Thank You!
24.10.08 | Ariane | 
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Comment Is Free, Coverage, Donations, Guardian, News, Newspapers, Press, Television
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your fantastic comments, funny slogans and photos - and of course your donations. We couldn’t have done any of this without you.
I’ve written another blog for the Guardian site where you can leave ideas for how we can best use the funds:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/23/atheist-bus-campaign-ariane-sherine
Will write again here soon.
Many thanks again!
Ariane
October 24th, 2008 at 12:16
I see the headline in the Helios:
“Alpha beta grammar on shelter!”
It’s all geek to some but I love it!
This campaign has to be a CLassic!
October 24th, 2008 at 12:16
I think the idea excellent but the wording mistaken. It connects disbelief in God with an exhortation to concentrate merely on enjoying life and that is how religionists will respond. They will say that the alternative to religion’s concern for humanity is hedonism. The BHA is leading with its chin. Surely someone could think up a slogan that emphasises the principles of Humanism too. This one might have been devised by the opposition.
October 24th, 2008 at 13:17
What a fantastic campaign! Ironically, this has restored a little faith in humanity for me.
I note that the atheist campaign’s web banners are available from this site (via the “Support” link at the top). Would it be possible to include the bus banner(s) as web banners as well? I think they’re groovy!
Regards, Matt
October 24th, 2008 at 14:51
Hi Arianne,
Well done and congratulations on an amazing campaign, here’s hoping this is only the beginning of something big.
Have you ever seen the Viz comic strip, Supergod? I think you’ll like it, seems quite apt at a time like this.
October 24th, 2008 at 16:59
Ok, But God is love and light, and keeps believing in you …
October 24th, 2008 at 19:16
Father, forgive them, because they do not know what to do.
October 24th, 2008 at 23:52
All your bus are belong to us…
I’ve put my fiver in to the Atheist Bus Campaign, and am looking forward to the idea of a ‘bright’ start to my working day, riding one of the few London buses that doesn’t have religious advertising on it.
The Alpha Course ads …
October 25th, 2008 at 15:32
Hi,
I am from Brazil.
Congratulations on your campaign.
I have done a positive post in my blog about it (in portuguese, of course…:-)
http://obruxodesantos.haaan.com/?p=223
October 25th, 2008 at 18:15
Oh dear, Cleison, you JUST don’t get it, do you? The point is, we do, we absolutely do.
October 25th, 2008 at 20:01
Since the comments on the Guardian blog have got a bit out of hand, I thought I’d copy my comment here, too:
Ariane writes:
Remember that in addition to Stagecoach there is First, Arriva and Go-Ahead. Also National Express run some local buses. In most of the major population centres several of these operators will be active, so you should at least be able to cover the country’s major urban areas even if you can’t use Stagecoach.
It’s true that in smaller towns one operator often dominates service provision, but even there there are sometimes smaller local operators, too.
-roy
October 25th, 2008 at 21:06
“outside London we may have to think about using billboards and trains instead of buses, since the company Stagecoach runs many regional bus services and may not accept our adverts as its owner, Brian Souter, is an evangelical Christian.”
Is he allowed to do this? If he tried, would it not be worhtwhile spending some of the money on a legal challenge? Or even starting a separate fund to pay for a legal challenge?
Back in 2000 he decided to use half a million of his profits to fund opposition in Scotland to the repeal of the ‘anti gay’ clause 28. That was his personal business, but surely censoring adverts on buses is a different matter. Are not many of these bus routes dependent on public subsidies?
October 26th, 2008 at 0:02
On the subject of comics, I take it people have seen Science vs Norse Mythology?
October 26th, 2008 at 1:05
Great work Ariane and congratulations on the money raised. I wanted to make a suggestion about how to spend it. You can use what you aimed for for further advertising, but I would suggest donation to research or a humanist or medical based charity for the remainder. One of the biggest counters to atheists is that they supposed don’t do charity like the religious. Richard himself has set up his to donate money to the understanding of religious belief. Perhaps a fund to research suicide bombers, or mass delusion or to support victims of suicide bomb attacks. Would give the campaign more substance.
November 25th, 2008 at 21:16
How about: “I believe in a TALKING RABBIT that condemns all nonbelievers to an eternal carrot feast. But I do not bother you with that.”
with varying false gods and afterlifes..