| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 8:09:00 AM | "There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life" is the advertisement that is on six city buses and will be for the next month.
What exactly is this supposed to mean? Now we can commit adultery, NOT honor our mother and father, treat our neighbours like crap, steal, kill......is this enjoying life? What message is this sending (apart from there is no God).
To each his own, whatever makes your boat float, but are they stating that if I believe in God that I'm not enjoying my life?
Discuss....
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Tiny72
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Joined: 11/23/2007
Msg: 2 | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 9:05:09 AM | That's exactly what I thought and stated so on the other thread (this one might not survive)
The statement is presumptious. I do however, appreciate the fact that Calgary is one of only 2 cities in Canada (the other being Toronto) that are even allowing the ads. Free speech is alive and well. As a believer, it doesn't hurt me none.
I understand a Muslim group is going to take out ads with an opposing statement. Maybe other groups will as well. Calgary Transit will make a whack of money from these ads and Calgary will be seen as an open-minded city. I think it's a win/win situation | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 10:08:26 AM |
“The statement is presumptious.”
Really? Presumptuous? How is it presumptuous to imply that there probably isn't an invisible person who cares about every little thing you do, whether you eat shellfish, don't do any work on the Sabbath, but can't be bothered to stop children from starving to death in third world countries? That is not absence of evidence. We're encroaching on evidence of absence when you consider the situation the world finds itself in. Or are images of the Virgin Mary on a potato chip good enough "miracles" for you?
“are they stating that if I believe in god that I'm not enjoying my life?
No, they're stating that some people are truly worried about their atheism and agnosticism and whether they're going to Hell or not when they die. It's an alternative viewpoint to the debate of which religion is right, and is a consolation for people who don't believe in the same god that most people in this country believe in.
“What exactly is this supposed to mean? Now we can commit adultery, NOT honor our mother and father, treat our neighbours like crap, steal, kill......is this enjoying life? What message is this sending (apart from there is no god).”
So are you saying that people who don't believe in god are all running out and doing all these things? You're creating a pretty significant strawman argument there, because the statement that there probably isn't a god does not equate with "Go do whatever immoral thing you decide to do, and don't worry about it because there's no consequences". The implication that those who are atheist and agnostic are immoral is outdated and verifiably false. And presumptuous. | |
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Tiny72
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Joined: 11/23/2007
Msg: 9 | |
| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 10:58:51 AM |
What exactly is this supposed to mean? Now we can commit adultery, NOT honor our mother and father, treat our neighbours like crap, steal, kill......is this enjoying life?
Ok - so if thats what they do when they dont believe in God, how do you explain those that do believe, and still do all those things? So your saying because I don't believe in a phantom man, that I am immoral, hate my parents, kill at will, and hate my life? Basically without a ghost to tell me what to do, I have no self control?
Wow - talk about your blanket judgements! | |
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| Stop worrying and enjoy your life
Posted: 3/3/2009 11:42:15 AM |
What exactly is this supposed to mean? Now we can commit adultery, NOT honor our mother and father, treat our neighbours like crap, steal, kill......is this enjoying life? What message is this sending (apart from there is no God).
To each his own, whatever makes your boat float, but are they stating that if I believe in God that I'm not enjoying my life? OP are you suggesting that people who don't believe in a god are murdering, thieving adulterers who make lousy neighbours and dishonour their parents?
That a belief in a god is some kind of prerequisite to personal morality and socially acceptable behavior?
If you are, then put a life jacket on and start bailing because your boat is leaking big time.
In my view, the message the campaign sends is that secularism and humanism are acceptable, viable and growing alternatives to religiosity.
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 11:49:26 AM |
What exactly is this supposed to mean?
It means some junior ad exec, or at the very least, the proof-reader editor at some advertising company will be greatly embarassed due to an omission of one apostrophe and one "s"...
BB | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 12:08:11 PM |
What exactly is this supposed to mean? Now we can commit adultery, NOT honor our mother and father, treat our neighbours like crap, steal, kill......is this enjoying life? What message is this sending (apart from there is no God).
I want to bring up another side to this particular statement, which brings out once again the sillyness of the argument.
Is the only reason that you DON'T do all those things the fact that some god has said it's a bad thing to do? What about the people that simply don't do those things because they're not really a smart thing to do?
It's again painting those that do believe in a very negative light, if the only reason they don't treat their neighbors like crap or commit adultery is because there might be an invisible man looking over their shoulder. Why not just be a good person for goodness' sake? | |
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Tiny72
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Joined: 11/23/2007
Msg: 14 | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 12:55:04 PM | Ubermoogle , in msg 7 you are quoting two different posters - myself and the OP
I was the one that said "It's a presumptious statement". I was referring to the part that goes "so stop worrying and enjoy your life". Who says we worry and don't enjoy our life? And I didn't say much else except that it isn't any big deal and it's nice that we have free speech in Calgary.
