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Humanist poster stirs up religious storm

By Lesley-Anne Henry
Thursday, 19 November 2009

A passer-by walks past the giant humanist poster in Belfast city centre yesterday

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The war of words between atheists and religious believers has entered a new chapter with the launch of Northern Ireland’s first ever humanist advertising campaign.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) yesterday unveiled a billboard with the slogan “Please Don't Label Me. Let Me Grow Up And Choose For Myself” on one Belfast’s busiest routes.

It’s a follow-up to its atheist buses campaign that ran earlier this year in parts of the UK.

The giant poster, at the junction of Great Victoria Street and Bruce Street, shows a photograph of a young girl against the backdrop of “shadowy” descriptions such as Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu or Sikh.

Organisers said the descriptions were mixed in with other labels that people would “never apply” to young children like Marxist, anarchist, socialist, libertarian or humanist. They argue that children should be given the freedom to decide for themselves which, if any, ideology they follow.

However, religious leaders across Northern Ireland have hit out at the BHA, accusing the organisation of arrogance and hypocrisy.

Reverend David McIlveen from the Free Presbyterian Church said: “It is none of their business how people bring up their children. It is the height of arrogance that the BHA would even assume to tell people not to instruct their children in the religion.

“I would totally reject the advertisement. It is reprehensible and so typical of the hypocrisy of the British Humanist Association today. They have a defeatist attitude and are just trying to draw attention to themselves. I think it is totally arrogant, presumptuous and sparks of total hypocrisy. I believe this doesn’t deserve a counter campaign. I will be expressing my public position on it in my own church on Sunday. I will be saying that this advert is another attack on the Biblical position of the family and will be totally rejecting it.

“It is a wasted campaign that will have no impact on family life in Northern Ireland.”

Father-of-four Sheikh Anwar Mady from the Belfast Islamic Centre added: “We believe that every child is born as a Muslim. Religion is not given by the family, but it is a natural religion given by our God at birth. The role of the family is to teach the traditions of the faith. But that faith is implanted at birth.”

The BHA said the billboards were being unveiled to coincide with Universal Children's Day on Friday.

Atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins, BHA vice president, said: “Nobody would seriously describe a tiny child as a “Marxist child”, an “anarchist child” or a “post-modernist child”.

“Yet children are routinely labelled with the religion of their parents. We need to encourage people to think carefully before labelling any child too young to know their own opinions and our adverts will help to do that.”

Dean of Belfast Dr Houston McElvey said the humanist poster would have little impact on Christian believers.

“I am glad to live in a society where people have the right to express their point of view on a God in which I believe doesn’t need defending,” he said.

Fr Gary Donegan, from Holy Cross in north Belfast, said he hoped the campaign would open up debate on religious issues.

“One positive thing that could come from this is if it opens a debate on faith. I am not offended by it, but perhaps the money used for it could have been channelled better into a humanitarian cause.”

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96 Comments

'Please don't label me' - a very simple, reasonable message. And then the Pulpit Pushing Parasites are up in arms, condemning such devilish words. They are history, their time is done, factual evidence discovered every day condemns them and their fairy tales to the dustbin of ridiculous bronze age tribal tales.

Posted by Anyonebutunited | 21.11.09, 09:39 GMT

Conor, you just dismissed my entire argument with ad hominem attacks. If you want to gain support for your misguided and incoherent beliefs try articulating your points a little better - actually making a point would be a good start.

John, excuse me for appearing bad mannered to you. Whilst I am an avid supporter of free speech, including that of religious leaders, I believe that harmful speech should receive heavy criticism. If the pope persists in his criticism of condoms I honestly believe he is endangering peoples' lives which I find quite baffling and outright disgusting. So excuse me if my criticism of his orders appears to seem bad manners to you.

