Does God Exist? Let's ask the Advertising Standards Authority!

[Zulu Romeo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7818980.stm

An atheist campaign claiming "There's probably no God" has been reported to the advertising regulator.

Posters with the slogan appear on 800 buses in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as on the London Underground.

But organisation Christian Voice has complained to the Advertising Standards Authority saying they break rules on substantiation and truthfulness.

The British Humanist Association, which backed the campaign, said it was not taking the complaint seriously.

The ASA's code states "marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove all claims". The regulator said it would assess the complaint and decide whether to contact the advertiser.

So let me get this straight... an atheism ad campaign has been reported to the ASA over whether their claim that God "probably" doesn't exist is false advertising. I would very much like to see the result of this case... it would no doubt settle thousands of years of debate once and for all... or maybe it won't.

 

[Lindley]

What's the point of the campaign anyway? What are they hoping to gain?

 

[RevdKathy]

That's a non-starter. 'Probably' is a get out for any claim. Like 'probably the best lager in the world'.

 

[QuasarVM]

:eeks in::

Then scurries out...

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

Wasn't God banned?

And to be banned, one must exist, no?

Therefore....

 

[Mallory]

That's a non-starter. 'Probably' is a get out for any claim. Like 'probably the best lager in the world'.

I agree, unless there's some standard for "probably".

 

[M'Sharak]

I think the best thing about the campaign is still that no one will be knocking on your door at inconvenient early hours during the weekend, insisting they've got Something Very Important to tell you. No Watchtower tracts purporting to be about global warming and stuff, either.

 

[captcalhoun]

What's the point of the campaign anyway? What are they hoping to gain?

the point is to tell people 'don't worry about religion' and also to promote aetheistic thinking. they're hoping to gain some people coming around to their way of thinking.

 

[RobertVA]

I think the best thing about the campaign is still that no one will be knocking on your door at inconvenient early hours during the weekend, insisting they've got Something Very Important to tell you. No Watchtower tracts purporting to be about global warming and stuff, either.

Someday I'm going to ask one of those people just why they think the "No Solicitors" sign on my door doesn't apply to them!

 

[trekkerguy]

What's the point of the campaign anyway? What are they hoping to gain?

What are Christians hoping to gain when they knock on doors?
What are Mormons hoping to gain when they play their ads?

Go Athiests.

 

[Lindley]

Sounds to me like fundamentalist atheists. I can't really imagine the normal type caring enough to bother.

 

[trekkiedane]

That's a non-starter. 'Probably' is a get out for any claim. Like 'probably the best lager in the world'.

In all honesty there probably wouldn't be enough space anywhere to write a slogan like "Probably the best on an enormous scale industrially produced lager in the world"

(Which, imho, it actually is (at least the version sold here.))

 

[Zulu Romeo]

That's a non-starter. 'Probably' is a get out for any claim. Like 'probably the best lager in the world'.

In all honesty there probably wouldn't be enough space anywhere to write a slogan like "Probably the best on an enormous scale industrially produced lager in the world"

(Which, imho, it actually is (at least the version sold here.))

I imagine the "probably" statement is how the ASA will adjudicate on this matter. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes at this time, although I imagine one day they'll look back on this and laugh.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Sounds to me like fundamentalist atheists. I can't really imagine the normal type caring enough to bother.

I think they only want to make a point. The point being that atheism is as as a legimate point of view as that of any religion.

Would Christian Voice have taken the same action if Buddhists had made a statement about reincarnation on the side of the bus? Would Christian Voice had reported them for false advertising?

Atheists should be just as free to state their beliefs as any religious group. We have those Mormons ads on the TV and we have both Mormons and Jehovnah Witnesses knocking on the door. Even worse, the Mormons have started to prowl around the bus malls in my city now meaning that one cannot slam a door on their face or walk away (because you might miss your bus). How can an ad on the side of a bus whoosing by be as annoying as that?

 

[CaptainHawk1]

What's the point of the campaign anyway? What are they hoping to gain?

To piss people off, plain and simple.

That's a non-starter. 'Probably' is a get out for any claim. Like 'probably the best lager in the world'.

I agree, unless there's some standard for "probably".

