Atheists fail to cough up for London bus ad

[bijou]

Campaigners hoped to raise the raise the £23,400 necessary to buy a prominent two-week slot on a “bendy bus” by collecting £5 pledges from atheists online.


They even made a mock-up photo of a bus carrying their chosen message: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and get on with your life."

The project attracted huge attention on atheist message boards and was even featured on the website of scientist and promiment atheist Richard Dawkins, but it appears that too few non-believers actually put their hands in their pockets.

A specially-created website had attracted only 877 pledges when its deadline passed on Thursday, far short of the 4,678 people needed.

The month-long campaign, headed by political blogger Jon Worth, was started in reaction to the Christian adverts that are currently carried on the side of many buses in the capital.

...

link

Failing to put their money where their mouths are.

[franksolich]

Oh, of course.

Atheists consider themselves more humane, more compassionate, than people who know God.

But I can't name one People's City Mission that's run by atheists.

I suspect that no atheist group went down south to comfort the victims of Katrina and Lousianan corruption and ineptitude.

There's atheist bumper-stickers around, but when northwestern Nebraska was plagued by forest fires two summers ago, while there were thousands of cars driven there by volunteers to fight those fires, most of them bearing a bumper sticker mentioning membership in one church or another, there were no cars in the parking lots with atheist bumper stickers.

One can't help but have the impression atheists are self-centered, selfish, people, who don't give a damn about anybody but themselves.

[Lord Undies]

"There's probably no godless mass movement.  Now stop bothering good people and get on with your life."

[mamacags]

It is that one word there "probably".   How many Christians would give up their faith because an atheist thinks there "probably" isn't a God?   Dumbasses

[JohnnyReb]

I would think that if one was an atheist, "Probably" wouldn't be the proper word.

Oh! And you're "probably" not allowed to hedge your bet on eternity.....are you?

[The Night Owl]

Oh, of course.

Atheists consider themselves more humane, more compassionate, than people who know God.

But I can't name one People's City Mission that's run by atheists.

I suspect that no atheist group went down south to comfort the victims of Katrina and Lousianan corruption and ineptitude.

There's atheist bumper-stickers around, but when northwestern Nebraska was plagued by forest fires two summers ago, while there were thousands of cars driven there by volunteers to fight those fires, most of them bearing a bumper sticker mentioning membership in one church or another, there were no cars in the parking lots with atheist bumper stickers.

Please don't interpret what I'm about to write as an attempt to be glib or sarcastic...

The reason why you don't see atheist humanitarian organizations is the same reason why you don't see humanitarian organizations founded on disbelief in the existence of faeries. An atheist is nothing more than a person who doesn't believe in the existence of a god or gods. Atheism is not a belief system or a set of principles. One can be a humanitarian and an atheist at the same time, but one need not be a humanitarian to be an atheist.

One can't help but have the impression atheists are self-centered, selfish, people, who don't give a damn about anybody but themselves.

Most altruistic behavior is motivated by selfish desires. For instance, the promise of reward or the fear of punishment in the afterlife often motivates religious people to behave altruisticially. Similarly, the good feelings associated with doing good deeds often motivates atheists and agnostics to behave altruistically. Either way, altruistic behavior is usually rooted in some selfish motivation.

Of course, I don't want to give anyone the impression that I judge altruistic behavior based on the motivation for it. I don't. The way I see it, a good deed is a good deed regardless of why it is done.

Anyway, the root of altruistic behavior in humans is a very interesting topic which I think you'd enjoy researching.

[TheSarge]

Failing to put their money where their mouths are.

More like lacking the courage of their convictions.

[Chris_]

Oh, of course.

Atheists consider themselves more humane, more compassionate, than people who know God.

But I can't name one People's City Mission that's run by atheists.

I suspect that no atheist group went down south to comfort the victims of Katrina and Lousianan corruption and ineptitude.

There's atheist bumper-stickers around, but when northwestern Nebraska was plagued by forest fires two summers ago, while there were thousands of cars driven there by volunteers to fight those fires, most of them bearing a bumper sticker mentioning membership in one church or another, there were no cars in the parking lots with atheist bumper stickers.

Please don't interpret what I'm about to write as an attempt to be glib or sarcastic...

The reason why you don't see atheist humanitarian organizations is the same reason why you don't see humanitarian organizations founded on disbelief in the existence of faeries. An atheist is nothing more than a person who doesn't believe in the existence of a god or gods. Atheism is not a belief system or a set of principles. One can be a humanitarian and an atheist at the same time, but one need not be a humanitarian to be an atheist.

One can't help but have the impression atheists are self-centered, selfish, people, who don't give a damn about anybody but themselves.

Most altruistic behavior is motivated by selfish desires. For instance, the promise of reward or the fear of punishment in the afterlife often motivates religious people to behave altruisticially. Similarly, the good feelings associated with doing good deeds often motivates atheists and agnostics to behave altruistically. Either way, altruistic behavior is usually rooted in some selfish motivation.

Of course, I don't want to give anyone the impression that I judge altruistic behavior based on the motivation for it. I don't. The way I see it, a good deed is a good deed regardless of why it is done.

Anyway, the root of altruistic behavior in humans is a very interesting topic which I think you'd enjoy researching.

Two words: Pascal's Wager

[djones520]

Nice to see people pissing all over my back while I was gone for the weekend.

http://www.the-brights.net/action/brightsonly/secularist_charities.htm

I don't wear my religion on my sleeve when I give aid, or donate money, or anything like that.  I just do it.  I shouldn't have to take some survey that shows my religious preference anytime I want to do something for my fellow man. 

Atheists account for less then 10% of the adult population of this nation.  So of course religious organizations and followers are going to make up the majority of what happens.