Buses must be militant atheists, because pretty soon they’re all going to be sporting declarations of godlessness. The latest nation to jump on the bandwagon is Brazil. If you can read Portuguese, you can go direct to the source and read all about it. Otherwise, I’ve put a translation below the fold.
In the first week of this year was launched the first advertising campaign in the UK about atheism, promoted by the British Humanist Association. The campaign has its own website (where shirts can be purchased) and is attracting great attention from the media since its launch in October – including in Brazil.
The so-called “bus campaign” spread to several countries, and now also came to Brazil. The Brazilian Association of Atheists and Agnostics launched the first phase of the campaign in the country, with eight slogans that we want to display on buses in the city of São Paulo. The phrases explain what atheists think, and seek to launch a first step towards the recognition of skeptical people as full and worthy citizen, with its deserved place in society. One of the highlights is the phrase that calls for an effective secular state, which ATEA believes should be a priority for citizens of all beliefs and disbelief.The slogans chosen by the association are:
2. I’m happy without believing in any god. Subtitle: Be proud to be who you are. Do not hide.
3. I do not need a god to be good. And you?
4. Image or text showing famous atheists. Text: You know which one is an atheist? ALL. Subtitle: We are millions in Brazil, hundreds of millions worldwide. Suggestions for names: Camila Pitanga, Angelina Jolie, Paulo Autran, Dercy Gonçalves, Charlie Chaplin, Daniel Radcliffe, José Saramago, Glória Maria, Drauzio Varella, Cássia Eller, Jodie Foster, Jorge Amado, Walmor Chagas.
5. Images of crucifixes in public places, “God be praised” in the money, “Sorocaba is of the Lord Jesus” and saying “Atheists are also citizen.” Subtitle: We want equality. We deserve respect.
6. Faith does not give answers. It only prevents questioning.
7. Smile! Hell doesn’t exist.
8.You are as atheist as we. When you understand why you don’t believe in all the other gods, you will know why we do not believe in yours.
9. Two hands working do more than a thousand praying.
Atheist or not, any person can help finance the campaign, regardless of relationship to the Association. Donations can be given separately for each of the phrases, using for it a value with the last digit equal to the numbers in the above list. For example, to help with the slogan of the number 4, there must be sent a value ending in 4: R$ 24, R$ 84, etc.. Values ending in 1 are intended to any of the slogans, values ending in 0 are reserved for donations to the association.
This campaign does not plan to deconvert in mass. The objective is to achieve a place in society in proportion to our numbers, reduce the enormous prejudice that exists against atheists in the world, and move towards equality, that doesn’t exist outside a truly secular state.
Those interested in collaborating with this initiative can use this bank account: 4378-8, in the 3572-6 agency of the Bank of Brazil (Banco do Brazil), on behalf of the Brazilian Association of Atheists and Agnostics (Associação Brasileira de Ateus e Agnósticos).
Brazil was the last country I expected to start doing that. I’ve been several times and never met an atheist. Good for them though.
Please tell me that the Brazilian Association of Atheists and Agnostics isn’t known by their English acronym!
This is the biggest achievement of the Campaign so far. South America is incredibly religious, particularly catholics, and for it to get a foothold there is a major step in raising the consciousness of non belief.
They’re a good deal better than “there probably is no god,” in my opinion.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
*sigh*
I live in Australia and we’re still having trouble having this campaign up and running. I thought we’re a country of tolerance…so ashamed of my country right now.
Genial!
Is there any good reason for starting a list of eight slogans with #2, and going through to #9?
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
Time for a banner on the Marty Stuart Trolley in Gnashburg. Dem country fans will love it…I’m sure.
“Smile! There is no Hell!”
i like this better than even the one displayed at the moment in Britain.
Want to come to Italy?
Bring your own theohazard suit.
Religious beliefs in South America have emerged from the interaction between its older pagan non-religion and Catholic religion. This mixture is more conducive to atheist/agnostic messages.
