Yes, I saw the United Church ad in the newspaper.  Right away, I thought, They are bankrupt creatively if they must rely on the atheistbus slogan: "There probably is no god.  Now stop worrying, and enjoy your life."  It's parasitical to cling to another's creativity.  I suppose the United Church brains are unable to devise their own slogan.  However, the positive view is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  

What does the slogan mean?  My understanding is this: "Stop worrying" about Hell, a fictional place made up to scare children.  Unfortunately, it seems mature adults are unable or unwilling to shake off the nightmare of Hell.  "Enjoy your life" -- "Isn’t it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it?" (Dawkins)  Yes, since we have a few years on this planet, let's live them to the fullest possible, which includes, because we are sentient beings, striving for Truth by using logic, reason, and science to describe and understand the nature of the universe.  I can't see Truth coming from superstitious, dogmatic thinking with not a shred of supporting evidence.  A "belief" is not evidence of anything.

Here we are, in this world, this earth, with other suns and planets swirling around out there, and with trillions upon trillions of atoms comprising everything, including our skin, blood, and brain matter.  What is going on here?  Really.  I really want to know, and it is hard work to find out the nature of our existence.  Faith and beliefs, having no substance, are inadequate.  I feel satisfied when faced with results based on verifiable evidence.  Therefore, I strive to learn; I read and read and read: history, philosophy, biology, astronomy, physics, and good fiction.  Other media I use are audio books and documentary videos.  If you really want to learn what’s going on here on this tiny planet and beyond, you can’t sit back and rely on faith, you must dive into the wealth of substantial information out there. 

Like Sam Harris, I wish there was another word besides “atheist” to describe our position.  Atheist was coined by the church as a derogatory term for unbelievers, who were usually burned at the stake for questioning religious claims.  I rely on rational thought and reason, therefore, I can call myself a rationalist.  Other terms are humanist, secularist, and freethinker.  They’re all good words, but, basically, I think they mean “questioner.”  There is no word for someone who questions the validity of astrology -  there are no anti-astrologers.  People who question religion are simply asking for evidence to back up such extraordinary claims. 

I think the children’s story The Emperor’s New Clothes aptly describes religions.  The king and his followers parade through the streets wearing the invisible clothes of faith, belief, and dogma.  Everyone knows these clothes are actually imaginary, but are afraid (heresy, blasphemy) to speak up.  Finally, a child (rationalist) breaks out laughing, saying, “The emperor has no clothes!” 

Sure, millions, maybe billions of people on earth say they believe in a god, or follow a religion.  Bertrand Russell said, “Even if a billion people believe in a bad idea, it’s still a bad idea.” 

Anyways, that’s it for now.  I know the above views will be attacked and ridiculed by the religious faithful.   All I ask of them is to supply logic, reason, and evidence to back up their claims.