Posted by Aaron | 21.11.09, 01:47 GMT

How funny religious people crying about arrogance, presumptuous and sparks of total hypocrisy.
nearly every religion is soaked in the blood of its victims
GOD itself should manifest to all humanity and begs it forgiveness for the death cause by its followers

Posted by Austin Rozzell | 21.11.09, 00:16 GMT

This is another pitiful attempt by the BHA to put forward what they consider to be a rebuttal to people who hold religious beliefs. The BHA's last campaign on buses was deliberately designed to whip up controversy. Clearly we aren't talking about the BHA enough so here they are back with the same old tired twaddle. This lkike the last campaign is an unspohisticated message which simply manages to offend a very great number of people. Frankly in advertising terms that is a PR disaster. Personally I am quite happy to watch the BHA waste their money on such nonsense. Thankfully most right thinking peole will have forgotten about it very quickly. If you give your money to the BHA to fund this type of thing try throwing it on the fire next time it will make as much as difference.

Posted by Ivan | 21.11.09, 00:15 GMT

Stand up and be counted - don't hide behind a promise of eternal life.

Only in NI so you get so many responses to such a campaign.

Wake up - YOU have been indoctinated from birth. That doesn't mean you must indoctrinate your own children.

What would Jesus say?

I'm guessing but I think he'd say: 'Free them from religious tyranny - allow them to be children'.

Posted by GMan | 20.11.09, 16:37 GMT

Conor your arrogance is astounding. You really do love this phrase 'New Atheists' dont you, you continually use it. Its almost like you are trying to say that atheism is just a phase and there is no history to it, therefore it is of no value and can be dismissed with your (unchristian) snipes at the people who subscribe to it. As far back as Socrates there were unbelievers who had intellect behind their reasoning (Socrates himself) your constant dismissal of these type of people really smells of desparation. Why do you constantly cling to dogma that anyone who can think for themselves will rightly dismiss as irrational? Can you think for yourself or are you afraid to because you have been indoctrinated not to question what you have been told about the sky daddy?

Posted by In The Name Of The Fada | 20.11.09, 16:26 GMT

I was raised a Catholic and am now an Atheist. I will raise my daughter to read all she can and make a decision on her own at an age when she is capable of making this. I for a long time held my atheist beliefs to myself however i am becoming more militant and angry with each passing day. I cannot walk in Belfast without hearing someone "preaching" about my damnation! I live with my partner and we have a daughter, we are not married. I work hard to provide for my family, i have a drink at the weekend sometime i may go crazy and have a pint watching football during the week. Because of this these Free Preps would have me believe i will burn in hell!! Let he without sin cast the first stone, ill think you will find your God does not approve of man judjing man!!

Posted by Zoso | 20.11.09, 15:28 GMT

If Fr Gary Donegan thinks humanists aren't doing enough for humanitarian causes he should look at the record of the Atheist Team on Kiva.

Posted by quedula | 20.11.09, 15:22 GMT

John O'brien, You ask what privileges the Catholic Church has in schools? How can any clear thinking adult ask such a question? Unbelieveable!

Posted by Ruth Wilson | 20.11.09, 14:46 GMT

Not really sure what all the fuss is about. As a Christian, if I had children I would take them to church, in the same way an atheist parent would choose not to. Hearing what a particular religion says and mixing with those that believe it does not in any way 'brainwash' kids. My experience is that many of those brought up in nominal Christian homes do not in fact 'believe' as adults. Personally I was not brought up in a Christian home and rarely attended church, but became a Christian as an adult. Go figure!

Posted by Peter Culbert | 20.11.09, 13:49 GMT

"I find the church's accusation of hypocracy and arrogance both arrogant and hypocritical."

I do also.

Perhaps the religious of mind could lead by example, and stop promoting their views on bill boards, buses etc, and please stop handing out those tracts that end up littering the streets.

