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Group plans to bring atheist ad campaign to buses

The Centre for Inquiry Canada 'Extraordinary Claims' ad campaign. The Centre for Inquiry Canada 'Extraordinary Claims' ad campaign.
The Centre for Inquiry Canada 'Extraordinary Claims' ad campaign.

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Date: Thursday Dec. 2, 2010 12:32 PM ET

Major cities across Canada may see the return of atheist bus ads next year challenging everything from the existence of God to the tooth fairy.

The Centre for Inquiry Canada, the atheist group behind the "Extraordinary Claims" campaign, said if the Toronto Transit Commission approves their ad, they will be appearing on the city's streetcars and subways early next year. The CFI also hopes to launch the ads in Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, Saskatoon and Montreal after the Toronto debut.

The ad featured on the website of the campaign shows a black-and-purple-hued evening sky dotted by stars with a quote inspired by American astronomer, Carl Sagan. The ad reads, "Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence" followed with "Allah, Bigfoot, UFOs, Homeopathy, Zeus, Psychics, Christ," written underneath.

"Science makes extraordinary claims, but it has something to back it up," CFI national executive director, Justin Trottier, told CTV.ca.

Trottier said they are not just challenging the existence of Allah and Christ, but also alternative medicine, psychics, clairvoyance and even childhood icons such as the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny.

The group says it is trying to challenge ideas and ask tough questions to promote reason, science, secularism and freedom of inquiry.

"Why is belief in Bigfoot dismissed as delusional while belief in Allah and Christ is respected and revered? All of these claims are equally extraordinary and demand critical examination," says the campaign's website, www.extraordinary-claims.com.

In January 2009, the Freethought Association of Canada launched a controversial ad that read, "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life," which raised mixed reactions from the public.

"Bus ads are a great symbol of the public square," Trottier said, adding he hopes to engage the public in conversation with the new ads.

Trottier said the 2009 campaign which he was also a part of, received positive feedback because it reeled in discussions from religious groups as well.

"There was lots of good will from religious communities. This was expressed on the radio and television debates that I had with various Muslim Imams, Rabbis, and even The United Church of Canada," said Trottier.

Meanwhile, the group is currently raising funds for the ad campaign, which will require approximately $10,000 to $15,000 per city. They are halfway to reaching their Toronto goal. The 2009 campaign, which only hit three cities, raised $50,000.

Comments are now closed for this story

Jolo5309
said
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Atheists don't give to charity? Check out kiva.org, the microfinance website. The largest (and only!) group over 2 million in loans. The Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists and the Non-Religious group is also the only group over 2 million in loans. The Richard Dawkins foundation is currently soliciting money for Pakistan's cholera problem. Or does atheism just mean selfish to you? The big difference between atheists and the religious is, teh religious believe they get a reward after they die, atheists understand there is no point in worrying about whether they will have a good life after existence, because there is none.To sum up a rambling post, this is a good ad, it challenges people to think, and not just to blindly accept what they are told.You believe in Homeopathy? Prove why it works, the same goes for Allah, Muhammed, Christ or Bigfoot. Until you have evidence, then you are just making stuff up.


Ian Ottawa
said
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As long as You are paying for it and I'm not then fill your boots.I always agree with the old saying, "If You don't believe in God, You better hope You're right."


Darren
said
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For all those Christians who think that this is about annoying them you are wrong; this is about the truth.When my son was young I never pretended that the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus were real and now he trusts me more because I didn't lie to him.


Minder Singh
said
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@Geoffrey

They are not only asking to prove religion or God scientifically. They are asking to prove it generally. Yes my parents love me PROOF> they gave me gifts, food, shelter and took care of me when I was a child and even today. I have hard evidence (clothes, toys, shelter, money, etc) religion only has books that CLAIM things happened, yet they do not show hard proof. I am not saying God does not exist, but I am also not saying God does exist. There is something out there, I don't know what, but its not someone in the clouds, or someone who came millions/thousands/hundreds years ago and left. Faith does not prove anything except you believe because you are conditioned that way, not because you proved it.


Donny in Edmonton
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While I'm not at all spiritual or religious in any way, when people like this go around starting fights based on beliefs or lack there of (which is still a set of beliefs in its own) I will never consider myself an Atheist. I think it's really hypocritical that supposed non-religious people are creating conflict over religion and trying to 'convert' people away from their faith because they have all the right answers. A true Atheist wouldn't care if someone else believed in any religion and just gone about their lives without making a fuss over it.Oh, and even if it's not what you believe in you should still say "Merry Christmas!" because that's what the day has been declared as and there's nothing wrong with wishing people to enjoy their day, as with any other religious holiday. Hannukah, Qwanzaa, Dwalhi, Ramadan, have a happy one!


