An awkward passenger?

In the past weeks a peculiar campaign was launched on public buses in London that is gradually spreading to other European cities. The initiative of the British Humanist Association (BHA), consists in posters affixed on the rear part of London buses – and tube trains – bearing slogans that question the existence of God. In Genoa, Italy, captions went so far as to even deny His existence. The initiative raised different levels of criticism. Great Britain: “a deceiving campaign” and “a faltering slogan”. “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”. This caption stands out in tube trains and on 200 public buses in London and on 600 buses in England, Scotland and Wales. The pro-atheism campaign was promoted by the British Humanist Association (BHA), that financed the 150-thousand-euro campaing. Stephen Green, national director of the Association “Christian voice”, filed a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), claiming that “the campaign is deceiving and groundless”. Mr. Green says the advertisement breaks ASA’s codes on substantiation and truthfulness since “no person or body is named as the author of the statement, unless the advertisers hold evidence that God probably does not exist”. On the contrary, he affirms, “there is plenty of evidence for God: from peoples’ personal experience, to the complexity, interdependence and design of the natural world.”Father Stephen Wang, from the Allen Hall Seminary of Westminster, described the “inaccuracy” of the caption, since it could “prod people to seriously reflect on the existence of God”. On the diocese’ website Fr. Wang posted: “I love the idea of this bus winding its way through the streets and someone stopping to think: ‘Mm, maybe there is no God – but maybe there is”. “Many people simply never think about God or religion as a serious question and, if this prods them a little bit, then that’s great”. He said the slogan is “weak” since it suggests that probably God does not exist “in an unconvincing manner”. It’s as if it said: Maybe God doesn’t exist, but maybe He does. Think about it, and think how His existence could change your lives”. As relates to the fact that the posters convey a negative view of religion – “as if religious believers were walking around oppressed by worry all the time”, Wang responds: “religion indeed delivers from anxiety and enables people to live a full life with the acknowledgement that it has meaning even after death”.Spain: “faith is not a reason for concern”. In the past few days posters saying that “Probably God does not exist” were affixed also on buses in Barcelona. The advertising campaign is funded by the Atheist Association in Catalonia with the support of the “British Humanist Association”. To the faithful, belief in God’s existence is not a reason for concern nor is it an obstacle to honestly enjoying life – claims a press communiquè of the archbishopric of Barcelona -. Rather, it is a solid foundation enabling to live with an attitude of solidarity, peace, and with a sense of transcendence”. Italy: “an evident lapse of style”. The first buses bearing the logo “God doesn’t exist; you don’t need him” are expected in Genoa by the beginning of February with the motivation of attacking directly Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, whose only fault is to chair the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and through him attack the Italian Church, guilty of existing. “Perhaps – Genoa’s theologian Marco Doldi told Sir – the organizers didn’t consider that the message is directed to Jews, Muslims and Christians. Organizers failed to realize that what they understand as an act of civil expression – ridiculing the faithful – does in fact cause much disappointment to these people and prevents integration”. Doldi said this is also an evident “lapse of style”. The discourse on God has always taken place in appropriate environments: with debates, academic classes, through literature and meetings. These are areas where people who are aware of the importance of reaffirming the existence of God or making the opposite statement come together perhaps even conveying opposing views, but within the framework of mutual confrontation. In this case the question on God is addressed with an advertisement that prevents confrontation. Speaking of God with the language of advertising reduces the issue to a trivial matter”. “Believers and non-believers have been communicating for thousands of years; we hope that dialogue will always preserve the style that is appropriate to the topics addressed. And not on the rear sides of public buses!”, he concluded.