Pro-God Message to Hit the Road In Calgary

March 20, 2009

Author: Dawn Walton

Source: The Globe and Mail

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090320.wbus20/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20090320.wbus20

Believers will be delighted to learn that a pro-God message will be spread around Calgary starting Monday - albeit on the sides of buses and trains - in response to the controversial atheist ads already making the rounds on the city's public transit.

"God cares for everyone ... even for those who say He doesn't exist!" reads the banner advertisements to be placed on eight buses and two light-rail trains over the next four weeks.

Transit ads will also direct people to the website http://www.godexists.ca, where they can add their voice to the debate.

"Thank goodness for people with a God Sense," Sharon Sivell posted on the site.

The holy-rolling rebuttal is the brainchild of Calgary Muslim leader Syed Soharwardy, who was so disturbed by the Freethought Association of Canada's campaign - "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" - that he pledged to launch a counterattack.

"We want to tell our side of the story, that believers don't worry and they have a good life too," said Mr. Soharwardy, founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada. "The atheist campaign sends a very negative message about believers."

The pro-God campaign will cost $12,000, half of which has been donated by about a dozen people of faith, including Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, he said. The rest is coming out of Mr. Soharwardy's pocket, but he is hoping more support pours in.