@ #1 : I live in Brazil, and I am an atheist. But you are right, we are a minority here, specially because many are afraid of declaring themselves atheists (hence the first item)
@ #2 : It’s not, the acronym on portuguese is ATEA, a pun with the word atheist in portuguese. It would be incredibly lame to call it “BAAA” – this one should be the catholics’ war cry.
I really love these two :-)
“Two hands working do more than a thousand praying.”
“Smile! Hell doesn’t exist.”
They say a lot in a few words, and there’s something funny about them, too.
Brazilian atheist here. Rather surprised that it’s happening here, but it’s a pleasant surprise to be sure. I’ll follow this and try to get back with the results.
In response to Glen @ #7
It is so you can fund specifically which slogan you like by donating an amount that ends with the number of the slogan. Anything donations that end in a 1 are for all slogans, where as any that end in 0 are general donations to the BAAA.
{{carece de fontes}}
err seriously more conducive than where? Iran, maybe but probably not Europe. By everything I’ve read, organised religion (especially Catholicism but increasing Pentacostals and Mormons) is everywhere in Latin America. Brazil has 90% of the population identifying as christian.
I like these best:
Faith does not give answers. It only prevents questioning.
Smile! Hell doesn’t exist.
I like these best:
Faith does not give answers. It only prevents questioning.
Smile! Hell doesn’t exist.
It’s true, these are all way better than the UK bus slogan is (not to disparage it – I like that it exists). Most of the above slogans are more thought provoking, rather than matter of fact, and IMHO go a long way toward cleverly advancing an argument.
I don’t know about a good reason, but if you read to the end of the slogans, you will note that they take the last digit of amounts donated, and use that to fund a particular slogan. For instance, $13 donation would be used to fund the slogan ” I do not need a god to be good. And you?” The digits 0 and 1 are reserved for the organization and “any slogan,” respectively.
I don’t know about a good reason, but if you read to the end of the slogans, you will note that they take the last digit of amounts donated, and use that to fund a particular slogan. For instance, $13 donation would be used to fund the slogan ” I do not need a god to be good. And you?” The digits 0 and 1 are reserved for the organization and “any slogan,” respectively.
All very nice. I’ve always liked #8.
Dear fellow Atheists,
The time of our resurrection will come soon; in my home country of the Netherlands, some nitwits of religion have actually taken the trouble of starting an “anti-evolution theory” print campaign. Well, let me rephrase this: they will start distributing over 6.5 million copies in February of pamphlets stating that the Evolution theory is just another “belief”. A seizable amount of influential Christians have come up with the idea that pre-, middle- and high school children are entitled to or should be eligible for both ‘theories’: Creation and Evolution.
And the beauty of it all, they will deliver the pamphlets to all households in the Netherlands, unless you’ve been able to acquire a sticker on your front door that unequivocally states you don’t want to receive the pro-Creation pamphlet.
Like they will care!
I personally find it’s just frustrating, because apart from the fact that the ‘stickers’ have long been sold out, the whole idea is just too much: another sign on the wall that Christians are being discriminated in favour of non-believers. What’s going on?
But my fellow Atheists, our time will come when pro-creation actions like described above, will give us momentum in finding ways of letting the theists know we’re still here, and we’re the fuck not dodging!
I say: Let’s start a worldwide initiative to distribute a counter campaign, and let the Spain atheist-buses guide us to resurrecting our scientifically correct attitude towards the origins of life.
Or maybe it’s just me who’s frustrated….
Thanks jaketoady and xander.
So maybe it isn’t a “good” reason, but it is a working reason.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
I am a Brazilian agnostic and science blogger. Although Brazil is largely a roman catholic country, there indeed is much religious diversity here. I don’t think that this variety is more conducive to atheism/agnosticism, I rather believe this condition is conducive to undefined beliefs more like the New Age movement and stuff. Among the so called intellectual elite, atheism/agnosticism is more usual and well accepted, though we are not as vocal as our North American counterparts, perhaps because creationism and similar nonsense is not as influential as it is up there.
I really love these two:
“Two hands working do more than a thousand praying.”
