THE news has already permeated this blog – via comments under the previous post – that a Christian bus driver in Southampton is refusing to drive buses bearing the Atheist Bus Campaign slogan.
But so far no-one has posed this question:Â In what sort of bubble of ignorance does bus driver Ron Heather live his life?
Ron Heather: what planet is this man on?
The slogan has received world-wide coverage in newspapers and on radio and TV and the internet throughout the world from the day it was first launched. Heather lives in Southampton, not Royston Vasey or on Uranus, yet he declared himself both shocked and horrified when he was confronted with the slogan “There’s probably no God” when he saw it on a bus he was about to drive.
Whinged Heather on BBC Radio Solent:
I was just about to board and there it was staring me in the face. My first reaction was shock and horror. I felt that I could not drive that bus. I told my managers and they said they haven’t got another one and I thought I better go home, so I did. I think it was the starkness of this advert which implied there was no God.
When he returned to work on Monday he was called into a meeting with managers and agreed to go back to work with the promise he would only have to drive the buses if there were no others available.
First Bus said in a statement:
As an organisation we don’t endorse any of the products or sentiments advertised on our buses. The content of this advert has been approved by the Advertising Standards Agency and therefore it is capable of being posted on static sites or anywhere else.
It added:
As a company we understand Mr Heather’s views regarding the atheist bus advert and we are doing what we can to accommodate his request not to drive the buses concerned.
So there we have it. If the delusion of your choice happens to be rooted in religion you get special treatment from your employers. The outrageous message First Bus has sent out in this instance is that any impertinent little prick with an aggravated God complex can refuse to do his or her job to required standards without any sanctions whatsoever.
Next thing we’ll have is Muslim drivers refusing to take out buses bearing ads for bacon or beer.
UPDATE: Jan 20, 2008. Heather’s CV has just been leaked to us (thanks Stuart W for your excellent sleuthing). You can see the CV here.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
January 16th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Praise the Lord. There are many more of us about than you chaps would care to admit. Every week it seems that a Christian is making a stand for Jesus! The more you persecute us the louder we shout.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Twat.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Bob – I quote ‘The more you persecute us the louder we shout’. Have you seen the response to Ron Heather’s refusal to just do his job on the Atheist Bus donation site http://www.justgiving.com/atheistbus. Many thousands of pounds have been donated today as a direct result of that twats refusal to go to work. Oh poor fucking Ron, those nasty clever people have said that my imaginary friend ‘probably’ does not exist, what shall I do? I know I’ll feign offence and milk this baby for all its worth.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Bob, when you say ‘…the louder we shout’, you don’t seem to realise that what you are actually shouting is ‘We are ignorant fuckwits whose only point of reference revolves around our imaginary deity’.
We already know that. Best keep it quiet eh! We wouldn’t want people to think we were delusional would we!
January 16th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
“Every week it seems that a Christian is making a stand for Jesus!”
Bob, before you shout so loud, you might want to consider that it is not your god who is meant on the bus advert.
You have a copyright on the letters g, o and d or something?
January 17th, 2009 at 12:38 am
I couldn’t have said it better myself, at least not without invoking words beginning with ‘f’ or ‘c’.
Oh, and Bob, I’d like to know how you justify in feeling “persecuted” by a statement of opinion when you have your sky-daddy’s biggest fanboys in the House of Lords, especial legal outs only available for you and brethren, a tax-free fanclub with a stock portfolio of over £5,000,000,000 when no other citizen or body in the UK enjoys these privileges.
Really, I would.
Twat.
January 17th, 2009 at 1:09 am
I can’t agree with Barry in this case. I’ve been saying from the outset of these atheist bus campaigns that buses are primarily a means of public transport, & all priority should be given to this role & especially the safety aspects of it. Those organising the atheist bus slogans must have been aware that that the messages will upset some God-believers, & when the upset God-believer is the bus driver, this potentially puts everyone’s safety at unnecessary risk. Does this mean that God-believers shouldn’t drive buses? No, it means that people have to remind themselves that although upsetting people can be fun, there can be serious safety issues involved when it’s all taking place on public transport. I believe the bus company reacted in a sensible & level-headed way.
January 17th, 2009 at 5:01 am
I wonder how many atheist bus drivers have refused to drive buses with adverts for religion on? My guess would be None! Even though the adverts contain the delightful threat of eternal damnation to the fiery pits of hell for non believers.
Kinda makes the religious apologists look a bit stupid I reckon.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Bubblecar, while you are correct in pointing out that buses “are primarily a means of public transport”, I should point out that advertising provides a much-needed income stream for bus operators – and always has.