Posted by S Spook | 20.11.09, 11:35 GMT

I wonder did the children used in this advertisement give their free and informed consent for their images to be used in the promotion of an atheist agenda. And isn't it somewhat ironic to use an advertising campaign to promote free thought? This campaign represents the naive idealism of the sixth form coupled with the insidious motivation of 'new atheism'. Despite the protestations of Dawkins and others that this is simply about removing labels (labels which almost no one uses in everyday life) it is about removing or restricting the rights of parents, specifically religious parents, to bring their children up with the beliefs and values that they hold dear. One only has to pay attention to the writings and pronouncements of the leading lights of the new atheist movement, Dawkins, Harris, Dennet, Hitchins, PZ Meyers, Jerry Coyne, Peter Singer et al to recognise that the only free thought they are interested in is materialist, reductionist atheism.

Posted by Shug | 20.11.09, 10:56 GMT

'The giant poster, at the junction of Great Victoria Street and Bruce Street, shows a photograph of a young girl against the backdrop of “shadowy” descriptions such as Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu or Sikh. '

The writer failed to mention that 'atheist' is also included in the centre of the poster as something you shouldn't label a child as. This would have helped to address the claims of hypocrisy towards the BHA by the religious leaders.

Anyway, why is this even news? Religious advertising here is far more prominent and strident than that carried out by the humanists. E.g., Free Presbyterians screaming we are going to go to hell at lunch time outside the City Hall; numerous religious posters on buses and billboards for the Alpha course (and others) pointing out that our lives have no meaning without Christ; people knocking at my door asking me to join the local church and so on.

Will the BT write a story about religious prosletyising I wonder?

Posted by Daniel | 20.11.09, 10:31 GMT

"Nobody would label a child a Communist". Funny, I thought the USSR, like Nazi Germany, was heavily in to its "youth groups". But then, what happened to the humanist USSR?

Posted by Av | 20.11.09, 09:03 GMT

"It is none of their business how people bring up their children."
Is McIlveen deliberately obtuse, or just stupid? As has been made repeatedly clear, this is nothing to do with how children are RAISED; it is about how children arfe LABELLED. Huge difference.
Opponents of the campaign are clearly not very bright...

Posted by Kimpatsu | 20.11.09, 01:53 GMT

Parents have no right to force anything upon their children especially religion.

I do love how some religious people here wish to limit free speech and expression. How very telling and a perfect example of the hypocrisy that has been endemic in religion since it was created.

The increasingly secular nature of the UK is to be welcome and it's long overdue. NO ONE has said religion should be banned or limited, but they should not not be entitled to any special treatment and that includes carte blance on brainwashing children that have not yet attained the intellectual ability to decide for themselves.

Posted by Michael | 20.11.09, 01:48 GMT

Excellent, its time that society takes a stand to religious myths. Children may not want to remain in the belief system their parents have anyway. From comment here you can see already that the religious think it is their god who is the real one.. with out any evidence at all. Any rational adult who really conciders these myths can easlly see the flaws, but if you scare them young enough it sticks. Religion .. a business for two thousand years and still waiting to see a prophet

Posted by Richard | 20.11.09, 00:52 GMT

Conors ignorance is only surpassed by his arrogance. Humans, or any other form of life, do not need a god of any kind to exist or revel in that existence. if you require a creator or divine myth to justify your existence Conor, then you are deserving of pity, for if your worth is dependent on some other, you alone are worthless. I find that rather sad. Now lighten up and get a life in this world!

Posted by Malachy Mulligan | 20.11.09, 00:23 GMT

"save the children" yippee! no more perverted priests?????no more debate needed.
when i die my god will judge me. i know i wont make "main street" in my gods heaven. the suburbs will do just fine.....a true agnostic.

Posted by billy | 20.11.09, 00:01 GMT

I find the comment by Sheikh Anwar Mady very disturbing, and it is also obvious that our children are indoctrinated in schools through RE lessons, religous assemblies in which pupils are led in prayer and to which the pupils respond unaminously Amen as required, Gideons issuing testaments. and parents giving out religous tracts. Pupils can opt out of the religious aspects of school education, but many are still indoctrinated at home. Its definitely time to let our children make up their own minds.

Posted by Hetero | 19.11.09, 22:40 GMT