Help us grow faster.
Advertising January 14th, 2009There are many ways to gain popularity and website traffic with the internet, some of these are through facebook, digg, myspace, reddit, buzz up, stumbleupon, and delicious. You may have noticed a “ShareThis” icon on some of our pages and posts, if you’ve clicked on it you’ve seen all of the Social Web tools available to help share our website with the rest of the world. If you haven’t yet, give it a try, because it allows you to quickly and easily broadcast our website with friends, family, and the rest of your social group.
We encourage all of you that want to see this campaign gain popularity to use some of these social tools to spread us across the internet. You can simply post a link on myspace, or start an article with news vine. All of this will help us grow more popular with direct click-through traffic or through search engine crawlers picking up the links and ranking us higher in their search index.
It only takes a few seconds so help us spread word of the campaign.
January 16th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
On the side of a bus! What a great place to have that debate-Maybe commuters will put down their copies of Metro for a moment and consider the theological and philosophical sides of this question.
January 16th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Why not use the FFRF USA bill board based on Lennon’s “Imagin No Religion”? It is very effective. Gets people thinking without confrontation.
Check it out: http://www.ffrf.org/news/2009/sanfranbillboard.php
January 16th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I strongly recommend that you put the total donations received right on the front page of the site — one of the delights and motivating factors in the British campaign was watching that total rocket up as people heard about the campaign.
January 16th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
It’s sad that you think that trying to dash someone’s hope is helping. You act as if God doesn’t exist, and yet you use all the wonderful gifts that He has given through His creation, people, communication, transportation…and on and on.
It seems obvious that you’re not using the brains God gave you, just regurgitating another country’s silliness.
God doesn’t cause worry. It’s someone who doesn’t believe in the creation of the universe, but also has no idea, no clue even, as to how we got here. That would make me worry.
The only thing you can lean on is that God doesn’t believe in Atheists. Because there truly is no such thing as an atheist. Everyone believes something. And everyone has faith. Just be careful where you put it.
I guess that this won’t get posted, because of a very narrow secular viewpoint controlling your communication. But at least I got to send the truth to you.
Blessings, and maybe wait until the worrying about the economy is over before you waste so much money on bus advertising against God.
jimmie.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Wow, reverse psychology does work….
January 16th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Odd belief system?
“We think there probably isn’t a God”
Anyone Convinced?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
What are you going to be once grown?
January 18th, 2009 at 4:19 am
Here’s a suggestion for you. If you going to have advertising that denys the Biblical God, why not be fair and have equal advertising denying the gods of other faiths? For example, why not deny Krishna or Vishnu or Brahma or Buddha? Hey even better yet, why not have equal advertising denying Allah? I’m sure the Islamists and Buddhists etc. wouldn’t mind, they’re peaceful, forgiving, loving people, aren’t they?
January 18th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Wow Jimmie, Powerhouse and Al – you have me convinced. Your blazing intellect overwhelms my puny arguments based on evidence and direct observations of reality – both unaided and enhanced by science.
All those god-given things like transport and communication (not to mention ipods, cellphones, medicine, computers and satellites) – all mentioned in Genesis (created on day 8 I guess). What was I thinking when I thought you were wackaloons. It must feel good have a coin called a “looney”, does it make you feel wanted?
The reason free thinkers don’t tend to mind these idiot statements from theists is that they are just sooooo easy to debunk. Ridicule is however what is deserved and we lay it on in slabs.
As for Al, what makes you think that some favouritism is being shown to other deluded theists. One step at a time. We are outspoken against these ones also. If Canada was overrun with hindus or muslims, the ads would reflect this first and we would get to the xians next.
If you are inferring we are scared of violence, the history shows xians are the worst (muslims tend to be victims in numbers, even though the terrorist acts of some muslims are stand out for their sheer brutality and hate). Atheists that say ‘no more crap’ are frequently assaulted and death threats are common. Some are very credible and murders, though rare in recent times, still happen. PZ Myers over at Phyrangula had a whole slew of them. Then there’s the abortion clinic bombers.
We grow tired of your violence, intolerance and hate. We are shutting you down, theist by theist, city by city and nation by nation. Give up now and join us in reason and the mutual advancement of humanity (this is a legitimate and honest invitation). If you just ask, there are plenty of people that are more than happy to guide your own future spiritual development into a full human being, not the quasi-human, fear plagued and disease riddled anti-science, anti-vaccinationists amongst the woo worshippers. Become fully conscious – you may actually enjoy it (and would certainly be better off for it).