“What exactly is this supposed to mean? Now we can commit adultery, NOT honor our mother and father, treat our neighbours like crap, steal, kill......is this enjoying life? What message is this sending (apart from there is no god).”
It's the OP that said this and I agree with you. It's also a presumptious statement. | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 12:55:15 PM | I think George Carlin said it best...
"In the Bullsh!t Department, a businessman can’t hold a candle to a clergyman. ‘Cause I gotta tell you the truth, folks. When it comes to bullsh!t, big-time, major league bullsh!t, you have to stand in awe of the all-time champion of false promises and exaggerated claims, religion. No contest. No contest. Religion. Religion easily has the greatest bullsh!t story ever told. Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there’s an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever ’til the end of time!
But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He’s all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can’t handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, you talk about a good bullsh!t story.
Holy Sh!t! | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 12:59:02 PM |
In my view, the message the campaign sends is that secularism and humanism are acceptable, viable and growing alternatives to religiosity.
I agree. It just could have been worded better. Unfortunately, people who think like the OP (belief in God means you're good, non-belief means you're bad) are who the creators of these ads were thinking of. | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 1:39:00 PM | ~daisy~
Sorry I wasn't clearer. I was just trying to bring all the replies into a single post instead of discussing them separately, and as such, probably took it not quite as intended.
To get the crux of what you consider presumptuous though, you aptly pointed out that you're not really the target of the ads. It's people who either think they're the only people out there who don't believe in god, OR those people who think that there's no possible way an atheist or agnostic can have any morals or be good in any way. | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 1:40:47 PM | @ daisy, don't worry, I don't think that Ub puts you and I in the same pod. You've cleared the air....bravo.
Remember when I post, I generalize. So when I bring in the commandments, I don't mean it literally....my topic for discussion was simply this 'because I believe in God why do the non believers think I'm not enjoying my life'. What are the differences in the lives of believers and non believers?
What drives me nuts are the impressable children. It's hard enough for kids of any age to understand that there is something, HIM, greater than all. Then these kids read this on a bus passing by and question their belief in HIM again. There is enough shittt out there that makes us question our faith enough - do we really need this too. | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 1:50:26 PM | What's the problem with questioning your faith?
Is there some intrinsic right that any belief should not be questioned? Whether it's belief in Bigfoot, Jesus, or the Celestial Teapot, each of them SHOULD be questioned. If someone's faith is so fragile as to not survive being questioned or discussed, perhaps it IS time to look a little closer at it.
I think it's especially pretentious to assume that children should be brought up in any religion, or, for that matter, atheism or agnosticism. I think it's important to teach them the basics of morality, but religion should be a personal choice, not an indoctrination into any particular group or other. | |
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Tiny72
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Joined: 11/23/2007
Msg: 23 | |
| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 1:55:12 PM | But then how can you let one group have a voice - the churchs - but not the other side - the athiests?
So then on the flip side sambo - because I dont believe in god - why do the believers always feel the need to tell me I am missing something in my life? As you put it - there is enough shit in life - so what gives them the right to make us question our place in life again?
( not saying I do - but using the flip side of your arguement).
^^^^ dang your fast uber! | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 1:56:05 PM | | So this would lead to the question, which one of these invisible guys in the sky, is the right one? The one that is promoted the best? Maybe, we haven't even heard of the "right god". Natives beleived in mother earth, and the spirits contained in all of nature, until they were "enlightened" by missionaries. Even different sects, using the same storybook, can't agree 100%. How can a book written thousands of years ago, have any relevance when something written as recently as the fifties, has been diproven, and disregarded? | |
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| 'There Probably No God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life'
Posted: 3/3/2009 2:12:58 PM |
What drives me nuts are the impressable children. It's hard enough for kids of any age to understand that there is something, HIM, greater than all. Then these kids read this on a bus passing by and question their belief in HIM again. There is enough shittt out there that makes us question our faith enough - do we really need this too.
And what about the kids who are atheist? Will not seeing ads about churches, pro-life, god make them question their lack of faith? How is that any 'worse' than questioning god? My children will be raised atheist. Should I be upset if they are seeing church/god ads?
One of the points of ads is to make us question things. Question whether or not we want to buy something. As I mentioned in the thread I started about this a few weeks back I see nothing wrong with these ads or the response ads that say something along the lines of 'there probably is a god so stop worrying and enjoy your life'. The atheist ads are not offensive in the slightest. | |
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