Christians demand proof for atheist ad claims in Britain

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Christians demand proof for atheist ad claims in Britain

LONDON (AFP) – Angry Christians have protested to Britain's advertising watchdog over an atheist ad campaign claiming "there's probably no God" on the sides of buses, asking for proof, they said Thursday.

The campaign, featuring slogans plastered on some 800 buses across the country and in London's subway system, was launched this month backed by the British Humanist Association (BHA).

It was thought up by a comedy writer and financed by more than 140,000 pounds (200,000 dollars, 150,000 euros) in public donations.

But Stephen Green, national director of the Christian Voice lobby group, has complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), saying the ads breach its codes on substantiation and truthfulness.

"It is given as a statement of fact and that means it must be capable of substantiation if it is not to break the rules," he said.

"There is plenty of evidence for God, from people's personal experience, to the complexity, interdependence, beauty and design of the natural world.

"But there is scant evidence on the other side, so I think the advertisers are really going to struggle to show their claim is not an exaggeration or inaccurate, as the ASA code puts it," he added.

The ads were the brainchild of comedy writer Ariane Sherine, who objected to Christian adverts on some London buses that carried an Internet address warning that people who rejected God would spend eternity in "torment in hell."

Sherine, 28, sought five-pound donations towards a "reassuring" counter-advertisement and won support from the BHA and atheist campaigner Professor Richard Dawkins.

"You wait ages for an atheist bus, then 800 come along at once. I hope they'll brighten people's days and make them smile on their way to work," she said.

British Humanist Association head Hanne Stinson said it was not taking the Christian Voice complaint seriously.

"I've sought advice from some of our key people here, but I'm afraid all I've got out of them so far is peals of laughter," she said.

An ASA spokesman said: "We have accepted the complaint. We have logged it and we are going to be assessing it over the next couple of days and from that assessment we'll decide whether to contact the advertiser."