“Smile! Hell doesn’t exist.”
They say a lot in a few words, and there’s something funny about them, too :-)
I really love these two :-)
“Two hands working do more than a thousand praying.”
“Smile! Hell doesn’t exist.”
They say a lot in a few words, and there’s something funny about them, too.
Those are really good. Other atheist bus campaigns should totally steal them.
And I think the idea of letting people vote with their money on which campaign they’re supporting is brilliant. Lets people feel even more like they’re part of the process. Good going, BAAA! (You’re right, Moggie — that is a somewhat unfortunate acronym.)
The amazing thing is that I’m a brazilian (and an atheist as well), and I first heard of this campaign here. At least I live in Jundiaí, which is right next to São Paulo, so maybe I’ll see an atheist bus too :)
Ah, another reason to visit Brasil.
Great bikini cuts, legendary waxing, and now freethought.
All equally arousing.
How’s the beer?
Bem feito!
(PZ and I are both using Portuguese in our posts this week.)
Generate your own atheist bus sign here:
http://www.reddit.com/goto?id=7tkcj
I think that one is profound. I will adopt it as my own motto.
I prefer to think of it as borrowing, but there are a few ads in the list I’d like to see running around the Texas streets.
Who cares about now PZ? I want to know what the buses were like 9 years ago.
I think that one is profound. I will adopt it as my own motto.
Well, Brazil did breed bands like Sepultura and Sarcofago who weren’t especially Jesus lovers. (Particularly the latter.)
Ótimo!
Oh, I mean, Great!
I’m from Brazil and I’ve NEVER expected that this campaign would be here someday.
Brazil is incredibly religious, but I would never say it is catholic. It’s somewhat like the roman-kind of polytheism, in which gods from other cultures (especially from different African cultures) are worshiped by people who call themselves Catholics. I honestly don’t know what’s worst.
#30, the beer is very good, but try our traditional drink: cachaça.
Could one run these ads in Pakistan? (Or Texas for that matter?) They’re probably illegal in places like that.
@Italo
I wouldn’t be so sure about that, here in Rio de Janeiro we had a dynasty of “Garotinhos” as our governor for years and years. They are as fundamentalist as any crazy new born and they attempted to introduce creationism in our schools, attempted to create “gay cure centers” and other things.
This is without counting on “vegans” wanting to pass laws that would make medical research impossible in the state. We do have our share of crazies here, they just don’t have as much money and power as the Americans.
I’m Brazilian and I’m not surprised at all. The numbers on religiosity in the population are misleading, because, as other people have pointed out, there is a long history of syncretism with African and native deities here, so Brazilian catholicism has always been very loose. It does have some political influence, which is something we need to work on, of course, but on the other hand it’s the lack of fundamentalist loonies that makes Brazilian atheists less vocal.
Sorry about the double post…
Victor @ 40
The “Garotinho dynasty” was fad. It’s over. We almost elected a very groovy mayor last year, if you remember. :-P And they failed in their attempts to import creationism and “gay cure” because people took action.
Of course we have our share of crazies here. The new age-y thing is widespread, and there are evangelical churches exploiting the poor. I just think our situation is not as bad as one might think when informed only by preconceptions of South American religiosity. We’re just generally way too laid-back for that kind of devoutness.
Or maybe being a middle-class inhabitant of a big city, I’m overly optimistic, I dunno…
I feel compelled to comment, if only to raise my total — there seems to be a two-fer on today!
I really like #3 and #6. #8 and #9 are good, too. I actually dislike #4, it’s an appeal to authority fallacy. Angelina Jolie’s an atheist? I guess I should be one, too! Jenny McCarthy’s a health epidemic? I guess I should be… waitasec!
I like this one best:
Wow…I like all of these better than the British ad (though I’m still happy that those ads are roaming about in England). I’m especially a fan of “I do not need a god to be good. And you?” Though now that I think about it more, that one might come off as a bit smug. So maybe it’s not the best choice, but I like it, anyway.
