The Atheist Foundation of Australia has returned to advertising with a bus-side campaign that is running in Melbourne.

The non-believing group has quoted Woody Allen in the ad, which reads ‘If God exists, I hope he has a good excuse’.

The campaign has been timed for the run up to the 2012 Global Atheist Convention, which is being marketed as “A celebration of reason”.

Commenting on the campaign, the president of the Atheist Foundation, David Nicholls, said: “Woody Allen’s words encapsulate the thoughts of the freethinking community and the sneaking suspicions of a growing number of religious people as well. Considering the immensity of the unnecessary death, pain and suffering on the planet, an alleged all-powerful and all-loving god certainly has a lot to answer for.”

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Nicholls said that while Woody Allen may have been born into the Jewish faith, he was a “dead set atheist”.

T he Atheist Foundation was blocked from running ads on APN Outdoor’s billboards in 2009. Its campaign slogan read: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”.

Nicholls said APN’s ban “did wonders for us in extra publicity”.

The latest campaign, devised by Melbourne agency Loud and Clear, is running on street posters, postcards and in print ads in New Scientist.

Nicholls wouldn’t reveal the campaign budget, but said “A lot of money” is being spent on it.

The 2012 Global Atheist Convention is being held in Melbourne from 13 to 15 April.