Atheist Bus Campaign determined to roll on despite set back
23.02.10 | simon | 
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Example ad image from the UK Campaign (thanks Jon Worth)
The NZ Atheist Bus Campaign, which late last year raised in excess of $20,000 from public donations, has met a set back in their plans. Nationwide bus company NZ Bus, who had tentatively approved the campaign’s ads on buses in major city centres, have now rejected them.
NZ Bus stated that they have received a number of complaints from the public about the proposed ads, which read “There’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
Spokesperson for the Atheist Bus Campaign Simon Fisher says “It’s concerning that peaceful atheist messages are not allowed on buses while religious messages are often seen on buses and in public. Messages of atheism are rare in New Zealand and we aim to raise awareness for the one-third of New Zealanders who are unconvinced by the claims of religion.”
Organisers of the Campaign tried to reach a resolution with NZ Bus, and later attempted mediation sessions through the Human Rights Commission. NZ Bus refused to participate in these mediation sessions. Because they are refusing to discuss the matter and reach an agreement, the organisers of the Campaign are now investigating the possibility of taking this case to the Human Rights Review Tribunal.
Simon Fisher says “we’re disappointed at the response from NZ Bus and plan to look at options going forward. We owe it to the thousands of Kiwis who have supported this campaign with donations and messages of support.”
Advertisements with identical wording ran in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Spain. Similar campaigns also ran successfully in Croatia, Finland, Holland, Italy, America and across the Tasman in Australia.
“We are gravely concerned that in New Zealand we’re unable to present an atheistic message, showing that we do not have the same practical freedom of expression as in other first world countries. It highlights why this campaign is so necessary.” said spokesperson Simon Fisher.
The Campaign will continue to accept donations for advertising, see http://www.nogod.org.nz for further details.
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:43 am
I really thought NZ was better than this. If there’s one thing this campaign has achieved already, it’s to show that even in a country that appears free-thinking on the surface, there is a strong undercurrent of closed-minded hypocrisy.
Keep up the good work, but if it really doesn’t work out feel free to use my donation to buy yourselves a beer. You’ve earned it.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:04 am
I’ve just emailed NZ Bus at info {at} nzbus.co(.)nz to let them know how unimpressed I am and how I will not be using their services until they’ve had a rethink.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:11 am
That stinks. How do I, as an atheist, object preemptively to any and all religious advertising on busses from now on?
Might be worth a lot of people writing letters / emails to the human rights comissioner, and NZBus
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:27 am
Its a sad indication that our society is still stricken by pre-renaissance ideals.
The Atheist Bus Campaign has reason on its side, and I’m sure other avenues of promotion will present themselves. Bumper stickers are effective.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:49 am
[...] did in the UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Croatia, Finland, Holland, Italy, America and Australia – will not be able to run their adverts here. NZ Bus said they had "received a number of complaints from the public" and would not be running [...]
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:56 am
Look at it as an opportunity to get more advertising of the issue. You should be able to get a news story on NZ Bus refusing to run the ads.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:59 am
That really sucks. Hopefully NZ Bus will change their decision to run the ad even if we have to convince them.
I’d expect you are also contacting more mainstream media outlets with examples of religious ads NZ Bus have run in the past. As well as showing them to NZ Bus.
And for everyone else. Please do not rage against NZ Bus poorly. If you’re going to contact them be polite and clear. Leave the insults at home as they would only give ammo to those that have convinced NZ Bus to not run the ads.
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:18 am
What’s an email address that we can send to?
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:42 am
Just emailed nzbuses as well. Remember the mockery that was made at the last census with the whole Jedi religion???
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:07 am
Judi posted NZBus’ email earlier. I’ll put it here again.
http://nzbus.co.nz/contact-us.php
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:09 am
Hmmmmm… That doesn’t look very email like.
Oh, right. That’s the page with all their contact details. Email, phone, snail mail, etc. Whoops.
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:09 am
Just sent them an email too (info [at] nzbus.co.nz), if they’re so easily swayed by public pressure, then hopefully that will swing both ways.
I would encourage everyone to email them – regardless of beliefs – as banning a non-malicious advertisement belonging to a minority group because of pressure from a majority group is (in my eyes) suppression of free speech.
