British comedy writer Ariane Sherine wrote a newspaper column in June 2008 that led to a campaign of atheist advertisements on buses in the UK. $US190,000 was raised to run the slogan “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life,” on 800 buses across Britain – 200 in central London – along with 1,000 posters in London’s Underground trains and two video screens in a popular subway station, all for a full month ending in early February. The campaign is now spreading internationally, with United States, Canada, Italy, Spain and Australia following suit. In Washington, the American Humanist Association introduced the $40,000 ad campaign before the Christmas holidays. Ads featured on Metro buses proclaimed, “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.” In Britain about 200 complaints were made to Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which regulates commercials.
Rather than laying a complaint, I am far more interested in having the dialogue that this advertising campaign provokes:
- What drives, what motivates atheists to spread their message?
- How does not believing in a God encourage one to stop worrying and enjoy life?
- Can you be good for goodness sake? Or do we need help to be good? And might being good (for goodness sake) be a sign of God – rather than a denial?
- …
THERE IS A GOD, NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE!
Drag and drop my photo onto your blog. Link to this post. Discuss with your atheist and agnostic friends (not in an intense way – we can be far more relaxed about this – remember we are not on our own…) Create your own bus image here.