Jaid in Toronto
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For about almost every scientific reason one can try to justify about human values, relationships and actions, biblical or ancient scriptures has an equivalent in an even shorter form.Can science explain the important passage of "Love one, as I have loved you'? Sure it can, but it's going to be so long that people would rather stick by this passage itself.Science and religion aren't really meant to mix on face value, it's research vs. faith. One is to discover facts, the other is to believe in the unknown. They only mix when the beliefs are together, which is mainly by perseverence.And this is most likely what these ads are about, perseverence, but in the wrong manner because it's pitting research vs. faith.


Wayne
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If you look deep enough one will come to the conclusion that the "Athiest Ideology" is another form of religion. One with no direction nor hope of assisting in creating more unified peaceful world. I know, I was one of them; self center, self seeking, Wouldnt even support local food bank. If people were that poor, then it is their own fault. That is the teaching of the Athiest movement. Funny how they only go truly go after Christ, but not the other religious claims. Reason being? Well that's simple; the prince of this world would not dare attempt to slam his own devices. No thank you, I am throwing my lots in with Christ. I am far from being the "Ideal Christian", but look at the greatest humanitarian of people and the majority have faith in Jesus. Just a thought. Thanks for allowing me to comment.


Steve From Alberta
said
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This is fantastic i am sick of ads for Christianity and god being shoved in my face every where I go. I look forward to these ads as it is my belief. That being said These things should not be pushed its a choice and for me to believe in something i need proof it exists, and for the record @Jonny there are plenty of books written about big foot, the difference is no one has tried to change them to make him look like a god instead of a regular person.


ML
said
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I agree with Carl, what are their intentions? Our belief systems are what shaped our social construct. Claims of God are of grand nature, but to claim that God (not a physical entity in any sense) never existed is a grand statement that would require evidence in itself. the absence of evidence doesn't disprove a hypothesis but merely makes it inconclusive. Maybe we are not supposed to know. The search for truth is what keeps us going. Now disproving the bunny rabbit or Santa Claus? Seriously if you want to ruin the belief of a little child's mind, you seriously need help and maybe are lacking a social support system. Get friends, a family or something, oh wait, you don't have any.


Al - Ottawa
said
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If they're allowed to have those kind of ads, then they can't stop add like: "There's no Santa".


Anon
said
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They'll earn my respect when they include Xenu on the bus version of their campaign, and not just the poster version, buried in with all the rest. Otherwise, they're just taunting people who won't sue their pants off.


Geoffrey
said
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People need to know that belief in God is not rational, logical, or warranted, nor should it be treated as "normal" or even "sane".-Did your parents love you? Prove it. Scientifically.If you can't scientifically, then surely you're as insane as we who believe in an almighty loving God.It's a question of faith my friend. Not science.


Joanne from Barrie
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I think everyone has the right to believe in whatever makes them comfortable, when it comes to religion. But to challenge the existance of the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny, thats just mean. What next, Santa Clause? Us adults know the answers to these three characters, but do the children need to read it on the side of a bus, or let it take its course, and when they grow up they learn the truth.Groups like this make me crazy.....they just cant sleep at night thinking that someone, somewhere believes in something silly.***GET OVER YOURSELF***


Jonny
said
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Comparing bigfoot to Christ? How desperate the atheists have become to try and eliminate God. Bigfoot does not have 3000 yrs of religion behind it, a book written for us about him, or documented proof of existence. Christ existed, one can choose to believe the evidence or not. The only question remains - do you believe he is God's son?


Geoffrey
said
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"Why is belief in Bigfoot dismissed as delusional while belief in Allah and Christ is respected and revered?-Why? Because one is a science question (Bigfoot's existence) and the other is a faith-based issue about human spirituality (Allah and Christ's teachings about God and morality).Honestly. What are these nasty disrespectful folks trying to prove?


Ross from Whitby
said
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Regardless of what our beliefs may be, this organization certainly has the right to ask these questions and make us think about our answers. I hope that they can raise the money required for their campaign.


Carl
said
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These ads will not change any minds, and that is not their purpose. Their sole purpose is to annoy and provoke Christians. They do not aim to achieve anything useful or noble. This entire ad campaign is merely an effort to taunt and aggravate other people, which is uncivil regardless of the subject of the ads. But of course the people behind the ad campaign should be free to spend their own money to express their pointless views.


Riz
said
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It's nice to finally see some Canadian atheist-billboard news for a change. I just hope they'll be able to bring it here to Vancouver, because the last time they tried, it didn't go through.These billboards are important. People need to know that belief in God is not rational, logical, or warranted, nor should it be treated as "normal" or even "sane".We as adults must stop professing silly beliefs in fairytales and mythology as being -true-.. it's one thing to get a moral from a story (like an Aesop's fable), but it's another thing to claim the fable actually happened. And people who are already rational atheists need to understand that they are not alone and should come out of the proverbial closet in solidarity with all the rest of us.


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