Atheist Bus

[Mike Fishcake]

My way of putting this across is by asking if the word God was replaced with Allah, would it still be allowed to run? Of course not.

But that's attacking a specific deity. It's attacking a specific religion. All you're doing is reading between the lines.

Anyway - this has turned into a "yes it is, no it isn't" argument. I'm done.

[Bazzlad]

Hang on a minute... Bazzlad... you is a God botherer?

No Stewart, my beliefs would take a while to explain if I'm honest, I'm not an out and out Christian at all, I think organised religion exploits people and I dont' believe in people preaching what they believe to others - be that FOR OR AGAINST.

[Stewart]

Ok.

I was just going to say, if you believe a big man with magic powers lives in the sky, be sure to drop Fuddam a word. You could chat or something.

He is a straight dope Christian though, not one of these new fangeld independent religious peeps like you.

[Bazzlad]

But that's attacking a specific deity. It's attacking a specific religion. All you're doing is reading between the lines.

I'm reading what's there mate.
The ads are a response to the alpha course, which is a Christian Course.

Answer my question yes or no:

Would a re-phrased Advert replacing the word God (which is commonly accepted to mean the Christian God in the UK at this moment in time) with Allah be permitted/allowed to stay after complaints?

[Bazzlad]

He is a straight dope Christian though, not one of these new fangeld independent religious peeps like you.

We iz the future of the religions mate
Hip Hop Holy is the way forward

[Stewart]

Would a re-phrased Advert replacing the word God (which is commonly accepted to mean the Christian God in the UK at this moment in time) with Allah be permitted/allowed to stay after complaints?

No.

[shaithis]

An easier, less complicated way to ask roughly the same question would be using 2 sentences, one referencing the Bible, the other referencing the Koran.

Although, we all know the answer to that already......

[Stewart]

Another example of this I'm sure you all know about.

Sony set a level of Resistance: Fall of Man in a Christian place of worship. The game was released, Sony gave a token 'soz' to anyone who complained, but didn't really care.

Little Big Planet contained 2 lines from the Koran in the music, it was immediately removed from stockists, and will be scrubbed up and the offending lines removed before anyone gets hold of it... before anyone even complained.

[Bazzlad]

So the cause of my annoyance is not at the advert - although I think it's wrong to advertise that, I think it's equally wrong to advertise christianity on the bus, it's not Richard Darwin (he WISHES that was his name) and the fact that he's meant to be a scientist of note but all he does is attack Christianity (and his programs remind me of Michael Moore 1 sided, emotionally based drivel), my problem is the double standards shown to Religions in this Country.

It's fine to take the wee-wee out of Christianity, Judaism, you name it, but God (ha) help you if you mention Islam.

And the personal pleasure a lot of you take from mocking religion and the religious, but that's your superiority complex and thus your problem!

[MSIC]

I take your points Bazzlad, i think you're making sense to me.
And even though i like what Michael Moore produces, i totally agree about the similarity between him and Richard Dawkins.
I also like McDonalds food, and at the same time understand it is complete sh*t!

[pollaxe]

I take your point and agree with it to a degree but I still don't think it's an out and out attack on the Christian God. It's saying they don't believe there is a monotheistic creator figure - this encompasses all organised monotheistic religions - they're not specifiying Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah etc. as that would definitely single-out a particular religion but I would think they're including them in this broad-based statement. There's also the caveat 'probably' which strikes me as more reasonable than a lot of religiously-inclined people allow.

I have no idea if there's a God or not (I'm strictly Agnostic) I don't pretend to be clever enough to prove it either way. I still think it's a good sign we can have adverts for the Alpha Course and this competing in London. People are free to make their own minds up on the matter.

[Stewart]

When someone says to you, as an explanation for dinosaur fossils - 'the devil put them in the ground to trick us', mocking is the only thing you can do.

I've said before, if in 1008 you believed in God - that was understandable.

If in 2008 you believe in God - u stoopid.

Having said that, everyone has a right to believe whatever they want to, no matter how obviously wrong that may be.

[MSIC]

this encompasses all organised monotheistic religions - they're not specifiying Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah etc.

It also encompasses Christianity.

[Norky]

And you think that is an Advert aimed at Atheists do you?

Huh? Wuh? Nuh? It's an advert with an atheistic message, by definition this is the non-belief in any god/religion

So if this advert was plugging Dawkins' books it would be fine? This is just as much about freedom, if someone has the private money to place such an ad on a private company's buses and the private company allows this, then they can sodding well put what they like on the buses as long as it doesn't break the law.

My concern is that it is fair game and (judging by the reaction on this forum) a good thing to attack Christianity.

Someone simply making a statement that is against your beliefs is an attack? I do not feel attacked by even the staunchest of Christian preachings to me, and I don't have a ghost in the sky protecting me or a Jewish zombie to look to for inspiration.

[Bazzlad]

When someone says to you, as an explanation for dinosaur fossils - 'the devil put them in the ground to trick us', mocking is the only thing you can do.

I agree - but in all seriousness, education is the way forward.
Even as a religious person I'm petrified by the Sarah Palin "Teach the Controversy" thing happening in America.

Religion does not belong in the science class room.

But Science and Religion can co-exist, and do quite well if you're not a "the bible is word for word truth and cannot be doubted" sort of zealot.

That said, anyone see that Louis Theroux episode when he meets that American Christian Cult family.

That scared the s*** out of me!

That's when Religion gets scary, when people twist it to suit their needs.

[pollaxe]

It also encompasses Christianity.

Where did I put my shamrock.....?
But it's still God, the One, Eru, etc. just with triple aspect, innit....?