theists respond with new bus ad campaigns, say it's o.k to disagree

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Just kidding, they say you're a dumbass if you question the existence of god because they know he exists. Oh, and you'll burn in hell!

Three separate justshutupweknoweverything groups have come up with their own slogans to counter the atheist's ad that ran on buses across the United Kingdom last month, which in turn, had been launched as a response to an earlier ad campaign run by jesussaid.org.

These are the three groups.

The Trinitarian Bible Society, has decided to go with, "The fool hath said in his heart there is no God." Oh, snap! Even though the atheist ad said "there is probably no god", I'll agree with that. A fool would say it in his heart, while a wise man (or woman) would say it out loud!

The Christian Party has come up with a lighter, though still misleading, message. 'There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life.'

And really, who wouldn't enjoy spending time with a group that claims among other things, that the only reason Barack Obama was elected is because he is Black? And if that doesn't entice one to join, perhaps this will.

Barack Obama is now the most prominent black politician ever seen in democratic history. But the greatest black politician the world may YET see - or the greatest black scientist, greatest black artist or the greatest black sportsperson - could under Obama’s presidency never have the chance to be seen - because Barack Obama would have had them aborted before they ever had the chance to be born.

Remember, being black does not make you a good president, being a wise, honourable and, as far as I am concerned, Christian servant leader makes you a good president.

Good times! Last I checked, Mr.Obama was a Christian. Perhaps just not the extremist you were hoping for, which would also make him wise and honourable.

And rounding out the trio is The Russian Orthodox Church. Seems they should have consulted the Christian Party before releasing their ad. They are going with a similar message."There is a God, BELIEVE. Don't worry and enjoy your life."

Of course, the problem with these ads are as Hanne Stinson of the British Humanist Association points out,

"The new ads are dogmatic and declaratory, leaving no room for reason and debate."

We entirely support free expression and freedom of belief, and so fully support the right of these Christian groups to place their ads on buses. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

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 didn’t say, for example, that religious people were ‘fools’, 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 ‘probably’ 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 ‘probably the best lager in the world’. 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.