http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/21/religion-advertising Dawkins said he'd match £5,500 if it raised that much. Within an hour of launching this morning they had raised that. As I write this they've raised £21,094.81 since 9am today and climbing every time the page is refreshed. The shit thing is TfL won't let them have one that says 'There is no God' because it may offend people. Maybe people are offended by being told to repent or that their non belief is somehow wrong constantly. 'Jesus is probably the Way, the Truth, and the Life', anyone? Dawkins is sometimes disagreeable and rabid atheists can be annoying at times but I think this is brilliant...
Is this a joke? If not I almost dislike these as much as religious advertising Its throwing bullcrap at bullcrap, a wrong at a wrong, and all the rest of it The religious ones are usually far more offensive and even potentially destructive. But this is a childish comeback. People shouldnt be ramming their beliefs down peoples throats, especially not just random members of the public, children included. Thats the end of it really I wouldnt want a child to be reading about how they must repent and Jesus will save them or theyll burn and I dont want them reading that there is no God whatsoever, when just taking a walk down the street! If so It aint funneh
Also it makes the automatic assumption that people who believe in some kind of God worry and dont enjoy their lives, which is nonsense
No joke, total up to £21,910.81- over £900 since my last post. As I said, rabid atheism can often be unattractive as with any mentality that places complete certainty in it's outlook but I also think there's nothing wrong with these. As I said before TfL have copped out a bit making them insert the 'probably', but seeing as the probably is there I don't really see how it can be construed as offensive. Definitely much less so than the adverts by some of the religious groups who prey on the weak which are allowed on the buses.
I dont think any of them should be allowed Then again, if it replaces a bloody fast food or car insurance advert itd be the lesser of 2 evils I guessIm sick of being sold shit when Im just out minding my own business, beliefs included. Theres one up at the train station here at the moment "God so loved his only son that...uh, blah, you wont perish if you believe in him but youll get eternal life" A kid really was reading it the other day and sounded curious. I felt bad for the little sprite, trying to figure out what perishing meant Stupid adverts
Steven Green of backwards shithead fascists Christian Voice had this to say.. "Bendy-buses, like atheism, are a danger to the public at large. I should be surprised if a quasi-religious advertising campaign like this did not attract graffiti. People don't like being preached at. Sometimes it does them good, but they still don't like it." Lol, twat.
Danger to the public at largeheh Im not an atheist. Im also not a rampant christian. Infact you cant put a label on my beliefs. I am what I am and believe what I happen to, and no amount of them trying to cram their stupid posters into my mind is going to change that. Thankfully Im not impressionable, but some are. I think him and all other preachy nutters out there need to stop throwing their toys about and keep their views to themselves, and that includes atheists who want to paint their point on the side of our buses
This made me laugh a lot. It's incredibly funny. I see it as an ironic undermining of religious advertising, not an attempt to 'ram a belief down people throats'. (Atheism is not a belief anyway, but the absence of one...) It's protest, not evangelising. Brilliant.
Oh sure, I find pretty much all advertising offensive. Be it print, television, radio whatever. Most of it is insulting to one's intelligence and a lot of people have inferiority complexes from this advertisers lie of normality which they try to buy into but really they need to understand that they just ain't normal- no-one is... But sometimes you have to play them at their own game, it's a light hearted message on the whole, it's quite playful and it's positive. Imagine if that one at the station near you was forced to have 'probably' in it. "...you wont perish if you believe in Him but you'll probably get eternal life.", people would think it utterly ridiculous- why aren't these people asked not to put unprovable claims in their ads?
Oh come on, you can turn the words either way. In the eyes of some you are someone who believes there is no God. Thats a belief. You cant just say its an antibelief, a void, or you wouldnt have an opinion at all I can see this is different from quoting the bible and the ridiculous religious propaganda were fed. Much different, and less offensive. Its still a cheap shot and lowering to their level. I dont want to read "there is no God" when I get on a bus, just as I dont want to read about Jesus or any of that crap. People can believe what they want, but this is in public view and it IS throwing it out to everyone who happens to glance, thats the point of an advert, banner, poster etc, with its colourful writing I just dont want to see any of it
I'm a very tolerant atheist and would never force my beliefs on anyone else, I'm not the only one, someone I met on Saturday had exactly the same viewpoint.
I think the 'probably' makes it. A negative cannot be proven, so you need to include a caveat to suggest that should evidence for the existence of gods be forthcoming, atheists would of course change their mind in a moment... Atheists would tend to use caveats like "probably", or "almost certainly" anyway, this is something that sets us apart from believers who tend not to have any room for doubt or reappraisal of what they think. Which is the whole problem, really...
I agree compared to most advertising this is lightweight I still cant help finding it a bit inappropriate Also "probably" is still very much swayed to the positive side and is a word that can often be omitted by the mind because of this. I do it when Im off guard. Even if not omitted it has strength in it Anyway as I said if its a choice between this and the usual crap then Ill take this, I guess!
I don't 'believe there is no god'. I don't believe there is a god. I do believe there is probably no god. Incredibly important difference, often overlooked.
Yup, I agree 100%- as I said, no-one can complain with the probably in there, and it gives it a more light hearted and less Fire-and-Brimstone certainty to it. Just saying it's double standards on the part of TfL- if I paid for one which said 'God Exists' they'd let it up despite the claim being equally unprovable. Personally I'm agnostic anyway heh.
I also feel one of the problems is they say "there probably is no God", but they dont say what God is, or why indeed a belief in one would cause you to be a worrier who doesnt enjoy their life The range of what "God" means to different people varies SO vastly...I cant stand it when its automatically assumed it means a beardy guy in the sky, or christian. Saying there probably isnt a God is a very vague way of putting it, isnt it?
Well yes, but the important factor is the lack of dogmatism ... I'm open to being shown otherwise It's not a belief in the sense of an unshakeable conviction.
