An advertisement campaign run by the Christian Party, declaring “There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life”, has not only topped the Advertising Standards Authority’s Top 10 of most complained about adverts in 2009, it is the most complained about non-broadcast advert ever. The adverts were on the sides of buses, deliberately mirroring the British Humanist Association’s high-profile “Atheist Bus Campaign” from earlier in the same year.

The BHA’s own campaign, where the slogan “There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life”, was originally only intended to adorn the sides of bendy buses in London, but was so popular that an appeal to fund the ads raised well over £100, 000 from public donations – enough for the campaign to be expanded across the UK. The campaign was then widely copied by other humanist and atheist organisations around the world.

Ariane Sherine, Professor Richard Dawkins,

and BHA President Polly Toynbee at the

Atheist Bus Campaign launch, January 2009

Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive, commented, ‘Our adverts were a light-hearted response to exactly the kind of dogma that says people must be told what to believe and how to live, often accompanied by the threat of punishment in another world. It is with some satisfaction that the public chose to complain about an advert that did not want them to decide for themselves about the existence of god, rather than encouraging them to make their own minds up as ours did.’

‘Working for freedom of speech, expression and belief is at the very core of the humanist tradition and at the heart of all the BHA’s work, and we were quite happy for Christian groups to mimic our own successful campaign. This is in contrast to official complaints lodged against our adverts by the likes of Christian Voice, which were wholly rejected by the ASA who made no further investigations.’

Notes

For further comment or information, contact Naomi Phillips, BHA Head of Public Affairs, on 07540 257101 or 020 7079 3585.

The ASA’s Annual Report, which contains details of complaints about adverts in 2009, was published on Wednesday 26th May.

Read more about the Atheist Bus Campaign.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the growing population of ethically concerned, non-religious. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for a secular state and an end to discrimination based on religion or belief.