Editorial: Let atheists have their say

OPINION: There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

So says a group of atheists. We hope you weren't offended by that message. But as a newspaper, this publication reports different points of view and encourages debates even when they may offend people's beliefs.

Not so NZ Bus, which last week took on the role of guardian of public decency and sensitivity in refusing to carry the same message, paid for by public subscriptions to an atheists' group, on its buses in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Citing staff and public "distaste and distress" over the message, the company declined to take the advertising, even though it is used in other more religiously charged countries.

This attempt to stifle debate under the guise of tolerance only promotes intolerance and erodes the freedom of expression at the centre of our society and democracy.

That is why New Zealand Atheist Bus Campaign spokesman Simon Fisher is right in feeling discriminated against and wanting to test what appears to be a case of blatant double standards under the Human Rights Act.

There are two reasons why debate between religion and science does not produce winners. Firstly science cannot meet its own rigours of proof by empirically proving the non-existence of God. Hence the "probably" in the atheists' ads. Secondly, religion rests on a basis of faith or acceptance that what is unknown about the origins of life and the universe are attributable to a supreme being. In the end it's a matter of personal belief.

Why then, the fear from some in religious community over a few ads on buses? Auckland Catholic Diocese spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said the campaign was "disturbing and concerning". This implies a concern at seeing alternative points of view. That is incompatible with the freedoms western liberalism has won over the course of centuries and still fights for today.

Contrast this with the view of Auckland Anglican archdeacon Glynn Cardy, vicar of St Matthew-in-the-City, who thought the advertising ban robbed Christians of the chance to enter the debate. He knows attempting to stifle a message only serves to give it more traction. As a result of the publicity the story was given, the atheists have far less to complain about. The resulting column centimetres of newspaper space and debate on television and radio gave them much more publicity than the original $20,000 planned for the bus campaign could have bought.

When the same issue arose in the UK, the Christian Party hit back with its own similarly themed message on buses proclaiming "there definitely is a God" and encouraging people to join up. Archdeacon Cardy indicated that if a similar message appeared here on buses, churches would probably respond to it too.

An organisation or belief which has nothing to fear should welcome the chance to debate its message in public. There is no need for double standards.

- © Fairfax NZ News