Andrew Chamberlain

Now this is funny actually. Atheists groups and individuals have clubbed together to run an ad campaign on London buses. Their slogan ‘There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.’ just left me laughing. In a time where the church is buffeted on all sides by aggressive secularism and a range of other faiths, its good to see some comedy.

I guess it’s worth a bit of deconstruction. For a start, did the agnostics chip in? What’s this about there’s ‘probably’ no God? And pin up atheist Richard Dawkins is paying for some of this? Surely they should have gone for ‘There is no God’, that at least would have reflected the atheist opinion. I think they would have got in to trouble with the Advertising Standards Authority though, so it’s the more tame ‘probably’.Next we come to the latter part of the statement ’stop worrying and enjoy your life’; so do religious people worry only and atheists enjoy life, only? Think about it for a moment, it’s patent nonsense.

I think what this ad will do is just comfort the believers (or non believers in this case) and they are not the first or last to do this, people of all faiths like to encourage each other by restating their beliefs, declaring who they are to others.

Meanwhile, cheer up deists! And remember if you want you’re beliefs to be respected follow Jesus’ advice - love your neighbour as yourself. Enjoy!!

Tags: Politics and culture by andrew chamberlain
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I was amused to see Cherie Blair saying this week that history might judge her husband, the former Prime Minister Tony Blair, as having made as much of a contribution as Winston Churchill, the wartime PM. Her comments have been ridiculed by the Tories and treated with some amused derision by the press. The Telegraph had some choice quotes from one unnamed MP. These sorts of comparisons, where they involve people who are still alive, do end up sounding fanciful. The Tory party might be quick to defend the (rightly) exalted reputation of the great Winston, but we should not forget that there are many people on the left who respect and admire Churchill’s legacy. The socialist writer and commentator George Orwell used the name Winston for the hero of his dystopian novel ‘1984′ and Churchill is often seen, for all his Tory credentials, as something of an anti- establishment hero. We might also see another reason for Cherie to share Orwell’s liking of the great PM, after all ‘Geroge Orwell’ was just a nom de plume ;his real name? Eric Blair.

Tags: Politics and culture by andrew chamberlain
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