The Atheist Bus (2)

Further to my post about the Atheist Bus on 26 October 2008, I can now report that the campaign was officially launched on Tuesday. It all started, apparently, when the campaign founder, Ariane Sherine (a comedy writer), saw London buses featuring bible quotes such as "Jesus died for your sins". In an article she wrote on the internet she suggested that all atheists reading it should donate £5 to fund a "positive, rational, counter-advert". She expected to raise about £5,500 and ended up raising £141,000. So her fund-raising abilities are not in question. It's just her theology that is a bit weak.

The slogan she wants to put on the side of London buses reads " There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life". It has already been pointed out in the press that anyone who subscribes to this creed is not really a fully paid up atheist. The use of the word "probably" indicates a certain lack of conviction. Such people should really describe themselves as agnostics. But the other half of the slogan is just as erroneous. It implies that anyone who has a faith in God spends most of the time worrying and does not enjoy their life. Nothing could be further from the truth. It has been observed in the past that those with a faith tend to be less stressed than others and no evidence has been put forward that believers enjoy their lives any less than atheists. It is difficult to imagine exactly what she has in mind. The only aspect I can think of which might fit the bill is the issue of drinking. If this is it, then might I put Ms Sherine straight:-
1. By no means all believers are teetotal.
2. There is no evidence that I am aware of to indicate that those who are teetotal are any less happy than those who are not.
3. If by "enjoy your life" she means getting involved with binge drinking after work every Friday night ........ what is enjoyable about that ??

Ms Sherine says the campaign has now spread around the world but sadly "the Australians were banned from launching theirs and they had the best slogan: "Atheism - sleep in on Sunday mornings"."
Well yes, it would be nice to sleep in on Sunday mornings, but the Atheists seem to have a very short memory. It was they who fought tooth and nail against the "Keep Sunday Special Campaign". They won that particular battle, which is why thousands and thousands of people now have to get up early on Sunday mornings to go to work in the shops that were previously closed. I don't know if it's the same in Australia but that slogan wouldn't carry much credibility in this country.