Buses in London, for example, have carried advertising since the early 1800s, and every bus driver should be aware that an ad, whether or not he or she agrees with it, helps pay staff wages.
When I worked for London Transport in the early 1990, I recall that advertising on the tubes and buses was bringing in almost £30-million a year. It is probably more than double that figure now.
If a driver is likely get so so upset over an ad as to put passengers’ lives in danger, then her or she clearly has psychological problems – which seems to be the case here – and is therefore unfit for purpose. Heather should seek professional counselling or get another job
January 17th, 2009 at 9:01 am
You secularists have had it your own way for so long that now the Christians are becoming more vocal you canont cope!! The battle lines are drawn – Jesus versus the Devil, and Jesus will win!
January 17th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Actually Bob…
You Christians have had it your own way for so long that now the secularists are becoming more vocal you cannot cope!! The battle lines are drawn – Jesus versus common sense, and common sense will win!
Twat.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:30 am
How can you say that we Christians have had it our own way for so long when you consider the state of the country? EG in the last 40 years 7 million babies have been butchered in the abortion holocaust, gay perversion is now so openly accepted that any Christian who speaks against it is likely to get the gestapo banging on his door. No, it is the Devil’s servants who have been doing all the running and now the disciples of Jesus are finding their voice and standing up for the truth.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Bob. On the matter of abortion – it’s the woman’s choice. Not Bob’s.
Secondly, why are you Jebus freaks so preoccupied with gay sex. I know that your saviour had lots of ‘close male friends’. Could this be it? You remind me of an American evangelist Pastor Ted Haggard. He was always threatening hell and damnation on them gay perverts. I wonder what happened to him?
January 17th, 2009 at 11:08 am
What about the baby’s choice to live? The reason we are concerned about gay perversion is because God’s wrath is poured out on nations that encourage it (Sodom and Gomorrah). Jesus did have male friends, there is nothing wrong with that, but there is no evidence of sinful perversion taking place. As far as Haggard is concerned, there have always been hypocrites about, look at Judas. However, true believers endure to the end and show by their lives that they are true Christians.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:33 am
So much for turning the other cheek, Mr Heather.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Bob. You mentioned Sodom and Gomorrah. I have always understood this tale to be an indication that your god is okay with gay sex. The men of the Cities of the Plain were quite happily manlovin’ each other. Been doing it for ages. Your god didn’t mind. He’s apparently both omniscient and omnipotent. He knew what was going on and could have stopped it if he’d wanted. He just likes to watch. However it wasn’t until those naughty men tried to have it away with a couple of angels that your god got stroppy and flattened the place.
The moral is that your god is okay about gay sex, just don’t try to bugger an angel!
January 17th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
The reason why God does not act against sin straight away is because He gives people time to repent. However when they refuse all commands to repent then there comes a time when He acts, as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Yeah Bob – whatever!
January 17th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Bob – You’re a street evangelist. Shouldn’t you be outside pissing people off?
January 17th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Though not, presumably, in the case of Brazil, which legalised homosexuality back in 1830.
Or, widening our scope, the middle east, which has been islamic for centuries. Or the east Punjab, which has been (mainly) sikh for centuries. Or unknown tribes in the amazon that have never even heard of Christianity. They have had all of 50 million (or 5 thousand) years to “repent” and “find the true way” without destruction. If you ask me i don’t think they’re going to. (Though you could always go and ask, i’d chuck a tanner in the pot to fund a mission to Baghdad, for instance).
January 17th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I know this is off the subject but I’m dying to ask. Bob, do you really believe that everyone who doesn’t interpret the bible in the same way as you is wrong? Im mean, if you do then you are in a very small minority. Sure, there may be a few million of you world wide but there are six billion people on earth so if you are right then I suggest that your omnipotent deity is at best, bleedin useless! Or maybe self promotion just aint his forte.
Also, Jesus died for our sins, the ultimate sacrifice! But if he was the son of god as he ( supposedly ) claimed then he knew full well that Daddy was gonna bring him back to life in a few days! Not really that much of a sacrifice when you look at it eh? Sure he may have suffered on the cross but I bet it wasn’t as bad as the suffering experienced by countless Africans, men women and children, that have died of HIV unnecessarily because they have been taught that contraception is a sin by guess who, Christian missionaries! Self appointed spokesmen and women for god.