Please, when that posting error page pops up, read it carefully. It specifically says do not resubmit. Hit your back button and refresh the page. More than likely your comment will be posted.
@47
I don’t know about the others, but I did not get an error page. The thing just froze and I refreshed it. Have learned my lesson on that one now…
Maarten @ 23:
Resurrection? You mean it’s true? !!!!
They’re planning on running those ads here in the Netherlands as well, though I don’t know if it’ll be on buses because apparently it’s not permitted to display religious or political messages on public transportation vehicles. I guess it’s just going to be a billboard or something. The Christian political parties are going crazy over it, saying it’s “provoking” religious people. Funnily enough nobody complains about those billboards that say that Jesus is the light that will save you.
Because it’s Darwin year, a Christian organisation is going to deliver anti-evolution pamphlets to everyone. Another organisation was also planning to mail everyone plastic fetuses, to show the “evilness” of abortion, but I don’t know if they’re still going to do that.
3 and 6 are part of things which I say quite a lot. So, naturally, those are my preferences from the collection.
8 is more suitable as part of a longer argument. It’s not really snappy enough for a slogan.
Having been to brazil I am not too suprised. As others have mentioned the religious percentages are very misleading and people tend to conglomerate religions.
As for the beer, I’d rate it a 3 on the scale of world beer locations. Better than Asia, far worse than Europe. Now the cachaça and resulting caipirinia’s…second to none when imbibed inareas frequented by the already mentioned skimpy Bikini’s!
I have to admit, I was starting to doubt the validity of my atheism until I found out in this post that Walmor Chagas is an atheist. I mean, come on–Walmor Chagas!
Problems currently faced by brazilian atheists:
– Evangelical/Christian lobby in the public administration.
– Creationist undergraduate courses being shoved into non-public universities.
– Attempts by the Pope to undermine our constitutional separation between church and state.
– The media happily ignores anything remotely skeptical about religion.
– NOMA scientists (they can be quite a setback, but not so big a problem).
– Fallacious attacks on Dawkins, Hitchens and Dennett coming from eminent people.
And of course, the all too commonplace condescending attitude towards religion as if it were a cute thing to have.
As a native born Brasileiro, São Paulo Capital and a long time atheist, this makes me really happy.
However as Gringo with native cultural and linguistic fluency in American English, I cringe when I see this:
Cês tão gozando da minha cara né!?
I happen to have a personal problem with copying and pasting of idiomatic expressions from one culture into another. They just don’t fucking work. Please don’t do it.
I think they do more harm than good.
Obrigado!
I have to admit those slogans are pretty good. The B.H.A. one never struck me as particularly spectacular, maybe the Brazilians can teach them a thing or two.
Problems currently faced by brazilian atheists:
– Evangelical/Christian lobby in the public administration.
– Creationist undergraduate courses being shoved into non-public universities.
– Attempts by the Pope to undermine our constitutional separation between church and state.
– The media happily ignores anything remotely skeptical about religion.
– NOMA scientists (they can be quite a setback, but not so big a problem).
– Fallacious attacks on Dawkins, Hitchens and Dennett coming from eminent people.
And of course, the all too commonplace condescending attitude towards religion as if it were a cute thing to have.
The best thing about #7 is by the time you realize it’s an atheist message, your mind has already registered the whole thing. I also like the simple, thought provoking messages of #6 and #9
Another Brazilian atheist here!
I just made a donation to #6. Have you already, my fellow Brazilians? Let’s make this happen!
Well, almost everybody here believes in god, but most people are very laid back about religion. Indeed, there is a lot of mixing of all religions. For example, see all those tons of flowers on the beach after new year’s eve? They are for Yemanja, goddess of the sea. Who put them there? Christians!
We are a crazy country!
But this is very good, in my opinion. This mixing of religions, races and all has led to a very tolerant society. It’s easy to be an atheist here (especially in the upper classes).
The “gay cure” talk is typical of the evangelicals, but not really representative of the society as a hole. Sao Paulo, for example, holds the largest gay parade in the world, with about 3.5 million people (yes, you read that right!)