Wrong. I don't know what the laws are in the U.K.but in the U.S. that argument only works for an opinion (subjective) not a claim (fact/objective). Laws like this are pretty universal about these things so I imagine that our laws on this are similar.

Lager probably being the best is a subjective opinion and it can't be proven or verified. Lager probably being preferred by 9 out of 10 people is misleading, however as it is qualfying something that is quantifiable.

Here's an example: A cigarette ad that says "Chronic cigarette smoking probably doesn't cause any illnesses." See what I mean? They don't get an out because they used the qualifier "probably."

But really, for this for this issue, you folks are missing the point. I think this attempt is clever but I don't think it's going to fly. No they can't prove their claim that God doesn't exist (the qualifier "probably" not withstanding because it's irrelevant), but even though the satement is a claim, it's not a claim about a product or service that they are trying to sell or promote. It's simply an opinion about the existence of God, not and advertisement. What would be the damages here if their claims were proven false? "I'm suing you because I found out during Armageddon that there is a God and now I'm totally screwed because I believed your claims!" I think it would be a little late at this point.

I'm a Catholic but I view this like a claim that there is no life in outer space. Believe what you want and if you want to pay to express that opinion, knock yourself out. But simply paying for space to make a statement on the side of the bus that is normally used for advertising when you're not advertising doesn't make you subject to commerce and advertising laws.

-Shawn

 

[Pingfah]

If they ruled in favour of this, I don't see how any Christian group could then get away with placing an ad saying "God Loves You", of which there are many.

Sounds like they are playing right into the atheists hands.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

Sounds to me like fundamentalist atheists. I can't really imagine the normal type caring enough to bother.

I think they only want to make a point. The point being that atheism is as as a legimate point of view as that of any religion.

Would Christian Voice have taken the same action if Buddhists had made a statement about reincarnation on the side of the bus? Would Christian Voice had reported them for false advertising?

Atheists should be just as free to state their beliefs as any religious group. We have those Mormons ads on the TV and we have both Mormons and Jehovnah Witnesses knocking on the door. Even worse, the Mormons have started to prowl around the bus malls in my city now meaning that one cannot slam a door on their face or walk away (because you might miss your bus). How can an ad on the side of a bus whoosing by be as annoying as that?

Well I don't have a problem with LDS's or JW's going to door to door but I do have a huge problem with them coming to my neighborhood which is a gated community and is Private Property and there are NO TRESPASSING signs on the gate and warnings of prosecution for trespassing. I call the cops on them now.

But as for whether or not Christians would be upset by Buddhists, they wouldn't and I'll tell you why. The extreme Atheistic Movement (which this is done by) is extremely hostile toward believers and specifically Christians and that's what this is about. Do I think they shouldn't have right to say what they want? No, but I'm not so naive as to believe that their motives for this ad is pure. This is clearly inflammatory and that was the point.

How about a billboard on the side of a buds in London that say "Most of the Terrorists in the World are Probably Muslim," which is true and verifiable? I bet that would go over like a lead balloon and be rejected on the spot. And therein lies the double standard. It's OK to make inflammatory remarks that offend Christians in the name of free speech but not anyone else.

-Shawn

 

[CaptainHawk1]

If they ruled in favour of this, I don't see how any Christian group could then get away with placing an ad saying "God Loves You", of which there are many.

Sounds like they are playing right into the atheists hands.

You are absolutely correct and this goes back to my point of why it won't fly.

BTW: I've been wondering what the heck that is in your Avatar. The bottles are moving so fast that I can't see what's on the label.

-Shawn

 

[trekkerguy]

The extreme Atheistic Movement (which this is done by) is extremely hostile toward believers and specifically Christians and that's what this is about.

Well, Christians are pretty much the same way toward non-believers
so I say go for it. I hope this case gets slapped down. They have just
as much right to make this ad as any phony "God" ad.

 

[Pingfah]

BTW: I've been wondering what the heck that is in your Avatar. The bottles are moving so fast that I can't see what's on the label.

-Shawn

They are bottles of a fictional drug called Gleemonex from a film called Brain Candy by the Kids in the Hall, a Canadian comedy group.