talkmagic.co.uk

I've gone from being a believer non believer and back again quite a few times in my life (my mums an atheist and my dad talks to god) so I often enjoyed a good religious debate, but during my many debates I noticed something. If five theists and five atheist walk into a bar and discus religion for hours on end, five theists and five atheists will walk out.

Have you ever known someone to change they're mind in a religious debate?

Which is why when I saw the 'there's probably no god' slogan on the bus (I never saw the Jesus said ones) I looked around cynically wondering if anyone was going to drop their shopping, shout 'Oh wow they're right' and run home to take all the crucifixes of there wall.

I suppose the adverts make more sense if there were 'Jesus said' adds, but I saw the whole thing as a bit of a waste of money (fortunately not my money so I've got no real gripe with them.)

The "There's probably no God" bus signs weren't done to convert people, but to show that there's another point of view. They were a statement, really.

I think the atheist ads and the Jesus Said ads were both targeted at the same group - lapsed Christians. Possibly those that had been raised religious, taught as children to accept Bible stories as fact, but now have very little to do with religion.

Considering how many school assemblies involve hymn singing, and how many pre-schools have nativity plays, and how many children still go to church or Sunday School, I think that accounts for an awful lot of Brits.

For these people, religion can be called upon to gnaw at their consciences and colour their self-images as well as influence many personal choices.

The Jesus Said ads were intended to rouse that gremlin, with the intention of bringing people 'back into the fold'.

The atheist ads are there to encourage people to greet their gremlins with a middle-finger salute every time they start chattering...

pcwells wrote:greet their gremlins with a middle-finger salute every time they start chattering...

I like that!

Mandrake wrote:And the Daily Mail (sorry Derren !)

I meant Mail in the first place
Not quite sure why I put The Times

Mandrake wrote:In many parts of the word, even daring to hold such differing opinions would be a death sentence.

That's a very veiled and enigmatic statement. Which parts of the world exactly are you referring to? I'm not aware of many countries at all who's laws include capital punishment for "differing opinions". Or have you been reading the Daily Mail too much yourself?

Perhaps not literally for holding differing opinions inside your head Queenie, but certainly for meeting up with other like minded people. There are quite a few countries in the middle east, North Africa and also China where Christians (and I'm sure people of other religions too) are persecuted, and it's not all that long ago it was happening in eastern Europe either.

Most recently 15,000 Christians are in relief camps after being driven from their villages in Orissa, India. Many have been killed and others are hiding in the jungles. Unfortunately the Indian government are trying to wash over it (and suceeding) - I'd be surprised if many people in the West even knew it was going on.

Amnesty International have details of people persecuted for different religious or political views. It's a sad world.