The Atheist Blogger

Friendly Atheist has linked to an “atheist bus advert” generator, so I thought I would do my best and tackle an issue that has been with the adverts since the start of the campaign. My advert probably won’t be on buses any time soon though!

THERE IS NO GOD!

Whilst the message isn’t really philosophically accurate (especially given my position as an agnostic atheist), you can’t deny it would turn some heads! For those confused, the ASA is the “Advertising Standards Authority” which determined that a statement like “THERE IS NO GOD” wouldn’t be legal, and Christian Voice are the arses who filed numerous complaints about the adverts.

After 326 complaints, numerous calls of “blasphemy” by Steven Green of Christian Voice, and a bigot who refused to do the job he is paid for, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have decided that the current atheist adverts are not illegal and do not break advertising code. Let’s look over some of the claims made:

“The wording is offensive to religious people”

Response: The wording told you to “stop worrying” and “enjoy your life”. It didn’t say there was no God, nor that you are a fool for believing in God, nor that religion leads to evil. The message was clear; people shouldn’t spend so much time worrying about their “afterlife” when it might not exist, and spend more time having a good time.

“The advert is misleading because you cannot prove there probably isn’t a God”

Response: Neither can you prove there probably is. If Christian adverts can get away with claiming that not only is there a God, but said God will send you to hell for eternity for not believing, then atheist adverts can get away with “there probably isn’t”. The advert isn’t meant to prove anything; it is an opinion on the existence of God, and so like the infamous Carlsberg “probably the best beer in the world” adverts, it is void from objective substantiation.

“The adverts cannot be held as opinion because nobody is attributed to them”

Response: Actually, three groups are held as attributers in the form of links: humanism.org.uk, richarddawkins.net, and atheistcampaign.org. The advert is clearly the opinion of those groups and whoever supports those groups (or agrees with the advert itself). There is no difference between the opinion stated in this advert and the opinions stated in Christian adverts which are attributed to the Bible. Oh wait…there is a difference; the atheist adverts are accurate reflections of reality.

Sorry Christians, better luck next time.