Atheist Bus ads rejected in New Zealand
A group of atheists says it faced discrimination when a bus company rejected its advertisements and is now considering legal action.
The bus advert, which reads: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life,” has been used worldwide but was dismissed by bus companies in New Zealand as too divisive.
It was to run on at least 24 buses in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. But NZ Bus rejected the advertisements after staff and the public expressed “distaste and distress” at the campaign.
New Zealand Atheist Bus Campaign spokesman Simon Fisher said the move was discriminatory. “In a way, the rejection by NZ Bus has shown why this campaign is needed in the first place.
“The message of atheism is not accepted in the public, showing the double standard between religious and non-religious messages,” he said.
