Wednesday, January 21, 2009

There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.



An atheist UK bus campaign which uses the slogan "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" was launched earlier this month following fund-raising by the British Humanist Association.

Featuring on 200 bendy buses in London and 600 other vehicles in England, Scotland and Wales, they were backed by high profile atheists, including Professor Richard Dawkins.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it would not be further investigating any complaints about the campaign, which was launched on British buses and the London Underground on the 6 January.

While some of the complaints claimed the adverts were offensive and denigrated people of faith, others challenged whether they were misleading because the advertiser would not be able to substantiate its claim that God "probably" did not exist.

Although the watchdog acknowledged the content of the campaign would be at odds with the beliefs of many, it concluded that it was unlikely to mislead or to cause "serious or widespread offence".

Last week, Christian bus driver Ron Heather, from Southampton, Hampshire, refused to drive one of the buses carrying the atheist slogan and walked out of his shift in protest.

The campaign made me think of how easier things would be if people would just chill. I think people in the Middle East in particular and the world in general are so boiled up about their own perception of God and his teachings (punishment, after life, God's promise land, etc.) that it has blinded them from truly experiencing their humanity.
If we look at the atrocities of Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Darfour, etc. only one thing is evident and that is 'intolerance'.
It is true.. Maybe it is easier to pretend there is no God and start living life as human beings regardless of religion. Can this solve all the problems we are facing in the Middle East and the rest of the world, well I'm not sure but at least we can try!

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