Atheist bus adverts could lead to watchdog ruling

The add is attacking the religious industry, a trillion dollar bussines worldwide... No wonder there is a reaction. The tobbaco industry also counterattacked.

Edited by pinguin - 09-Jan-2009 at 14:38

true, but I think that having it completely over busses is far more provocative - religious groups in England don't do that to such an extent

This advert was in response to religious adverts on buses threatening people with going to hell for disbelief - the atheist response is a measured and pleasant one. I don't see how bus adverts threatening people with hell should not be subjected to scrutiny if these less offensive ones are.

Excellent point!!

Originally posted by Zaitsev That's the primary problem I see with the issue. Religious groups advertise, futilely, because they believe themselves to be right and wish to 'save' others. Atheist advertisements serve no purpose because, if there is no God, then it doesn't matter what we believe. Hence Atheist/Agnostic advertisements can only serve the purpose of antagonising religious groups as a sort of 'pay-back' for their advertisements.

viva la atheists!

Advertisement is useless. I just wonder when companies that promote products through adds will figure it out that.

Actually advertisements for products do work if a product is searching for brand recognition. However once a market is saturated it does no good to continuously advertise, I'm looking at Coke, McDonald's, CNN. But if I have a brand of Cola called Janus Cola, I'll have to get some advertisement out for people to get to know my product.

I think the point of the atheist advertisements is being missed by just about everyone here. The point is not to influence people to join a certain faith (or abandon one). The point is it is a form of protest. Because for once the evangelicals are on the receiving end of their own style of propaganda.

And as a form of protest it has worked beautifully. It has created headlines around the world, and the financial donations for it have been so vast that the project has expanded far beyond its initial modest aims and are now running the advertisements for an extended period, nationwide. This should give the evangelicals some idea of just how sick and tired the general public is of their unsolicited preaching, and that they are willing to put their money where their mouth is to prove it. Indeed, it is a very civilised way of sending a message of protest to predatory evangelical groups, and the huge backing it has garnered only adds to the triumph of this protest.

Originally posted by Zaitsev Isn't that sort of protest akin to 'fighting for peace' or other commonly quoted examples though?

Not that I can see. Would you care to substantiate how that perspective is true?

Originally posted by Omar al Hashim Well its just going to make atheists look as bad as Christians, unless you get it (which 40-60% probably won't). Although I do respect the style of the protest.

The 40-60% who don't get it will just forget about it soon enough. If they aren't in tune enough to figure out the meaning of the protest, they aren't likely to remember in a few weeks anyway. Any negative press for atheists will be minor and short lived. The targets of the protest, the evangelicals, will take note - and I dare say the more intelligent among them will understand the message (not the one on the bus, the one that made them put the ads on the bus).