Does God exist? Advertising Authority could decide!

fabulous post Delia,

to answer your question, it is much more probable that god does not exist.

If we equate natural with probable than the supernatural is highly improbable.

In theory we are all agnostics. In practice I am an atheist.

Faith is belief in something without evidence; faith is a lack of critical thinking. To have faith is to deny or surrender the intellect. Hence, faith is intellectual suicide.

There is no good reason to believe in god, flying spaghetti monsters or pink unicorns. I do not need to prove these things do not exist. Indeed, the prudent, rational thing to do is to assume such things do not exist unless proven otherwise.

God is an incoherent and meaningless concept that marks the place where reason ends.

It always amazes me how advocating religiophobes believe because they "can't know" either way, that there simple ISN'T any afterlife, much less God.

The act (and the unbecoming attitude) of such "certain" unbelief, given the original premise of admitted uncertainty, is the absolute epitome of depraved stupidity to me, tantamount to surgically affixing your head to a "new" vista overlooking your ass and walking backwards because you're so insistent to allege you just "can't" know any better.

Those genuinely uncertain and/or disbelieving would at least hold a more tolerant view to differences given the uncertainty. I generally tolerate agnostics/atheists (even other "Christians"!) wherever I go with ease, and make no bones about it unless some ludicrous mental or intellectual superiority is alleged on the merits of "atheism" alone.

dogmatic atheists really waste alot of their time and energy trying to argue against the existence of God. It's futile but I think this type of atheist do it more for a feeling of elitism. If they were clever, they would actually be more persuasive.

My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
-Thomas Paine

Someone else made the point and I agree- why are the atheists being asked to "prove" their point? For centuries religions have been able to put up whatever assertions they please- Christian billboards and advertising came long before atheist ones yet no one demanded that they prove the truth in what they are saying lest it be taken down! Why is the burden of proof on the non-believer?

If I put up a board that said "leprechauns probably don't exist...stop looking for the pot of gold", would I be called an arrogant bigot and told to prove it? Keep in mind, please, that people absolutely used to REALLY believe in the existence of leprechauns and they are well documented in stories as well as art throughout the ages. What's the difference? Why should anything supernatural, including YOUR GOD, be exempt from questioning?

i do enjoy the back and forth that these types of posts create...

but on topic: it's not a hateful message...it doesn't condemn or condone anything. it's an invitation to think.

i wonder if it's the same stephen green mentioned in this article as the one mentioned in another article on the same page...

see:Christian defends right to hand out anti-gay leaflets

who cares...

does anyone actually believe what they read on the side of a bus?

there is a billboard on i-5 in southern WA that says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." as an atheist, i find it absurd and it makes me laugh, but they have a right to advertise their belief's... can they extend atheists the same courtesy?

What if they put up an advertisement that read:

"George W. Bush probably isn't very smart."

Would George (finally!) be compelled to take an IQ test to determine just how stupid he is or (theortically) isn't?

Big whoop, I'm an atheist. Don't hate on me because people are interested in my stories. Religious people are going to have to understand that more and more people will be questioning the validity and role of religion in our society. It's happening. Instead of getting angry and being hateful, why not simply defend your religion and yourselves happily and peacefully? I don't get it.

Either way, this story isn't about MY atheist agenda, it's about the fact that an ADVERT company will have to decide this! No one else finds that kind of funny?

"if you're going to put out what appears to be a factual statement then you have to be able to back it up. They've got to substantiate this proposition that in all probability, God doesn't exist."

Are you kidding me?

For thousands of years the human race has been bombarded with hallucinatory tales from MANY different religions. All stories at some point were made up by a HUMAN BEING.

Why don't they have to prove that God does exist. We have to be offended constantly by their adverting, why should atheists not be allowed to advertise.

The burden of proof lies on the believer. Not on the non-believers. We don't have to prove anything. We don't believe in invisible men who live in the sky. And BTW scientists can see to the end of the universe, and yet they still cannot see your "god"

If they want to hold that to a standard then they should have to prove that God does exist in order to advertise their propaganda.

If the advertisement was pro-God, those opposed to it would be told to shut up and this wouldn't even be news. However since it isn't, people who believe in God are now offended by it.

Hypocrisy is funny like that...

Since when do bus advertisements have to be true? That's ridiculous. I don't know why religious people are offended by an opinion that differs from their own. Is it because they fear their own doubt? I think so. Kids don't like it when you tell them there is no Santa either.

Recently there have been a multitude of books explaining why it is probable that god does not exist.

I am an atheist. I was Christian. The bible was clearly written by primitive people who believed that there are talking animals, that the earth is the center of the universe, and that it is flat, among many other ridiculous things. At some point you have to say, "Wait a minute, exactly why am I still believing this nonsense 2000 years later?" When you see flaws, you must conclude that the bible cannot be the word of a perfect god.

Also, we know that the Jesus myth evolved from earlier sun-god myths. Christianity certainly is not true. We know there are countless religions. Religious people reject all but their own myth. What evidence is there that one of them is right and the others are not.

If all of the specific interpretations of who/what god is are wrong (and any religious person will reject all but one, so it's not a far stretch to go one further), then if there is a god he has not adequately explained himself - or there would be no confusion. Therefore if a god exists he must not care whether or not we believe in him. The world turns. Time goes on. Everything in the world happens as if there is no god. What purpose would such a god serve other than amusing himself? It seems highly unlikely to me that there is a god. There is no credible evidence for it.

i think we are overlooking the fact this is freedom of speech issue wether you believe in or dont.
they dont get upset with other advertizeing that
is totally trash.i for one am a non believer but i
dont complain every time god is mentioned in
everyday life and is pushed upon me

The only thing Ontology has ever proved is that Unicorns exist.

