although the cost of these is alarming. Most importantly for me, I would like to buy some car window stickers (without ‘probably’). I know plenty of people who would consider putting them on their cars as part of a wider campaign.
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:12
@Kael
I deny the existence of God. There you go.
I can’t say for 100% certainty you’re right, but I can be more than 99.999% certain.
Intolerance is when you get in a huff when someone who holds to different beliefs (of any kind) to you exercises their right to talk about it. So, who is being intolerant here?
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:20
There has been discussion about what to do with the extra money. Richrd Dawkins is takling about another London based campaign with a different more punchy and direct slogan.
I have another suggestion regarding the use of the now large amount of money donated. Rather than another London-centric based campaign why not go country-wide and have buses in Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh etc with the same slogan.
As the money will have been donate by people all over the country it would be great if we all got the chance to see a bus in our area with the slogan on.
It would also mean a greater awareness of the campaign and get to more people than just people in London.
It would be a shame if the *British* Humanist Society was seen to be just London-centric.
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:20
So what are you going to do with all the extra money? It looks like there will be enough for a major nationwide campaign – maybe advertising hoardings as well. What about broadcasting?
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:37
Regarding the surplus… rather than roll out the campaign as a one off effort, use some money to kick start merchandise, t shirts, mugs, key rings… given the support already shown for this there would soon be enough cash in the coffers to mount an enduring effort. I don’t think there would be any shortage of volunteers to help out.
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:12
#Kael 89
“God does not force anyone to believe in Him.”
Maybe not but we all live in a world where society demands that we live in a world where god (or diety of choice) exist.
I’d much prefer to think for myself thank you.
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:45
I’m amazed, with growing irritation, that so many fail to appreciate the subtlety and force of the proposed understated advertising copy.* Father Christmas is just as probable! As Bergen Evans once wrote: The common mind is intensely literal.
_
*Though this would be improved by, following Genesis, introducing the plural form – (see 54 above).
_____
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:46
congratulations great campaign !
I come from Poland and in my opinion We need to raise awareness of atheism in my country .
its so sad becouse its artificial to prepare campaign like that !! :/
keep going!!!