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:23 am
I’ve emailed them, cheeky buggers…..I don’t use the bus but have told them I will definatly now not use the bus ever
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:39 am
I sent them an email too.. as follows:
“I’m very disappointed with your decision against the Atheist Bus Campaign.
You’ve shown religious messages on buses many times (even bus adverts
with quotes from the pope about hell!) but it seems that the 1/3rd of
non-religious people don’t get the same option.
That you wouldn’t even go into the HR tribunal to try and reach some
kind of agreement or compromise is perhaps the most showing part of
this.
Pathetic.”
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Open Letter to NZ Bus
“Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing with concern at the NZ Bus decision to not allow the ‘Atheist Bus Campaign’ to run their advertisements.
I suggest that NZ Bus reverse this decision to avoid unwanted public humiliation. In 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, she did so to fight against the despicable discrimination of the time.
In 2010, non-believers and believers alike will fight for their right to advertise their legitimate views on a bus without discrimination.
Today’s advertising is littered with sexual connotations which many view as offence yet NZ Bus believes it has the moral high ground to decide that a slogan expressing a probable fact crosses the line.
With all the public subsidies received by NZ Bus, the least one could expect would be impartial treatment.
I regularly use NZ Bus services however I will be suspending this until the ‘Atheist Bus Campaign’ is given at least a fair go.”
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:42 pm
I’ve just e-mailed them also. Idiot/Savant of No Right Turn raises some good points about how this decision is actually illegal; http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2010/02/silencing-atheist-bus-campaign.html
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Sent To: info {at} nzbus.co(.)nz
Hello
My name is Daniel Schealler. I’m a software developer and a citizen of New Zealand. I also happen to be an atheist.
I’ve recently become aware of the news that NZBus has rejected the advertisements from the Atheist Bus campaign due to complaints from the public.
http://www.nogod.org.nz/2010/02/atheist-bus-campaign-determined-to-roll-on-despite-set-back/
Well, I’m a member of the public too. I’d like to complain.
The decision of NZBus to decline the Atheist Bus campaign is very, very disappointing and utterly unfair. Grass roots organizations drum up investment capital for advertising campaigns all the time. The Atheist Bus campaign in NZ is no different to any other.
Clearly as a private company, NZBus can choose what clients to take and which to reject. But the Atheist Bus project was tentatively accepted in the past. The only reason for rejection has been dissent from a vocal minority that object to the message of the campaign.
The fact that the campaign has been dropped, and the manner in which it has been dropped, reveal exactly the dominant attitudes in our society that the campaign itself is attempting to address. I always considered that culturally, New Zealand was just too sane for something like this to happen. It’s the sort of thing I always associated with wacky Americans, not us down-to-earth Kiwis. Until now.
New Zealand has a large and growing population of atheists. We matter, and we deserve to have our message heard and to engage with our country and our culture as much as the any other sub-set of the population.
Unfortunately, there is a significant population in New Zealand that is opposed to us and for some reason seems to actively fear and resent our message. They do not engage with us publicly in the free marketplace of ideas and public discourse – and it is this lack that we are attempting to address.
As any atheist will tell you, we value disagreement and argument and critical thinking – there is no desire to silence someone that we disagree with. If there is a population within New Zealand that objects to the message, then let them say so! We want them to engage in public discourse on the topic of religion and atheism in our culture. That’s more than half point of the campaign we’re trying to have in the first place.
But instead, those we want to engage with have chosen to dismissively silence us rather than engage with us if fair discourse. The insidious thing is about it all is that it has worked. That there are such forces in play within our culture is worrying enough and deserving of action. That a major advertiser like NZBus has allowed itself to become the device of this force is worrying.
I would never object to a religious organization paying for a bus advertisement, and I would be first in line to defend any organization, either secular or religious, that was denied service in the manner that we have been denied. How unfortunate that there is a vocal subset of religious New Zealanders that cannot extend us atheists the same polite courtesy of allowing us to have our say.
And how dissapointing and unfair that the NZBus brand has allowed itself to become the implement of petty small-mindedness.
Thank you for the time you have spent reading this.
Sincerely,
Daniel Schealler
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Good on NZ Bus for refusing to display such a comment as it is way easier to prove that God actually exist than not. Scientifically proven. Seek and you will find, ask and you will receive if you are really searching for the truth. Thank you and I sincerely hope that you do find what you are really searching for. Thank you. Lenard.
