Atheist bus campaign hampered in Australia

January 8, 11:47 AMAtheism ExaminerTrina Hoaks

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Atheism Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Richard Dawkins on an "atheist bus." 

Secular groups in Australia decided that they wanted to promote atheism in the same way that Richard Dawkins and the British Humanist Association have done in London, Wales and Scotland. They met resistance, though, from the largest outdoor advertising company in the country, APN Outdoor.

According to Martin Beckford in an article on the Telegraph Web site

David Nicholls, president of the Atheist Foundation of Australia, said: "I am flabbergasted. This is extremely disappointing and a severe blow to freedom of expression in Australia.

The group had hoped to place the two following ads on buses:

atheism – celebrate reason

atheism - sleep in on Sunday mornings

The ads seem harmless, really. Yet, APN Outdoor is not alone in their rejection of the campaign. A state owned bus company, Metro, in Tasmania has rejected the campaign as well.

According to Beckford

Metro has previously allowed adverts from religious groups including anti-abortion campaigners, but says it has now changed its policy to ban all material deemed controversial.

It is difficult to understand why anyone would be opposed to such signs. Really, they seem benign. Disagreeing with the message doesn’t justify stifling it, especially considering the light nature of the message. It isn’t like it is defamatory or hateful.