January 18th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Peter,
“Probably” you’ll become fully conscious too, that is once you’ve “grown” a few million years.
January 18th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I hope Jimmie will read this as it is important for Christians such as he to understand where many of us are coming from.
I was brought up as a Roman Catholic – “indoctrinated” might be a better way of putting it. Among other pieces of nonssense, I was taught that if we died with one or more mortal sins which had not been forgiven through confession to a priest, we would be judged by God and go to hell where we would suffer for eternity. Skipping church on Sunday was a mortal sin. So whenever that happened I would be really scared until I had the opportunity to go to confession. So much for your claim that “God doesn’t cause worry.” He sure did when I was religious. One could argue that it was really a misguided Catholic Church rather than God who caused this, but that church is not the only one which preaches the existence of perpetual suffering in the afterlife if we don’t conform to its rules.
What the proposed ad is going to do, I hope, is spawn a national debate which will reveal to the public at large the absurdities of many of the teachings of Christian and other religions, such as the virgin birth of Jesus.
It appears that Jimmie accepts without question the concept of “intelligent design”; that is, that the wonderful world we live in could only have been created by a supernatural being. There could be no other explanation. We need to ask Jimmie and all other people who firmly believe in God to ask themselves where God came from. If he is so wonderful, how could he possibly exist without being created by another supernatural being? Or did he create himself?? I have asked this question to many people who believe in the supernatural, including a theology professor and I have never received a satisfactory answer. Until I do, the burden of proof rests with them and I will remain skeptical. So, Jimmie, where does God come from ???? Can you not see that your insistance that God created everything is completely illogical?
Jimmie is worried by our apparent lack of understanding of how we got here. Sorry Jimmy, but it is the fact that we don’t have all the answers to the origins of life and our universe and our search for them that makes life so exciting – far more exciting than attending a Church service every Sunday where the Last Supper gets re-enacted over and over again and worshipping a figment of our imagination.
As for your request not to waste money on the campaign, well come on!! This is not even a drop in the bucket compared to the money being spent by religions all over the world propagating theories that have no basis in scientific evidence – at least not to date. Even a local spokesman for the Catholic Church stated to the Globe and Mail that the debate provoked by the proposed ad would be healthy.
Thank you for your blessings, Jimmie, which we can accept as warm-hearted wishes from you as a person. We may not agree, but I do wish to thank you for contributing to the debate which hopefully will become nation-wide.
January 18th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
“If you going to have advertising that denys the Biblical God, why not be fair and have equal advertising denying the gods of other faiths? For example, why not deny Krishna or Vishnu or Brahma or Buddha?”
The whiny Christian persecution complex appears again. “How come you’re picking on us and not on everyone else?”
1. All those names wouldn’t fit on the ad.
2. It should be obvious that atheists disbelieve in Thor, Odin etc, as much as they disbelieve in the Christian God. Do you suspect that we are closet Muslims?
3. “Allah” is Arabic for “God”, it is not necessary to name “Allah” specifically.
4. Most religious people in North America are Christians of some flavour… if we are against the worship of ALL imaginary dieties, why not name the most popular one?
January 18th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
@10 Powerhouse,
you cut me deep. such a brilliant response leaves me speechless (ROFLMAO and gasping for breathe to reply). Have you thought of reasoned argument, logic and (wait for it) E.v.i.d.e.n.c.e? But thought is hard isn’t it?
You are a true “powerhouse” of twaddle and useless cliches.
Come back when you have something tangible to add to the debate (oh, that’s right, you don’t – so fuck off)
January 19th, 2009 at 1:11 am
You know the vast majority of religious people are nice, thoughtful individuals who let their conscience be their guide rather than the silly fairy tales of their nonsensical holy books. We’ve come a long way since the beginning of the enlightenment. This must be true or we would still be burning witches, stoning disrespectful children and treating women as property (some of us have come further than others).
Gradually more and more people are coming to realize that they don’t need a big invisible enforcer to tell them how to live their lives; that god has never yet turned out to be a viable explanation for anything. There is no act of kindness or charity that could not be achieved without believing in a god.
This atheist bus campaign, like all the other bus and billboard campaigns and the rise in popularity of books and articles by Dawkins, Harris, Dennet, etc, is just the spreading of a movement. It’s like the spreading of an awakening at the catchcry, “the emperor has no clothes”. People are waking up. The head-games and guilt-trips of the smug faith-heads are losing their effectiveness. People like jimmie, power-house and others are starting to panic.
