Editor Reports: Christians 0 – 1 Atheists
A Christian advertising campaign, a response to an atheist one, has rather back fired after it draws more complaints than the atheists did. Editor Doug Lambert ponders on this delightful news in the latest ATV Reports.
It’s a war of words carried out via London buses and the foot soldiers are those who have sent letters and emails of to the Advertising Standards Authority. It started earlier this year with a poster campaign, on the buses, by Atheists which proclaimed “There’s probably no god – so just enjoy life”. This sparked 350 complaints to the ASA and one bus driver to refuse to drive a bus with the poster on – he was throwing a sulk.
The retaliation was swift and several varying posters appeared on 50 London buses declaring there was a god. But oh dear it drew over 1000 complaints although admittedly no one has, of yet, refused to drive a bus with such a poster on it. The complaints range from finding the Christian ads offensive to atheists or non-Christians through to the claim in the poster being unsustainable.
The ASA refused to investigate both campaigns, despite the number of complaints, because it’s a rather tricky situation for them but regardless of that the fact that more people complained about the Christian campaign speaks volumes.
It says that the silent majority is no longer prepared to sit back and allow the vocal minority to make noise over such issues. They are going to be challenged and challenged they have been. There has been far too much of Christians getting their own way when they kick up a fuss, ala Heinz and the “gay kiss” advert, and at long last they are getting a well deserved taste of their own medicine.