That and...

G=Undetermined

(however g=true because 'small g' can be redefined to be anything you want)

End of discussion.

I had a shirt, it read...
There is a GOD...
And YOU are not HIM.

He said: "If you're going to put out what appears to be a factual statement then you have to be able to back it up. They've got to substantiate this proposition that in all probability, God doesn't exist."

Pffff....I would like someone to substantiate that in all probability God does exist!!! There's more proof that God doesn't than does.

I favor science over religion anyday.

Man says, Is there a God, and why do you let good people suffer and evil thrive?

God says "ask me something that your mind can understand, and I will answer you.

But when you do, you'll have to stop talking long enough --- so you can hear me whisper back to you..."

There is a HUGE difference between believing in the possibility of a "God".....and leaping all the way to believing that Jesus Christ existed, had magical powers, cured lepers with magic and that all homosexuals need to be rounded up and "de-programmed" because a book written 2,000 years ago by semi-illiterate tribesman in the Middle East said so.

Why can't believers comprehend the difference? God possible? Sure. Zeus possible? No. Shiva? Probably not. Magical Jesus? Nope.

Why do they feel that a belief in a God demands that they must believe in the Bible? Is it because they were just brainwashed since birth by this culture that the two beliefs are inseparable?

Is a theoretical "God" possible? Yeah, theoretically.

Is Scientology and its alien overlords real? No.

Does Mormonism make ANY sense? No.

Was Jim Jones a divine being who was correct in ordering he followers to commit suicide? No.

The issue isn't believing in a hypothetical God. It's religion.

All atheists really just want to grab die-hard believers by the collar and shout,"Why do you think the magic fairy tales of the Hebrews written 2,000 years ago are literally true!?! You're a reasonable in just about everything else! You can comprehend that the Greek myths aren't literally true and that there is no Zeus, so why are you so obsessed with believing that the Middle Eastern Hebrew myths are literally true????"

At least this bus advertisement is getting people to stop (even for a micro second) and wonder, "Hey! Maybe it is possible to function and be happy without literally believing that Jesus cured a man of demonic possession by casting the aforementioned demons into a herd of pigs? Maybe I can actually acknowledge that such a story is just a myth without descending into madness and going on a kill spree?"

True, acknowledging that those 2,000 year old Middle Eastern myths aren't anymore true that the Greek myths won't lead to madness and/or moral collapse.

People think those ads break guidelines on taste and decency?! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Taking away those bus ads would be censorship in his harshest form.

god should definitely be subpoenaed.

If this goes to court will God himself be forced to turn up and defend himself?

if there is a ruling against this ad, it's going to backfire for religious communities since they'll cease to be able to use god or christ in their advertisements without very careful wording. either way, it's sort of a victory for atheists and agnostics.

İf you are looking at a material being called God..then it would be possible to discredit the concept that God exists in this form anyway...to be everywhere and in everything at once would not be possible..
If you are looking at a unique creational entity that is freely associative and interractive with all organisms..then be alignment through your own complex can God be connected to...
But to be able to view God would be unacheivable in our present state of being as our concepts and understanding of God are not compatible to view God..as God really is...So for now you can only feel God..if you want to ...

God is overrated. I can't believe how much time brilliant people have wasted contemplating such an unimportant topic as this. If He does, then what? If He doesn't, then what? The answer, affirmative or negative, changes nothing.

I find this funny. Especialy so how the religious people are acting towards it. They're bawwwwwwing about how they get picked on and how people are creating movements against religion, when they make up the [b]vast[/b] majority.

Step aside and take a bit of critisizm. It's not the end of the world just becouse a few groups speak out against you. And quit complaining that everybody is so hostile to you. We aren't. We're just not taking it anymore.

OK..

I'm speaking to the complaints of Stephen Green.

1. If you can substantiate that god exists or not it should not be a crime to advertise your opinion period. That is called free speech. There is no hate or slander on that sign.

2. If this is "ruled on" then all of the religious advertisements on the public transportation here would have to prove that "Jesus Is The Answer!" and that "Prayer Changes Things"... Good luck with that.

I have no issue with churches, atheists or anyone else placing their opinions on signs. Where I live, it's everywhere. But if "stating without proof" becomes "ruled on" then 99.9% of all ads for every product would disappear too.

It is so foolish to rant about having to live in a world where things you disagree with are "posted". Get over it.

Jesus Christ people. Oh wait... I better not say that, I can't prove he's real.

If there is a God he is a Cruel SOB

Every comment has missed the point.

Advertising.

Advertising is the true Gospel of a Capitalistic society. That this ASA cannot back up it's claim to decide what thouasands of years of Philosophy has not is irrelevant. That they are attracting your attention to their money making ad, the Their True God. The Only God for Capitalism.

Nothing else about this story matters. We are all their slaves against our will. They have studied our minds and how they work for over fifty years.You are all rats in their maze. Worship is the dollar, the dollar you give them. That is their Communion. Your hunger to consume is their Holy Spirit.

I'm sick of these ongoing posts and the constant harassment. Daily I have to put up with ridiculous post like this which are targeted to the Religious members in this site.

It is outrageous how the members of this "News and Discussion" site are moving from being informants to creating a Movement; Targeting religious members and their personal beliefs.

If you have never ever judged anyone or thought about evolution or thought about your own well being on any street any time any day, your god is your own gift of being good or wishing good to or for others...that is really all you need! Care for yourself and fellow man. Isn't that a fellowship or religion?!?

No, but ants do?