Comments on: Bendy Atheist Buses

By: Das Ben

Das Ben — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:33:50 +0000

Its ok, Christian Voice have decided to save us all by complaining to the Advertising Standards Agency on the grounds that the organisers would not be able to factually prove that there "probably isn't a God".

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:14:46 +0000

There’s probably no god because, though a good one is impossible as it’s existence would contradict our experience of the world, there still could be an evil one.

By: Believer

Believer — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:49:31 +0000

I don’t believe in bendy-buses.

By: Adrian Hayter

Adrian Hayter — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:28:48 +0000

@Oli

I think they had to use those words to get around possible restrictions on adverts. The UK doesn’t have freedom of religion / speech built into our law so we can’t have slogans saying “there is no god” or the like.

Saying “there is probably no god” is making a more neutral statement.

By: Oli

Oli — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:33:13 +0000

Well, I guess I hoped to sell atheism on the grounds of intellectual integrity! I see your point – it’s just an ad. But they wanted it to be thought-provoking and I worry that it comes across as vacuous. Still, nothing wrong with Adamsian…

By: Luis Dias

Luis Dias — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:52:40 +0000

It’s very Douglas Adamsian.

By: Luis Dias

Luis Dias — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:50:33 +0000

Oli, actually I don't agree with you at all. While you're technically correct, in the sense that no sane peer review paper has ever come out to try to put bayesian and / or frequentist statistic models into the probability of existence of God, in layman terminology it just means that his existence is quite improbable given the sheer amount of little and big things that go against his existence, from philosophy, science, history, morals, the type of people that preach, etc. And the hedonistic stuff? Well, it's an ad, not a philosophy! It must work within a sentence! And since the reality of sin and worrying about god's "will" and hell and all those terrors is a good portion of religion, it's this relief that atheism brings that is in the marketing. How do you plan to sell atheism if you only offer difficulties? You'd make a terrible marketist.

By: Luis Dias

Luis Dias — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:42:28 +0000

Green’s reply is hilarious! Great catch! I ROFTLed big time! If only he listened himself and made 2+2…

By: Oli

Oli — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:52:49 +0000

Isn’t this a bit of a disappointing choice of slogan? It seems about as mindless as most religious statements. ‘Probably’? Er, who calculated the probability? ‘So stop worrying and enjoy your life’? Doesn’t this just mirror how believers perceive atheism: as apathetic, hedonistic? Shouldn’t the worrying start here, with disbelief…and the tough questions.

By: Viridiana

Viridiana — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:32:11 +0000

I’m sooooooo jealous!