Fernando Magyar: Perhaps in general you have a point about needless literal translations of terms, but I do have to say the English language would be enhanced by the phrase “gay universe”. É girissima, pá.
Re: @3
Yes, catholicism is a problem in South America.
The catholic church made tv ads against Evo Morales in Bolivia in the recent referendum. Regardless of which way you feel about Morales, it’s still reprehensible that they use arguments like ‘this candidate is against Jesus’ to influence on voters.
The same church threatened catholic legislators in my country (Uruguay) with excomulgation if they voted yes on a ‘reproductive health bill’ a couple of months ago. One or two legislators backed off after the threat. This bill included the possibility of abortion, before week 12 of pregnancy, under certain circumstances.
Still, catholicism isn’t the only problem here. Since the regional financial crisis of 2002-3, evangelical churches have been pouring out on every block. I take it the u.s. will have a similar problem, judging by the people who prayed on the bull in wall street…
And finally, we have our own home grown umbanda (which we share with Brazil), a mix of christian an african stuff that involves magic and anything you can imagine. It’s the rage on 0-900 phone numbers, wanna know why your stomach aches? Don’t call a doctor! call one of this numbers, and someone will read you your fortune.
Yeah, South America is really behind.
Still, cheers to Brazil for this. Sao Paulo is like, light years ahead of the rest in many things so this doesn’t really surprise me that much.
@ SASnSA #58:
7 isn’t exactly an atheistic message. Lots of religions don’t include a hell. It’s merely that you’re most accustomed (I suspect) to one which does. One variant of that religion even has its hell being living on Earth.
I’m more worried about pseudoscience in Brazil than religion. When your country uses tax payer money to finance homeopathy and other similar junk, you know something is seriously wrong.
But this campaign is more than welcome over here. And the slogans are great! I’d love to see how our pathetically biased media would react to this.
Re: @59 (Andre)
My country was like that when I was a kid. Most people would have answered either ‘christian’ or ‘catholic’ in a census, but only went to church when someone was born (or, better put, baptized), married or died.
Now I see things a little darker, but maybe it’s just me :)
However, in some regards we’re better than many countries. I really couldn’t stand all the religious content at Obama’s inauguration. Our national ceremonies are 100% secular since 1923 or so.
I am a member of Atea, I am happy with the start of the season in Brazil and I believe the future is promising for association.
I also believe we have much resistance, since the country has a population composed mostly by teístas, particularly Catholics, but the achievement would not have the same taste if it were so easy.
#64
Yes Lucas, pseudoscience is growing a lot lately. I’m a pharmaceutical sciences student at the São Paulo University (who should be the best Univ. around here), and a professor defended homeopathic drugs using stupid reasoning and even mentioning that “positive energy” hocus pocus (of course she does not teach anything closely related to pharmaceutical sciences, but still, she said that in the middle of a fu**ing class!). Common, she should be giving an example!
Matt @60,
LOL! Point taken.
Just for the record I have no problem with cross cultural and linguistic pollination and the fruits born thereof. What I object to is the crude attempt at in vitro fertilization of completely non compatible and separately evolved cultural memes.
To me its a bit like the linguistic equivalent of taking some Lux genes and applying them to the purpose of making bioluminescent anal orifices in Sus scrofa domestica, Its something the I don’t find particularly appealing or useful.
Well I don’t know, maybe there are some out there who would think that’s fine, if so more power to them.
Indonesia really needs this campaign. There, only the religious need apply.
maarten streetwise @ # 23: … they will deliver the pamphlets to all households in the Netherlands, unless you’ve been able to acquire a sticker on your front door that unequivocally states you don’t want to receive the pro-Creation pamphlet. … the ‘stickers’ have long been sold out…
Is there a law or strong custom in the Netherlands that disallows home-made signs to the effect that, “Pushy creationists will be hurled from a high window into a frozen canal!”?
@Azdak, 44
I don’t think it is an appeal to authority at all; I think it is showing that atheism is a normal thing; plenty of people are atheists. It goes along with the whole idea of the campaign, trying to get rid of the image of atheists as evil bogeymen, and replacing it with the image of atheists as normal people.
