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God moves in mysterious ways (like along your local bus route)
Danny Brierley5 Feb 2009
Christian groups are launching their own advertisements to run across the side of London buses following an atheist campaign.
The British Humanist Association launched adverts earlier in the year proclaiming: “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” It sparked almost 150 complaints to the Advertising Standard Authority from people claiming the campaign was offensive.
Now the Christian Party, the Trinitarian Bible Society and the Russian Orthodox Church have paid for their own pro-God adverts that will run on 175 buses across central and east London and the West End for two weeks from Monday.
The advert for the Christian Party includes the slogan: “There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life.”
The Russian Orthodox Church, meanwhile, has booked 25 bus adverts, backed with a sponsorship deal with Russian Hour TV.
The Trinitarian Bible Society's advert uses a line from Psalm 53 that reads: “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” It will appear on 100 buses.
The ASA ruled that the Humanist Association's campaign did not break any advertising rules, concluding that the adverts were an “expression of the advertiser's opinion and that the claims in it were not capable of objective substantiation”. As a result it was ruled that it was unlikely to mislead or to cause widespread offence.
Reader views (25)
I'm sure Lord Rama is happy for the advertisement he is receiving, but what the Christian Party have to do with it he's not so sure at the moment. 
- Richard, Leeds, 07/02/2009 08:46
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The existence of a deity cannot be proven. Anyone with any sense should complain to the ASA that this is false advertising. I just have!
- Charlie, Soho, 06/02/2009 12:57
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To Nigel London,
If you read the Bible you will be enlightned to why this happened and the famine in africa too.
As well as several other diasters that for some years no one can account for!
When these things happen God is always to blame........No one seems to think about their own stupidity!
- Valerie, Hampton Middlesex, 06/02/2009 11:38
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HELLO LONDON,
I know I am writing to the web page THIS IS LONDON because there is one, as for the Christian Society saying that there is a GOD then please PROVE IT thats all I and many others ask?. The other adverts running on the side of Londons buses said the word PROBABLY, they do not know one way or an other.
This money could of been better spent by both sides these ads may spark debate but at what cost?.
- John.L., Scarborough N.Yks U.K., 06/02/2009 11:14
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If there is definitely a god then simply publish the results of the study that proves it. Then no one can complain. Easy peasy.
- Tim, London, 06/02/2009 10:04
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Weird that, they launch a campaign on the buses saying there is a god and their god launches a snowstorm which puts the buses off the road.
- Angiers, Brighton, UK, 06/02/2009 00:20
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There definatley is a God.Excuse me but what about the fairys at the bottom of my garden?
- Kev, London-UK, 05/02/2009 21:44
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There *definitely* is a God? Show us the evidence! Otherwise this ad puts them in the company of the nutters telling us that there are "definitely" UFOs, Little Green Men, Black Helicopters, etc.
I ask myself what sort of God would have allowed (or worse, caused) the Boxing day tsunami catastrophe a few years ago. Definitely not a good sort.
- Nigel, London, 05/02/2009 17:30
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Maureen, the atheists CHOSE to say "probably". Maybe they're not as bombastic as this Christian alliance. Or don't feel so threatened or insecure..?
- Karli, Tottenham, London, 05/02/2009 17:28
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Os, apparently the ASA don't cover it, Ofcom don't cover it as it's not a broadcast medium, Trading Standards don't as it's not sales based which leaves the Electoral Commission who frankly are about as much use as a chocolate teapot.
- Bob, Cheam, 05/02/2009 15:31
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How many children in poverty? How many starving on the streets? How many Churches in need of repair even?
But obviously this is money better spent.
- Frank, Home Counteies, England., 05/02/2009 15:23
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does this mean that athiest/agnostic bus drivers can refuse to drive these buses?
- Andy, London, 05/02/2009 15:21
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What next: "Categorically the best lager in the world" ?
Let's face it, man makes god in his own image - not the other way around.
I, for one, think that the Buddhists have got it right. Many even see it not so much as a religion (since there is no "god" in it), but an "applied philosophy". Except that ads would make it difficult for them to make much impact on UK consumers, I reckon. Because Buddhism's emphasis on taking personal responsibility for oneself and ones environment is so problematic for most western minds, I suspect that attracting others to their philosophy by sheer force of example is their best tack - and one that people of other faiths - and, particularly, politicians - could learn.
- Karli, Tottenham, London, 05/02/2009 15:03
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The atheists were not allowed to say there definitely is no god but had to use the word, "probably", because of British advertising guidelines so the same rules should apply to the Christian Party and they should not be allowed to say: “There definitely is a God".
- Maureen, Ware, Herts. England, 05/02/2009 14:47
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Whether God exists or does not, it really does not matter to me as long as I have a faith in the creating power & science and respect for my fellow human beings. Now, if they can spare some part of those money pasted on the buses to me so that I can pay my bills...
- Piyush, London, UK, 05/02/2009 13:54
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Surely they must be made to say 'there may be a god'. You can't make advertising claims which can't be proven.
If one person has an imaginary friend, he's locked up as mad. If 500 million people have an imaginary friend, it's a religion.
- Richard, London, 05/02/2009 13:53
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“The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.”
A fruit dessert thinks there is no god and this makes religion true?
- Ivan, London, UK, 05/02/2009 13:22
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Clever people, 'Join the Christian Party' therefore it becomes a political statement and the ASA don't cover that.
Instead if one wanted to complain perhaps Ofcom is the way to go...
- Os, Brissle UK, 05/02/2009 13:18
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Oh dear.... They are probably both correct but why don't they both spend this money on a worthwhile project!
- Kev, Berkhamsted, 05/02/2009 12:39
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More money wasted on advertising campaigns; I for one will not be joining The Christian Party. How many spin doctors do they employ? Being accurate has never deterred new labour from making a statement.
- Iain, Buxton, Derbyshire, 05/02/2009 12:25
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"There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life."
Surely the ASA will have something to say about that? There's absolutely no proof to back that claim up.
- Bob, Cheam, 05/02/2009 12:09
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Is there a Christian Party? I am definately joining this political Power House. Christian party here I come!
- Jkay, London, 05/02/2009 11:43
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“There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life.” Definitely? Call in the Advertising Standards Authority, I say.
- Tim S, London, UK, 05/02/2009 11:33
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There is probably a god, not definately as we cannot prove it. The Atheist campaign is probably more accurate due to their choice of wording. Not a smart move by the Christian Party.
- Carsten, London, 05/02/2009 10:36
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These foolish people have made a claim that cannot be substantiated, this breaks advertising rules. There is no way that they can prove that there is a god. This
advertisement cannot be allowed.
- M Wilkinson, London UK, 05/02/2009 10:24
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