@KCK: What about this?
It's certainly less offensive, and people were still getting their knickers in a bunch about it, and enough complaints were generated to get it removed.
I'm not sure I get the insult from the Athiest bus sign.
As firstly it basically points out there is no evidence for there being a god, it doesn't say for definite nor does it cast dispersion upon those who do believe.
Secondly the faith in god, I've always understood doesn't require evidence as it is faith.
To take the stop worrying and enjoy life as a slight against you're belief I feel is stretching to feel insulted.
Edit:
A link to an atheist bus slogan generator.
edited 16th Apr '11 2:32:58 PM by IanExMachina
By the powers invested in me by tabloid-reading imbeciles, I pronounce you guilty of paedophilia!And that think for themselves line is one that's always irritated me; because I'm a theist I'm not capable of making my own decisions? No one thinks in a vacuum; everyone is affected by outside influences.
@Drunk G There's nothing offensive about it; just non-believers wanting to connect with other non-believers, no insults needed.
edited 16th Apr '11 2:29:19 PM by KCK
There's no justice in the world and there never was~Yeah that sounds Buddhist. You learn through experience. You don't accept everything as you believe you know it. You search, you experience, and you learn Truth. Not everything as you know it is Truth or good. Like your attachment to yourself.
If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan ChahI've seen both sides have absolutely ridiculous, patronizing slogans for the other side.
I havent decided which offends me more.
The 'theres probably no god, stop worrying" ones, or stuff like I see on local billboards at churches like "exposure to the Son can prevent burning" or "The Big bang Theory: God said so and Bang, it was there"
Either way, people seem to get it in their heads you can somehow convince the other side by being a snide, patronizing jerk.
edited 16th Apr '11 2:29:29 PM by Midgetsnowman
On the left is an ad for a pilgrimage to Israel. On the bottom, an ad for the "evolve" fish. And the banner at the top says I should publish using eBooks. What the page is obviously telling me is that I should be impartial, and I shall do when judging these bus ads. I don't see anything wrong with telling someone that they share your beliefs or lack of one, but I do see a problem with calling non-believers fools.
edited 16th Apr '11 2:35:05 PM by KitsuneInferno
"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt." - Some guy with a snazzy hat.@Drunk I'll be honest, the backlash against that sign made me a lot more "militant" than I was before that sign.
@Myrmidon That's the point of what I'm saying. To a certain degree, just the statement "There is probably no god" is something extremely offensive. I actually can understand this. There's a lot of unspoken subtext behind it. You're an idiot, you're delusional, etc. Even if it's not meant to be there it's there. In fact, it was there before the rise of the "New Atheist" movement. I know I pre-date that movement and trust me, it was all the same thing before that, there's just more friction now.
Along the same lines, for example Christian messaging and iconography it's hard for it not to be innately offensive to me. When you say a bit of it, it's coming with all the God is the only way to be a good person stuff, etc. I try my best to separate that of course, but it's difficult sometimes.
So in the end I don't blame religious folks from being offended by atheist community building. What I do blame them for is taking advantage of/not recognizing the double standard.
edited 16th Apr '11 2:35:01 PM by Karmakin
Democracy is the process in which we determine the government that we deserve@Karmakin: Thats generally what happens, yep. I dont think the idiots around my school who post anti-obama political ads and vehemently insulting to liberals editorials, or the said billboards and bumper stickers I quoted actually realize the more likely result of being flat out insulted for having another viewpoint is to become angry, offended, and even more resolutely against them.
This ad
was pulled because someone got offended? How is it even possible to be offended by that?
I read the article.
This sounds exactly like what priests would say here. Incidentally, Finland is mostly Lutheran.
edited 16th Apr '11 2:34:22 PM by BestOf
Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.Added another Pot Hole to the previous post to reflect my reaction.
Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.Don't ever believe that people aren't capable of some ridiculous thing. They will always proof you wrong in the end. While dancing naked on a flaming unicycle. Humans are crazy fucks, man.
^...just. God.
edited 16th Apr '11 2:36:35 PM by Aondeug
If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah@DG The one you posted, the "You are not alone" ad. Pure community building. And yeah, it was a step too far for some religious groups, but there was a lot of flack at the time. Dead baby billboards are really squick. My mother, who is casually religious curses the billboard I mentioned as it makes her paranoid of crashing the car. It was about 2 hours into a 5 hour trip.
@Midget Probably. That's why it's not aimed at those who are going to be offended. It's aimed at the people in the middle who are watching and haven't made up their minds. Believe it or not, direct statements like that are actually sometimes very effective in convincing these people. Being more defensive, not so much.
I actually agree in some cases that it's a step too much. But in my opinion atheists as a group are clean as a whistle compared to other similar groups.
Democracy is the process in which we determine the government that we deserveI feel this bus advert works for OTC.
◊

Of course, there are differences between the Atheist Bus ads and the new Christian ones and I want to take this opportunity to reflect them.
Our ads were a response to ads run by jesussaid.org whose website promised an eternity of hellfire for non-Christians. Our response message, suggested by comedy writer Ariane Sherine was intended to be reassuring, telling people not to worry and enjoy life, as there was probably no god and so no cause to fear an eternity of hellfire.
Our ads were funded entirely by thousands of individual donors who gave small amounts in an outpouring of popular support for the positive message. The ads now launched in response to our response are funded by organisations or wealthy individuals.
Our ads were positive and peaceful. They didnât say, for example, that religious people were âfoolsâ, unlike one of the response ads being run, which says that "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God."
Our ads were undogmatic and funny, with the addition of the âprobablyâ in line with the continuing openness of humanists to new evidence and in an echo of previous funny ads, like the Carlsberg ad which stated that it was âprobably the best lager in the worldâ. The new ads are dogmatic and declaratory, leaving no room for reason and debate.
Of course, these groups are free to express themselves as they choose. Our ads encouraged people to think for themselves and I am convinced that they will continue to do so.