Born and raised in Catholic Ireland and now living in Australia, a country which is light-years away from electing a non-Christian Prime Minister, I’m currently visiting Rio and overwhelmed by the visible religiosity here, particularly Christian.
Perhaps the Christo statue iconography is more a statement of denizenship for the proud Cariocas (Rio residents) but he’s everywhere, as are the evangelical outlets and their massive merchandising arms.
This city would certainly benefit from conversations generated by these declarations of godlessness.
Anyone know if the campaign is heading to Rio?
Maarten Streetwise @ 23, who was selling the stickers? Where did the profits from this go? To creationists? Una
How about, “We push every third creationist into a canal. The second one just left”?
If you want to know whether rationality or religion holds sway, see whether abortion is legal or whether religion is still killing women.
I’m a member of ATEA (www.atea.org.br), and as there are several Brazilians posting comments here, I’d like to invite them to join us in this campaign. We need money, of course, but also ideas to help us with the details, so this campaign can be launched.
The phrases are still in the process of choice. We are discussing in our Forum which of them would be more suitable, given the cultural aspects of our people. For exemple the majority of Brazilians are catholics, but dont’t follow the dogmas of the Church prety well. We have a growing number of protestants, and syncrtism with african cults is also significant.
All this makes the Brazilians a very tolerant with different religions (“All these ways lead to God!”), but with a lot of prejudice against atheists and agnostics (“With so many religions out there, how can someone possibly don’t believe in anything?”). We are aiming to address such a prejudice in the first campaign.
Or, “Creationists will be thrown from a high window into the canal. However, I have bad aim but am persistent, so by the time I actually manage to toss you into the canal, it may no longer be frozen.”
I’d suggest that for any other group which wants to borrow some of those slogans—and there are some quite good ones where, worthy of “stealing”—that they at least make a donation to BAAA (yes, I know that’s not the real acronym, it’s just a bit funny, Ok?).
I really like #9.
#3 – “Você precisa de um deus para ser bom? Nós não.
Should be translated “Do you need a god to be good? We don’t.”
I am brazilian and I always hoped atheism would get some space in our media. Here I find this great surpise! I’ll definetely join ATEA…. =D
Quanto brasileiro aqui!! I was so surprised to see a title in Portuguese! It’s very nice to read something to make you proud of your country. I love all the slogans, but I have a concern: in São Paulo there are laws restricting the size and quantity of visual media around the city. The last few times I was in my native Sampa I didn’t see any bus ads. So where would these slogans go? It would be great to have them near those incomprehensible Evangelical billboards on Marginal Tietê, like “Televisão a imagem da besta”. It would also be great to see them near that huge Igreja Universal near Radial Leste!!
Una @ 72. A couple of students were selling the stickers but as said they’ve since sold out and there isn’t time to print more.
http://www.neecreationisme-jadarwin.nl/
I´m from Colombia and Im happy to see the first seed of the atheist campaign blooming here in Latin America, Congratulations to the Brazilian atheists. I wish that Colombian atheists follow the example and soon be riding that bus.
I’m portuguese and number two should translate to:
Do you need a god to be good? we don’t.
It’s much more powerful this way.
For those commenting on the perceived weakness of the UK bus message (which I originally thought as well until I understood the reason, apart from it being the UK where most frown on anything that night be perceived as smug certainty, pro or anti theism :) ) a couple of things need to be understood. One, we have an advertising standards agency (ASA) that vets ads and frowns on anything stated with certainty that can’t be proven, thus the use of ‘probably’. Much like the beer ad that says ‘probably the best’. Two, it was meant as a counter to a particular xian cult ad campaign that at the supplied url basically said ‘believe in our cult or burn in hell’. Thus, unlike most of the other atheist/humanist ad campaigns I have read about, this was not simply a general humanist/atheist ad. Though AIUI the next slew of ads will use ‘stronger’ language.
aith does not give answers. It only prevents questioning