I would not be happy with the current wording of their advert. I say report to ASA.

He is fantastic. Watched him live in London and couldn't stop laughing!

I think if atheists didn't see a purpose to this campaign then they wouldn't put money into it. Originally when set up to target the bigoted ads then that could be a sound purpose. With the growth of the campaign it has over shadowed that particular purpose.

Although this was my complaint against viewpoint advertising, it is essentially pointless. Even with the Christian ads you can't advertise somebody to see a world view. You can only help them consider it, perhaps that is the purpose for all this genre of advertising?

Of course, £800,000 could help a lot of people. Cry in the Dark only need £800 for their next project. It is a tricky one, after all there are many better ways in which money could be spent in the world. I know there are a few people who read this blog who would think very differently, shame we haven't had their views yet!

Yet again, my post was a rant :P No room for understanding which is why comments have healed the error of my rantish ways!

Smooth talking dictator? Well, it does put a smile on my face :)

There is no benefit but the same could be said for the alpha adverts and all other Christian work which is so focused on making people believe. This is the main difference really, Christians believe adverts save people from Hell and the Atheists laugh and manage to make a much larger campaign.

As I said though, the money comes from public donations. Just because an individual wanted atheist adverts does not remove the option to donate towards other causes. I do agree that some of the money could be better spent but that is not my place to comment on. People can do what they wish.

As for being bigoted, well, I don't believe they are. The Christian adverts were with their evil claims of hell fire but this ad is nothing like that. Besides, the ASA approved the adverts yesterday for the 2nd time due to complaints.

From the way I wrote this article I was not considering the church's point of view but that is because I only see a wider issue. This wider issue is a bit of a cliché but essentially churches are constantly blamed for brain washing people, in this case teenagers. Fair enough, how people view the church might be judged upon the information written in the forum but I don't really care. A forum is for discussion and there was certainly no surprise for me when challenging questions start to arise. I used to view the forum as a freethinking environment, obviously this wasn't the church's intention.

Quite shocked to hear that my posts in particular created such a problem. Even more shocked to learn that people actually considered trying to stop, what I can only call, intellectual development. Glad to hear that you didn't agree with it! I'm sure the people with those fascist ideas weren't actually that very learnt themselves.

Thanks, your posts are always welcome, I miss their long length! That pint is definitely an excitingly moist plan!

I believe the campaign was started up in response to a Christian advertising campaign in London. I actually saw several of their advertisements last year. The website address provided on the side of the bus then directed you to a website which talked about people being saved and all non-believers burning in a lake of fire.

The atheist bus campaign was never intended to grow so big. It was designed to tackle the Christian advert in a slightly more laid back manner. With the smaller sum of £15,000 (I think) being raised it would have been a lesser, almost humorous campaign. I listened to radio 4 a little while ago and apparently the campaign has now raised over £800,000 in public donations. An insane amount but it is difficult to complain over money being better spent. Thousands of people made the decision to donate towards it, including A C Grayling.

I did once have your point of view that atheism could be seen as growing into a religion but I can't see that any more. All people group up to some degree over same beliefs, same skills or interests. Atheists do not usually gather in one place and the beliefs are actually not dogmatic. The only things atheists have in common is not believing in God. From that point people usually vary over their philosophical and scientific views of the world. I think the evil bible forum is an ode to that. That was a very aggressive and weirdly ideological place.

As for the alpha ads, they can be likened to the atheist ones. Both advertisements are getting people to think for themselves. Ultimately that is what I believe, people should think for themselves. My time at church has just made me realise how some people who grow up within the Christian environment don't usually consider the wider views.

Although if I am to be for picky I would question the atheist ads as being atheist. From the wording they would be much better compared to being hedonist!

As a bus driver he must get on with his job. However I do understand his objections. If I drove buses for a living I wouldn't want to advertise the love of Jesus on the side. Yet again, it is my job. I agree with both this post and the Guardian.

I love talking about the bible with Christians. It is just one of those discussions which I know will end dead, on their side. Unless they are fundamental with their beliefs then the bible acts as a useless sword. Since I have read the whole bible it is funny seeing less educated christians picking and choosing quotes. Perhaps if they believed their religion so much they should actually spend time reading and finishing their holy book? I'm already onto the Quran!

It's sad really. Characters such as C.S.Lewis or Francis Collins would be much better for them to research rather than this pathetic film. Besides, there is actually honest information about the battle Darwinism still has in the present day. If I remember correctly Mississippi have released a bill against the teaching of evolution, or at least casting it in a negative untruthful light.

Glad I'm safe in England!