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Atheist bus adverts spark complaint to watchdog
AN ATHEIST advertising campaign claiming "There's probably no God" has been reported to the regulator.
Buses in York are among 600 buses across England, Scotland and Wales due to carry the slogan in the four-week campaign.
The 140,000 money raised will also pay for 1,000 advertisements on London Underground from Monday.
Stephen Green, national director of the fundamentalist Christian Voice ministry, complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) yesterday, saying the adverts break the ASA's codes on substantiation and truthfulness.
"It is given as a statement of fact and that means it must be capable of substantiation if it is not to break the rules," he said.
"There is plenty of evidence for God, from people's personal experience, to the complexity, interdependence, beauty and design of the natural world.
"But there is scant evidence on the other side, so I think the advertisers are really going to struggle to show their claim is not an exaggeration or inaccurate, as the ASA code puts it."
The adverts contain the slogan: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life," whilst the ASA code states that "marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove all claims, whether direct or implied, that are capable of objective substantiation".
They were paid for with a fundraising drive prompted by a suggestion from comedy writer Ariane Sherine, who received support from the British Humanist Association (BHA) and atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins.
Ms Sherine had objected to a set of Christian advertisements running on London buses in a piece written for the Guardian's Comment is Free last June.
Hanne Stinson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, said they were not taking the Christian Voice complaint seriously.
"I've sought advice from some of our key people here, but I'm afraid all I've got out of them so far is peals of laughter," she said in a statement.
"I am sure Stephen Green really does think there is a great deal of evidence for a God (though presumably only the one that he believes in), but I pity the ASA if they are going to be expected to rule on the probability of God's existence.
"However, if they do investigate we will be very happy to respond."
An ASA spokesman said: "We have accepted the complaint. We have logged it and we are going to be assessing it over the next couple of days and from that assessment we'll decide whether to contact the advertiser."
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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