Before I start (while we're all still waiting at the bus stop, so to speak) I have a small apology for those of you who believe in God. I don't want to offend you, and I'm pretty sure that if you read all the way to the end of this post you'll agree that I haven't, but you may start out feeling a little uncomfortable. So I'm sorry.
Have you heard about the Atheist Bus Campaign that is currently running in the UK? Funded by donations from the public - all across the country, from London to Leeds and Aberdeen to Exeter - buses are appearing with posters on their sides which read:
"There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."Now, I don't want to start a debate about whether or not God exists. I wouldn't like to say one way or the other. I question everything, and I tend to keep on questioning, even after I think I have the answers; I long ago stopped believing in 'objective truth', because over the years, I have come to realise that even cast-iron facts have a habit of changing when you look at them long enough, or sideways. So when it come to The God Question, to paraphrase Eva Bowring, a US Senator in the 50s (and thanks to Karen K for the original quotation!) - "I'm going to sit on the fence, until I find where the gates are".
No, what particularly appeals about this campaign isn't its atheism.
Of course the general encouragement to "stop worrying and enjoy your life" is nice. It's kind, comforting and pretty good advice, too - whether you have a religious faith or not. And that little word 'probably' is rather special: it's modest, unassuming and slightly self-deprecating... there's something quintessentially English about it, don't you think?
It's clever, too: with that single word, the campaign creators have headed off any possible charge of hypocritical dogmatism. No-one can accuse this particular bunch of atheists of an ideological fanaticism that's just like the religious fundamentalists - which is a criticism often leveled at outspoken atheists like Richard Dawkins.
There is 'probably' no God, say these people - just probably - we're not ruling it out.
In fact, the whole ad is rather polite, in a slightly old-fashioned way that is the antithesis of the brash, in-yer-face media messages that usually surround us. If you have a faith, this campaign does not seek to undermine it - though I'm sure it does hope you'll examine it.
But best of all, I like this campaign because it isn't trying to sell me anything or make me do anything. And how rare is that, eh?! Every other poster you have ever seen on the side of a bus has been trying to get you to watch a movie, buy a game, change your phone, taste a new chocolate, swig a different kind of fizz, or some-such ... But this one just invites us to live.
Yes, LIVE! Now there's a thought!
In fact, I'd say the Atheist Bus Campaign has a strong Zen flavour to it. With its emphasis on living rather than angsting and its laissez-faire enthusiasm, its slogan fits very comfortably alongside Zen proverbs like these:
"If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are." (Unsourced)
"When hungry eat, when tired sleep." (Po Chang )
"If the problem has a solution, worrying is pointless, in the end the problem will be solved. If the problem has no solution, there is no reason to worry, because it can't be solved." (Unsourced)
"Knock on the sky and listen to the sound." (Unsourced)
So I like the Atheist Bus Campaign - and when I call "All Aboard!" I hope you buy a ticket too. If you do have a religious faith, I ask you to forgive it its hubristic opinions, please. You may not agree with their ideas, but surely you can rejoice in their enthusiasm?!
And you can have the final satisfaction of knowing that the word 'enthusiastic' is derived from Greek, and means "possessed by god"!
Flow x
P.S. And to prove that I'm not a dogmatist either ... if you'd like to read a Guardian opinion piece that disagrees with almost every word I've said, just click here!
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