Atheist ads set to be splashed on London buses

London, October 22 : An advertising company is all set to put atheist ads declaring "there's probably no God" on a fleet of 30 bendy-buses that travel through the central London borough of Westminster in January, with a fundraising drive making five times the amount needed for the campaign in just one day.

CBS Outdoor has yet to determine the exact routes of the busses.

Media reports suggest that even religious groups donated money, believing that the campaign would encourage people to think more about faith and in turn enhance support for Christianity.

The organisers had raised 5,500 pounds within minutes of a page being launched on the fundraising website Justgiving on Tuesday, and the amount exceeded 31,000 pounds within a few hours.

It was over five times the amount required for the Atheist Bus Campaign.

Now, there are plans to get the ads put on buses across Britain as well as on Tube trains in the capital.

The campaign was launched after Ariane Sherine, a comedy writer, called for a "reassuring counter-advert" to religious posters on public transport that atheists believe "threaten passengers with eternal damnation".

"This is absolutely brilliant and I'd like to thank everyone who donated for their support. The sky's the limit for atheists even if we don't believe there's anyone up there," the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

Hanne Stinson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, which is handling the donations, added: "If the money keeps pouring in we can expand the campaign, not just to ads inside the buses as well as outside, but to ads on the Tube or other transport, and in locations outside London."

Religious think tank Theos, set up two years ago with the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, gave 50 pounds as it believes the "weak" adverts will encourage people to think about God.

Its director Paul Woolley said: "Initially, we almost felt sorry for the campaign, as its difficulties showed that there were not many atheists in Britain, and certainly not many who were willing to put their hands into their pockets. But when we saw the message, we couldn't believe it. Stunts like this demonstrate how militant atheists are often great adverts for Christianity."

ANI