Athiest Bus
October 22, 2008
There’s an ad on the side of a bus now in London promoting atheism and it’s causing quite a stir. I like the idea of this because it gets people thinking and talking and there are already lots of ads promoting the existence of god.
Actually, let me put that another way, the ads promoting god are selling something that makes people money. They sell courses that yes may enrich people’s lives, but they are selling all the same. The atheist ads are selling nothing at all, just peddling the idea that there probably is no god. That’s it. No number to call, just a message telling people not to worry.
I thought atheists were positive there is no god. This seems more agnostic. But I like where their hearts are. There’s not enough comfortable doubt and goodwill in the world, especially in the field of advertising. What’s staggering is that the funding target to get ads on the side of busses was £5,500, and since yesterday, the amount raised has doubled.
To £53,800. Want to donate money youself? Go to hell you do.
The only thing that gets me about atheists is that they often do the fire and brimstone thing as much as the preachers. I have to watch myself now because I became a godfather this month and I don’t want to end up a pile of smoking shoes.
I think it’s useful and heartening for some people to believe in a god, or a religion. I’m non-theistic myself, and I would never let religion get in the way of doing what I wanted to do if it benefitted others.
It’s the Jews in the basement thing. The bible says to speak the truth, and you’re hiding a Jewish family in the basement. The Gestapo knock on the door and ask if there are any Jews in the basement and you think for a second, and remember your religious teaching and go: “You know what? There are Jews in the basement.”
Fuck that. You lie. You lie like a thieving stepchild, because that is the right thing to do.
Anyway, back to real-life matters, the I Am Livid podcast with Mr Angry is nestling at number 58 in the itunes comedy audio charts, which is great. It’s above Jonny Vaughan and Lisa Snowden.
Capital Radio announced last week they now have more listeners in London than the BBC’s Radio One, and Jonny and Lisa do the breakfast show, which is their biggest programme, so it’s no small potatoes to be there. And one of those spuds could be down to you so thanks if you downloaded the show on itunes and cheers for listening.
16 comments
Interesting. Except that in my house, you wouldn’t need to lie, because we don’t have a basement and we’d probably be in the conservatory.
It doesn’t have the drama. “Quick – everyone in the conservatory!”
Getting a bit serious aren’t we Cliff? can we go back to talking about boobs and bonking on the beach?
you know important stuff? I’d agree with you that some atheists can be a bit in your face as it were but I don’t know about fire and brimstone though, If I’m wrong about it all being codswallop then God who so Loved the World he gave his only Son is going to make sure I roast in hell for all eternity. But looking on the bright side I’m sure my grandfather who played a major role in forming my world view is keeping my seat warm for me (no pun intended).
If I’m right then the people who think they have an eternity of fluffy clouds and harps (or 72 virgins) waiting for them are never going to know are they?
Trying to get people to think critically is different from trying to get people to believe what you want them to no matter how obnoxious or how charismatic the person delivering the message is.
The Devil in me (again no pun intended) can’t help but wonder what the response would be if instead of putting There is Probably no God in English they’d put There is Probably No Allah in Arabic?
Which brings me back to the above point atheist suicide bombers are probably a bit thinner on the ground than fundamentalist ones.
My own personal take on religion which you can believe or not believe as you wish cos I don’t care at all, is that the human race has finally started to out grow it and they’re all in various stages of their death throes and some are dying more noisily and violently than others.
Islam has undoubtably got more life left in than Christianity has but in the longer term they’re both finished.
But I would put all my Basques in one exit. Still got it.
For the record, I trot that one out every time there is a discussion about putting any ethnic group into a confined space. This is only the second time.
Yay, a non-techie like me downloaded it too Cliff.
And you’re right about athiests – I find their over-simplistic views very irritating, which is weird because I am one. You may just have inspired a post.
Fuck that. You lie. You lie like a thieving stepchild, because that is the right thing to do.
Hilarious.
It is very interesting because something like 80% of Americans are Christian whereas around 5% are Atheist and while Christians have the majority vocal voice, I hear quite a lot of nay-saying and preachiness from the Atheist folk. Maybe the Atheists want to add some balance to the excess onslaught of preachy Christian preachers? The guy at the corner of State and Washington tells me I’m going to hell every day. With a boombox and microphone.
I think he’s hiding booze in his pocket.
The Devil in me (again no pun intended) can’t help but wonder what the response would be if instead of putting There is Probably no God in English they’d put There is Probably No Allah in Arabic?
Which brings me back to the above point atheist suicide bombers are probably a bit thinner on the ground than fundamentalist ones.
Kathryn – I’d like to stand on a corner and announce that “the end is some time off.”
Keef – I am very proud that we can argue about the existance of a Christian god.
I think that athiest suicide bombers are the logical conclusion. They will believe that slags wait for them in hell. Death to the fidels!
“Quick – everyone in the conservatory!”
Yeah, that’s more PD James, really. 2008 and Adam Dalgliesh is still asking if the staff can assemble in the library.
It seems like a bit of a commitment – can’t you just be athe?
Interesting the comparison between ads – where do you see that anyone makes money off the Alpha ads that started the CiF campaign? The atheist ads are selling something just as much as any other advert or else they’ve completely missed the point of exchanging money in order to display a message. And Richard Dawkins is one of the biggest evangelists out there…
The podcast is even more excellent because I get a namecheck.
Yopu want I should do a condensed version for you?
A condensed version of the podcast? Oh yes. Yopu want very much.
There is no Yopu.
Wait…
Global recession, worldwide depression, unemployment and homelessness, blogging being dead, now religion’s kacked it. And it’s barely Thursday.
I tend to think that there’s no God or Afterlife, and that all you are and all you ever will be is how you treat others. Some people ( and companies, and organizations ) think that since there is no afterlife, then it’s not important to treat other people well, because there is no Ultimate Judgment and there will be no consequences.
I think that if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.
Ed – Damn well said and finely put.
Not too shabby for the 13th comment left, I’d say if I weren’t too modest;)
Oh, and since I don’t have a basement OR a conservatory, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Leave a comment. Play nice. I will turn this blog around.