It’s so exciting! $12,000 in one weekend! We’re on a roll, now!
January 19th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Nice language Peter.
Not very representative for atheists.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Power house, have you put your money where your mouth is yet? (www.betonjesus.com)
$12,900 and rising…..
We need to get more rich atheists involved (like Bill Gates and the Woz).
Science Rules!
January 19th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
New religion?
Science.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Imagine no religion, it is easy if you try!
January 19th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
It is thanks to people like Power House, Al and Jimmie that you now have my full support. (I’ll make a donation when I got home tonight).
I’ve often thought that a campaign like this wasn’t necessary in Canada but thanks to the comments of those three on this thread alone, you’re getting my money and I’ll do what I can to promote it.
Looking forward to seeing these in my community!
January 20th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Hey Sarniaskeptic, do you have a location on your blog page for PMing you? I am in Sarnia too.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:43 am
As a Christian, I find this to be awesome! It proves to me again, that the Bible is the true inspired word of God. It shows me that Satan is getting very desperate and knows he has but a short time and has decided to pump up the volume and get the atheist to work harder for him. Wasting money that could be used to feed the hungry, help the homeless and care for children… and you are wasting it on bus ads? The only ones that benefit from your little campaign is Satan and The Bus-lines. Good Luck, but I am pleased at this, it means that Jesus is going to return soon ! HOORAY ! Thanks !
January 20th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Thank you for allowing Christians the privilege to air our opinions. We pray for you. When the day of Judgment comes,remember…you were warned. Try it, give your heart to Jesus, please in the name of God.
January 20th, 2009 at 10:11 am
You would think if your cause was so wonderful and your beliefs so strong that setting up a website to beg for money wouldn’t be needed.It seems that in your opinion there is no God..that being said then why the campaign against it?
January 20th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Sue:(..)Wasting money that could be used to feed the hungry, help the homeless and care for children… (..)
Please read the FAQ.
January 20th, 2009 at 10:16 am
i am a christian who is still soul searching and i maintain an open mind to all kinds of beliefs and religion. We should always look on the 2 sides of thing… an atheist understanding the bible and the believers understanding atheist ,we should dissect every truth out there… and it’s up to us what to believe.
… and my question for everyone is
what would i lose if chose to believe ?
what would i gain if decided not to?
January 20th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
For those of you religious types that are now discovering this site because of its momentum, you should also go to http://www.betonjesus.com and put your money there….. They will welcome your comments and lack of intelligence. And hell, if you are correct in your beliefs, then you can make lots of money too…..
January 20th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Lester, If you believe in something without evidence, you lose your rationality. You lose your ability to make rational decisions about the world. Just choosing what you believe seems strange to me…
I see the evidence and arguements and I believe something about them. The only reason I would sit there and think about it, is to figure out which arguement was true. I don’t sit here deciding if I want to believe that there is a treasure chest of gold in my backyard. I have no reason to believe there is so I don’t. There is the slightest chance there is one back there…but it is so slight that it is not worth worrying about.
That brings up a good point, If I could somehow trick myself (leap of faith?) into thinking there is a treasure chest full of gold buried in my backyard I would likely be very happy. If I told other people the “good news” and they believed me (or tricked themselves into believing) we could start our own social club of believers. I would feel very secure, that this gold would be there to take care of me for the rest of my life. However, there is a downside, I would not be working to feed my family (because once I found the gold we would be set!), I would probably spend considerable time and money tearing apart my backyard. This is time better spent actually helping people. The point is, because my belief has a total lack of evidence, it fails to represent the world correctly, leading my decisions to be wholly incorrect.
That analogy worked out better than I could have hoped.
January 20th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
It actually takes more faith to believe in nothing than to believe in something. May our prayers for atheists be that their hardened hearts be opened. Thank you for allowing this discussion board.
January 20th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Laura…we doN,t believe in nothing….We simply don,t have the faith that you do that an unspecified creature is looking out for us…there is simply no evidence.
Secondly, I’d like to open my heart, but I prefer an open mind…we hope yours will someday be open so we can discuss your evidence for the existnece of a god.
January 21st, 2009 at 1:56 am
How could it possibly take more faith to not believe something?
That would mean that inanimate objects have more faith than anyone because they don’t believe in anything at all!
My heart is not hardened, I care deeply about people.
January 21st, 2009 at 7:37 pm
The organizers are correct. Blog it, Twitter, Facebook, get it out there.
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