Probably the Best Advert in the World*
written by John Bolch
on Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Says it all. Donate here, and spread the word of reason. Campaign by the British Humanist Association.
[*Post title unashamedly stolen from the comment of a fellow contributor to the campaign.]
October 21, 2008 4:42 PM
Yes, thanks for the free advertising.
It's about the best conversation starter for Christians wanting to communicate their faith that I have seen for a long time!
October 21, 2008 5:02 PM
Come on Victor, you can do better than that, surely? ;-)
In this case, 'probably' of course means 'almost certainly, i.e. an infinitesimally small chance that there is a god' - the same as the possibility of a teapot orbiting Uranus.
Stop worrying.
October 21, 2008 5:32 PM
There's probably no Richard Dawkins :-) :-) :-)
October 21, 2008 5:56 PM
Hmm, I think there's just a little bit of evidence that Dawkins exists...
October 21, 2008 6:04 PM
Shall I BELIEVE you? What a leap of faith!
October 21, 2008 6:13 PM
Look at the evidence, Victor.
October 21, 2008 6:23 PM
Ah, but the "evidence" could be a delusion. :-) :-) :-)
Perhaps you've met the man. Then it would be at least partly an argument from personal encounter.
Rather like my relationship with God. Which certainly enables me to enjoy life and deal with any worries.
October 21, 2008 6:29 PM
:-) Sounds just like my relationship with the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
October 21, 2008 6:32 PM
Tell me more, if that's what brings you enjoyment and satisfaction.
October 21, 2008 6:36 PM
All you need to know is here.
October 21, 2008 6:53 PM
Seen it before, but I'm afraid I'm a natural cynic. So no go.
October 21, 2008 7:10 PM
You mean, you've not been touched by His Noodly Appendage? If you're a natural cynic, then why can't you extend your cynicism to one more delusional god?
October 21, 2008 7:17 PM
I do - I reserve a special deluxe brand of cynicism and scepticism for the passionate beliefs of proselytising atheists.
October 21, 2008 7:43 PM
You're avoiding the point again, Victor. I'm disappointed in you.
Unfortunately, the advance of religion makes it imperative that we proselytise, in order to protect reason.
October 21, 2008 7:57 PM
Depends what you mean by "reason".
(The terms "point", "religion", "advance", "imperative" and "protect" are also rather elastic in this context).
October 21, 2008 8:22 PM
If we're arguing over the meaning of 'reason', then we're probably beyond hope. :-)
October 22, 2008 9:09 AM
To me it sounds like a slogan developed by a committee. The word "probably" hints at agnosticism not atheism.
The bit I find most disturbing is the "stop worrying and enjoy your life". Unfortunately there is a lot to worry about - poverty, hunger, the enviroment (the list is long). It may well be that we are not touched by these worries.But our fellow huumans are. The thought that we should put these concerns aside and concentrate on enjoying life seems to be cotradictory of what is best about "humanism".
So not the best advertising campaign. Anyway people scarsely trust what is on the front of busses - let alone what is on the side.
October 22, 2008 10:00 AM
Hi Paul,
Despite being an anti-theist, I do not object to the use of the word 'probably', as the non-existence of gods can probably never be proved. All we can say with certainty is that the chances of a god existing are extremely remote, as I have stated above.
As to your point about 'worrying', I think you're taking it too literally - no one is suggesting that we stop worrying about important issues such as poverty, hunger and the environment.
October 22, 2008 10:06 AM
Dear John,
Thanks for this. So I can take the slogan with a pinch of salt. You have set my mind at rest.
Paul
October 22, 2008 10:24 AM
You can open your mind to it, or close your mind to it. The choice is yours.
November 15, 2008 3:36 PM
I don't see how people can honestly believe that God doesn't exist. And I think you'll find that there are no atheists on a sinking ship.
Also, for all those people intent on throwing Darwinism at Christians, if they knew anything at all they would know that Darwin was in fact a Christian and on the last page of his book (1st edition) he confirms this.
November 15, 2008 4:07 PM
Rosemary, I don't see how intelligent people can believe in any god, in the absence of evidence of his/her/its existence.
Your point about the sinking ship, even if true, would not of course prove the existence of a god, only the wishful thinking of people afraid of death.
Whether or not Darwin was a christian is immaterial - the fact is that evolution blows a gaping hole in the basic concepts of most religions.