How do you justify these very obvious flaws in your beliefs? And please don’t say “its the work of the devil” If the devil has more influence on us mortal humans than your god, perhaps your batting for the wrong side. If your god is so good, great, powerful, all seeing all knowing, then I put it to you that he is a ruthless, heartless and useless bastard with a very twisted sense of humour., who cant compete with the devil that he must have created because after all he created everything.
January 17th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
How many people, Bob, did your God kill in the Bible?
I’ll tell you: Over three million.
And the devil?
ten.
See http://dwindlinginunbelief.blo.....-list.html
I know who I would worship if I was the worshipping kind – and everyone knows that the devil has the best tunes!
January 17th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
So Mr Heather is shocked that his imaginary friend does not exist; what is he going to do when someone tells him there is no tooth fairy or Santa? The man is an imbecile, he should keep his beliefs in his rather vacant head and do his job. As in many of this type of case, if the complainant does not like the egalitarian values of his/her employer they shouldn’t work for them. The bus company pays him to drive a bus, nothing else.
And another thing: the xtains invented the devil to try and scare and convert the gullible.
January 17th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Reply to Wurble: 1) Yes we are a minority; but then Jesus did say that the way to eternal life is narrow “and few there be that find it”
Matthew’s Gospel 7 v 14 (there will be many in Heaven but few compared to the whole human race).
2) The Son of God did not have to come to this vile earth amongst sinners but He chose to. His death was not only physical suffering but spiritual also as He bore the guilt of our sins. Evangelical Christians do not believe that contraception is sinful, that is Roman Catholic teaching.
January 17th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Bob,
I think it’s time you came out. That’s the real reason why you contacted this website, as you know your understanding ‘christian’ friends would shun you.
This is an open minded forum, and I am sure someone could help you.
Whilst not gay myself – I won’t judge you.
January 17th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
“Came out” from where?
January 17th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Bob,
Embrace your homosexuality – don’t keep it bottled up.
January 17th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Bob splurged:
So he raped his own mother before he was born to create himself to sacrifice himself to himself to appease himself and offer a get out clause for rules that he made up himself and for a problem that he created?
And this makes sense to you?!
January 17th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Tony E is right Bob. Think about who you really are!
It sounds like you used to be in the building trade. Is that where it started? All those hot dirty bodies, stripped to the waist, sweating, glistening in the noonday sun. Were you dirty Bob? Did you feel dirty?
Is that why you started evangelising?
We know who you are Bob….Do you?
January 17th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
In the words of late great Bill Hicks, if Ron Heather & Bob are such good Christians why don’t you forgive the people who have offeneded you so fucking much & just get on with your lives.
January 17th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Can we be sure Bob is in fact male? If middle-aged blokes in Motorhead T-shirts can pose on the web as 13-year-old girls…
January 17th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Remigius,
I think it goes further back than that.
Bob was probably a late developer who felt awkward amongst women.
C’mon Bob – throw away your inhibitions and buy a copy of Attitute magazine. Enjoy disco. Get dress sense.
Otherwise all the pent up hatred will spill out and you will end up being yet another cliche’d serial killer.
Remember even Jesus had a ‘favourite’ (John).
January 17th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Bob, I see you are still quoting from your book of fairy tales. You do know that Adolf Hitler, Myra Hindley, David Koresh, Rasputin, Mark Chapman [John Lennon's killer] and a load of other vile people all read your book and were inspired by it. Are you one of those too?
January 17th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Interesting how people like Bob think when they’re shoving their religion down our throats at every turn it’s “free speech” and “proclaiming the word”. Yet when we speak our opinion we’re “persecuting them”. Obviously “free speech” and the privilege of speaking one’s mind/opinion only goes one way with those of the theocratic mindset.
Heather needs to be told to do his job or he’ll be fired. That ad is in no way offensive. It doesn’t say anything derogatory about religion/religious people, nor does it recommend any course of action that would harm religious people. He’s getting his knickers in a twist because he chooses to.
Would atheists and other non-Christians be allowed to refuse to work in any place that had Christian ads/paraphernalia posted? I think not. So why do the religious constantly get special rights?
January 17th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Tony,
You guys can keep Bob. We LGBTs don’t want him.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Buffy.
I’m really sorry what does LGBTs mean?
January 18th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Barry, I’m well aware that advertising on buses is traditional and profitable, but my point remains that as long they’re mobile and carrying passengers, safety has to be the number one priority. The bus company in this case did well to calm down an irritated bus driver and keep this source of aggravation to a minimum in future by finding him other buses to drive. It’s hardly surprising that some God-believers find the atheist bus slogans upsetting; I’m sure this was expected all along.
