| Swap Your Bible For The Side Of A Bus |
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| Written by Webmaster | |
| Saturday, 25 October 2008 | |
By Maxine Clarke As the British Humanist Association announces details of its forthcoming poster campaign, this article looks at why such a move should be seen as a giant leap in positivity.
The news that London buses are set to bear slogans such as 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' has brought a welcome sense of acceptance for the views of atheists the world over. It seems inevitable there will be a spiteful backlash from leading religious bodies, and I for one would not be surprised to see the campaign withdrawn, perhaps even before the scheduled launch in January. Atheism has often been portrayed as little more than a hatred of religious beliefs, when in fact its nothing of the kind. While posters claiming salvation through Christ are commonplace throughout the UK, any public form of atheism seems to be immediately jumped upon and criticised for being immoral and unjust. As an atheist myself, I find said posters claiming salvation an affront to both my beliefs and those of other religions. For example, I myself have witnessed posters making such statements as 'there is only one Lord' or 'Jesus was the sole prophet'. Although I can happily disregard such statements with a wry smile, the followers of other beliefs have a significant reason to be suitably offended. And people still wonder why minority religious feel like outcasts in our nation. So it is with great delight that the posters set to feature on the side of buses are to convey nothing more than a positive message. Whereas Christian posters have become accustomed to saying little more than 'believe in God or go to hell' (not an official slogan, at least as far as I'm aware!), the atheist message is one of positivity. In saying 'there's probably no God', the poster does not entirely discount such an entity. (It can be argued that such a message would make it one of an agnostic viewpoint, but the point is the same nonetheless.) However, it is the next line which completely encapsulates my own beliefs and those of millions of others: 'Now stop worrying and enjoy your life'. There could not be a more quaint and positive message. It is in no way inflammatory and does not denounce the beliefs of others, but instead intends to help its readers rest easy, something we could all do with in the particularly unstable climate. Whether the posters prove to be a success or are quickly withdraw from public view cannot be certain. However, as soon as they hit the streets in January, I will proudly in agreeance with their message. Max Clarke is a copywriter for holiday services company, Holiday Extras, currently writing about Gatwick airport parking, Manchester airport hotels and Heathrow airport parking. |
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 25 October 2008 ) |
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