London, Jan 7 (IANS) In a move to counter Christian advertisements running on London buses, an association of atheists has launched a "no God" advertising campaign on buses across Britain and on the London Underground with the slogan: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."A total of 600 buses in Scotland, England and Wales and 200 bendy buses in London will carry the slogan for four weeks following a fundraising drive that raised more than 140,000 pounds. The money raised will also pay for 1,000 advertisements on London underground and a pair of giant LCD screens opposite Bond Street tube station in Oxford Street.

The fund-raising drive developed from a suggestion by British comedy writer Ariane Sherine in a blog post on the Guardian newspaper's 'Comment is Free' column last June. It found support from the British Humanist Association (BHA), prominent atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins and philosopher A.C. Grayling, among others.

At the launch of the campaign in London, Sherine said: "This is a great day for freedom of speech in Britain and I'm really excited and thrilled that the adverts have been approved and I hope that they will make people smile on their way to work. I am very glad that we live in a country where people have the freedom to believe in whatever they want."

The organisers also unveiled a set of quotes from public figures - including Albert Einstein, Douglas Adams and Katherine Hepburn - who have endorsed atheism, or at least expressed scepticism about a Creator.

Hanne Stinson of the BHA said the advertisement was a simple statement of non-religious belief designed to reassure people there was no reason to worry about being non-religious.

Theology think tank Theos and the Methodist Church said it was a great way to keep people thinking about God.

However, the offices of London Metro, the government body responsible for the city's buses and subways, received several complaints from the devout about the advertisements.

The initiative of the atheists prompted non-believers in Spain and Italy who are now likely to launch a similar campaign in Barcelona and some Italian cities, The Guardian has reported. In the US, some buses in Washington have already been carrying such advertisements supported by the local humanist association.

I don't know why the religious folks have such a problem with freedom of speach. It would be nice to see something the rest of us could relate to for a change.

Seems kind of silly to me

Hi Mirror,

As the years pass religion is getting more intolerant and aggressive, so the balance is welcome in my opinion. There will be people that see an ad and think, wow, I am not alone in having no faith in religion or in a god. Don't see anything particularly silly in that.

But I think the religious establishment sees a threat in it for good reason, it slows the pace of their agenda.

I'm all for freedom of speech. Good for them. I wonder what they will do with the money? What big Atheist group out there is feeding the poor and helping the needy?

I think it's seriously depressing that humans have come to the point where they have to argue that either some really stupid book that was written by a self-centered culture in the Middle represents the word of God, or there is no such thing as spirituality.

Such a narrow-minded view.

I'm sure the Eastern Mystics are having very sincer belly laughs. Not egotistically driven at all, but just sincere humor.

It's truly hilarious to see the way that the western world treats the idea of God. And they got it all from the Middle East.

Either God is an authoritarian bigot who will send anyone to hell who doesn't believe in him and his bigoted ways, or there is no God at all.

Seriously, this is like spirituality gone mad.

It's truly hilarious if you stop and think about it.

I just want to say hello to all of my atheist friends. You are great people

there are alot of secular groups that do alot of good the red cross is not part of a religious org.
for one.

Ah so now if one is an atheist it means they don't help the poor or give to charity? I guess people just don't know much about what it means to be atheist...

I pretty much have considered myself and atheist so far, and it doesn't stop me from giving, being kind and generous with my neighbors, volunteering to those organizations that don't require one to be a believer. so saying atheists don't give is kinda strange.

Come to think of it maybe it's a dang good idea that atheists start speaking out more, because it seems many have no idea what that means.

Seems to me that it would have the opposite effect. Just by having the word "God"in the ad they are reminding people of "God"Is anyone going actually gonna stop believing in God because of an ad

This actually already took place in the US. A Christian (I wont blurt out her name) was misrepresenting it. Here is the actual article.

"Humanists have always understood that you don't need a god to be good," said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. "So that's the point we're making with this advertising campaign. Morality doesn't come from religion. It's a set of values embraced by individuals and society based on empathy, fairness, and experience."

http://www.americanhumanist.org/press/BusAds.php

Just so you realize, this is about one third of the list. I coudnt possibly have copied and pasted all of it. Just a note, these charities do good for the sake of humanity and not to hold out aid in exchange for conversion.

I've been asked often why there aren't any atheist charities. Of course, as usual, people are just presuming or parroting things they heard. Of course there are atheist charities. And like in my videos post, I am considering charities that do not promote a specific religion to be an atheist charity.

Secular Charities and Aid groups:

DonorsChoose.org
a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack.

Kiva.org
lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world.

The Union of Concerned Scientists
The leading science-based non-profit working for a healthy environment and safer world.

American Red Cross
The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers, guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The USA's premier emergency response organization, over 91% of Red Cross spending is on charitable services.

American Civil Liberties Union
The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of constitutional protections and guarantees relating to First Amendment rights, including the freedom to practice religion and the freedom not to have religion rammed down our throats, equal protection, due process, and right to privacy.

United Nations Children's Fund
UNICEF mobilizes political will and material resources to help countries, particularly developing countries, ensure a "first call for children" and to build their capacity to form appropriate policies and deliver services for children and their families. UNICEF provides emergency and disaster relief.

Doctors without Borders
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, and exclusion from health care in nearly 70 countries.

Amnesty International
AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.
In pursuit of this vision, AI’s mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.

Oxfam International
Oxfam International is a confederation of 12 organizations working together with over 3,000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice. The Oxfams operate in over 100 countries worldwide working with local partners to alleviate poverty and injustice.

The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the diversity of life on Earth. An environmental group that protects natural habitats and the wildlife within them. Focuses on "science-based" initiatives.

Population Connection
Population Connection is the national grassroots population organization that educates young people and advocates progressive action to stabilize world population at a level that can be sustained by Earth's resources. Works against faith-based policies that are supported by the Religious Right.

DefCon: Campaign to Defend the Constitution
DefCon is an online grassroots movement combating the growing power of the religious right. It includes a blog on religious freedom issues, action alerts, and in-depth articles on scientific, religious, and legal issues of the day.

The SEED foundation
National nonprofit that establishes urban public boarding schools to prepare students from underserved communities for success in college.

Project Peanut Butter
Project Peanut Butter is a therapeutic feeding program for malnourished children in Malawi and Sierra Leone, on the continent of Africa. It was founded by Professor Mark Manary, M.D., a pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and a professor of pediatric medicine at Washington University School of Medicine.

Electronic Frontiers Foundation
When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. Blending the expertise of lawyers, policy analysts, activists, and technologists, EFF achieves significant victories on behalf of consumers and the general public. EFF fights for freedom primarily in the courts, bringing and defending lawsuits even when that means taking on the US government or large corporations.

Sea, maybe he doesn't understand that the "red cross" symbol has nothing to do with Christianity.

they are too buzy poisoning people's minds...that's what they do with their money.

Yeah, the Red Cross, thats all they are up to.