'No God' campaign draws complaint

The atheist bus adverts that declare "there's probably no God" have been given the green light by the advertising watchdog, despite attracting hundreds of complaints.

So far, 326 people have objected to the posters that have been placed on 800 buses around the country, which state: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

Some claimed the adverts were offensive while others said that their central claim about God's existence could not be substantiated. A Christian bus driver has also refused to get behind the wheel of a vehicle bearing the slogan.

The Advertising Standards Agency, the industry watchdog, has admitted that the adverts go against the beliefs of many people.

But it has decided that they do not breach any part of its code and is not launching an investigation " which could have led to the posters being taken down " into the unprecedented £140,000 advertising campaign by atheists.

The decision is a victory for the British Humanist Association, which organised the campaign, as it had insisted the posters were only intended to reassure non-believers and not mock the religious. The slogan was created by Ariane Sherine, a comedy writer, as an antidote to posters placed on public transport by Christian groups that "threaten eternal damnation" to passengers.

The ASA said in a statement: "The Advertising Standards Authority has concluded that the 'There's probably no God' bus ad campaign by the British Humanist Association is not in breach of the advertising code. The ASA will therefore not launch an investigation and the case is now closed.

"The ASA carefully assessed the 326 complaints it received. Some complained that the ad was offensive and denigratory to people of faith.

Others challenged whether the ad was misleading because the advertiser would not be able to substantiate its claim that God 'probably' does not exist.

"The ASA Council concluded that the ad was an expression of the advertiser's opinion and that the claims in it were not capable of objective substantiation.

"Although the ASA acknowledges that the content of the ad would be at odds with the beliefs of many, it concluded that it was unlikely to mislead or to cause serious or widespread offence."

It pointed out, however, that it has banned several adverts that offend religious groups in the past, including a poster for a morning-after pill that referred to "immaculate contraception" and one for Paddy Power, a betting firm, that showed Jesus and his disciples gambling in a pastiche of the Last Supper.

An person will eventually develop enough common sense to realise that Santa isn't real.

You missed my point. I don't know.

I only have as much certainty as you have and I both have that Santa does not exist.

There is a subtle but huge difference between this certainty and "knowing".

I agree with you entirely. Anyone who "knows" that God does or does not exist is inviting themselves to be laughed at.

Personally I believe my reason for non-belief is as good as any, for any faith.

Of course all of this is besides the point. You didn't actually answer the post that I wrote for you. Could you please do that thanks.

I would add only this: non-belief in the anthropomorphic monstrosity which passes for a diety in the Bible or non-belief in the fairy tales told in church and Sunday school is not the same thing as atheism.

Thank you Thomas. This is the basis of mine and I hope many atheists non-belief. It is not some "heart"-felt conviction, rather a realisation that the existence of a God is laughable, indeed comparable to that of a tooth fairy.

Re: Merry Andrew (Post 3562990)
Quote:
I would add only this: non-belief in the anthropomorphic monstrosity which passes for a diety in the Bible or non-belief in the fairy tales told in church and Sunday school is not the same thing as atheism.

Why?

Atheism is a denial of the existence of any force that can't be explained in purely human scientific terms.

I say 'god', you say . . .