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:06 pm
I have also emailed them and told them how pathetic they are. Personally I’m more agnostic than atheist, but it is about the freedom to post peaceful message regardless of religion
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Interesting choice of target countries for these ads. Try doing something similar with allah in Saudi Arabia. Make sure you post the results to Youtube – should be a good laugh
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Well that’s excellent news Lenard! If it’s “way easier to prove that God actually exist than not” then I eagerly await said scientific proof.
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:23 pm
From the front page of NZbus.co.nz
If you have a media enquiry, please contact
Siobhan O’Donovan, Communications Manager on 021 840 839.
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:16 pm
hey people,
someone must know someone who knows someone and what has probably happened is that someone has made a threat of some sort that would affect nz bus’ business, e.g. “put up those banners and we will…”. Just another case of someone pushing their belief or religion onto others, like family first, the sensible sentencing trust , or in the case some faceless religious zealot who doesn’t like someone disagreeing with them. but yeah, give nzbus helll ! (if there is one..)
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Note to all: Please don’t feed the troll.
This site may be getting a lot of hits in the near future. I’d rather it if we didn’t wind up with a blog filled with internet rants for the media to cherry pick.
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Yet you can run a nationwide raffle to raise millions to build a new church and get free tv advertising. Pathetic. How are these ads any less offensive than Tui ads? What an insult to our intelligence. Take it to the Human Rights Tribunal – all the way!
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Dear Sir/Madam,
As an Auckland ratepayer, a direct customer of your buses in Auckland and as one of the individuals who contributed to the fundraising campaign, I express my concern that NZBus has decided not to run the ‘Atheist Bus Campaign’ advertisements.
I ask you to explain the grounds for refusing to run the advertising. If your refusal is based on religious discrimination, I remind you of your obligations under the Human Rights Act to disregard religion, or it’s absence, as a basis for discrimination in the provision of goods and services.
If the ads are not allowed to run on the basis of religious discrimination, then I have asked the holders of the funds to direct my contribution toward whatever legal proceedings are required to see this concluded satisfactorily.
Sincerely,
Hamish Campbell
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Dear Sir/Madam,
As a contributor to the NZ Atheist Bus Campaign, I would ask you to please advise on what grounds was it decided to not run this campaign.
Please be reminded that forward thinking societies embrace public discourse, as it encourages critical thinking.
By not running those Ads, you are guilty of discrimination, and are directly oppressing our basic human right to freedom of expression.
Liberty is a precious thing which needs to be protected, and respected.
As Voltaire said “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Let reason, liberty, equality and fairness prevail by running those Ads.
Yours sincerely,
Shama Sukul Lee
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:44 pm
To Whom It May Concern
I was appalled to see today that you have refused to accept paid advertising from this campaign. I should like to officially complain in advance of any advertising campaign planned for the future on the grounds that I personally don’t think other people should be exposed to the ideas contained within them.
I would ask to be consulted before any future bus advertising to ensure no conflicting ideas are presented, and would caution that not heeding this warning could cost your company significantly as I represent a significant bus-using sector of the population
Thank you for your time
Regards
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:37 pm
I saw this on Twitter and on TV3 10:30pm news. I just emailed nzbus.
I’m am contacting you to express my extreme disappointment that NZ Bus has reportedly refused to carry advertisements for the Athiest Bus Campaign (http://www.nogod.org.nz/).
I have several questions for you:
- why is there not a statement regarding this decision on your website?
- what specific criteria did you use to refuse this campaign?
- what criteria do you apply to religious campaigns?
- this campaign has run in numerous countries around the world – why do you think it is inappropriate in New Zealand?
- is there are reason why I should not campaign for public subsidies to be withdrawn from NZ Bus when it apparently is unwilling to support a significant part of the community, and in apparent contravention of the NZ Human Rights Act?
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0082/latest/DLM304475.html#DLM304475
Thank you in advance for your response.
I say spend the money on other companies, and taking NZ Bus to court re the Human Rights Act.
Oh, and I donated another $20 to your cause.
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:44 pm
The last two sentences in my message above weren’t sent to NZ Bus but were meant for this website. How about some of the money going into small stickers or cards that anyone can leave on an NZ Bus anytime? Let’s see them stop that…