Although I’m an atheist myself I don’t think bus slogans are a worthy or edifying way of communicating atheist ideas. Like many people I find slogans and catchphrases annoying and shallow, and I’m concerned about the safety issues involved in plastering public transport with potentially inflammatory messages.
January 18th, 2009 at 1:22 am
Hello
Buffy I’d like to clear something up for you. Atheists aren’t allowed to bash Christians because that’s “persecuting” them, but Christians can say whatever they want about atheists because doing so is sanctioned in the bible and by saying that they can’t is persecuting them.
Now Bob, I have a few questions. Have you ever had steak? because Leviticus 7:27, 17:10 and 19:26 say that anyone who eats any manner of blood is to be cut off from there people and from God. What kind of clothes do you wear? It better not be any kind of blend, because last I checked you’re only allowed clothes with one type of thread (lev. 19:19). My friend works on the sabbath but he has not been delivered to the land of his enemy’s and his land hasn’t become desolate (Lev. 26:34) in fact he has a prize winning garden. Also I’d like to correct you. You said that we secularists have been in control of the country for the past 40 years. I think it’s been a bit longer, like since 1865 when slavery was abolished, Lev. 25:44 says that we can own slaves from other countries. You have said that we’re persecuting you, but with 9 crusades, the Holocaust and lynchings compared to an ad campaign I think that Christians are still in the lead.
January 18th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Reply to Tony E: I am not gay, and never have been. Such activities are sinful.
Reply to Nullifidian: Jesus did not rape His mother. The reason why the Christian Gospel makes no sense to you is because the Devil has blinded you. I will pray that God would be pleased to open your eyes.
Reply to remigius: I have never been in the building trade.
Reply to batesey: I do forgive those who have offended me and pray for them that God would be pleased to grant them “repentance unto life”.
Reply to bubblecar: Thank you for your thoughtful post, I see that not all atheists are persecutors of Christians.
January 18th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Reply to Sam: The reason why Christians are allowed to advertise on buses is because all we are doing is quoting the Bible, and the Bible is not a banned book, not yet anyway. The laws you are mentioning come from the Old Testament Jewish judicial laws which were abrogated in Acts chapter 10. The only OT laws which apply today are those confirmed in the NT. The rest were Jewish laws for that time only. Jesus made this clear when He stated that the OT law of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was no longer valid.
January 18th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Bob
The Bible quote that you gave us regarding Old Testament law appears to refer only to dietary restrictions. In any case it is flatly contradicted in Matthew Chapter 5:17-18 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” Personally I would have thought Jesus would outrank Peter but hey what do I know?
Also if nullifidian says that he finds Christianity nonsensical, do you not think that might just be a slight possibility that it is because he finds Christianity to be nonsensical and is expressing his honest opinion on the matter rather than his being manipulated by Satan? In fact is it possible that suggesting that any one who disagrees with you is in league with the prince of darkness is a symptom of someone who is paranoid?
January 18th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Jesus fulfilled the OT law by His death on the cross. The law was taken up in that death. I am standing on Biblical ground when I state that an unbeliever has been blinded by the Devil – 2nd Corinthians 4v 3-4.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:59 am
Bob
You said “I am standing on Biblical ground”. Can I quietly suggest you don’t look down because you’ll find there is no “biblical ground”.
You are the brainwashed one, reading your quotes from a book you believe an imaginary god to have written. Therapy to undo the damage done may be your next port of call.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:35 am
The reason you don’t believe is because the Devil has blinded you; unless God opens your eyes you will never be converted.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Amaris: Looks like you’ll never be converted then, you devil.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:43 am
If amaris is one of the elect he will get converted, he will have no choice in the matter.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Bob – Do you have any idea just how fucking sinister that sounds?
January 19th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
What do you mean “sinister”?
January 19th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
John 11:35
January 19th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Bob spraffed:
In that case, and I presume that you think this applies to us all, what the hell are you doing here proselytising? It makes no bloody difference one way or the other what you say. I agree with your gods (if they exist) in this matter: if they want me, they know where to find me. I’m certainly no going to be convinced by your trite waffle.
He also burbled:
If Jesus is the same thing as his own dad, and his mother had no say in the matter, then yes, he did rape his own mother. And what “Devil” are you talking about? I see no “Devil”.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Careful remigius, you are not allowed to use a Bible reference – the Bible is a banned book, Barry Duke says so.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Proverbs 26:5