Atheism and London Double-deckers

This week, thousands of buses in London and throughout the UK will carry a banner advertisement that reads:

"There's probably no God.

Now stop worrying and enjoy your life"

The banners are the work of British Humanist Associaiton, sparked by prior bus ads that pointed riders to a website  prophesying a future of hellfire and brimstone for all non-Christians. 

The idea was to promote an alternative, and by including the word "probably" to do so non-dogmatically.   The original hope was to generate about 5000 British pounds (about US$ 3300.) to festoon a couple of buses.  However, when the appeal went public the response (mostly in the range of 1 or 2 pounds) was a total of over 100,000 pounds.  The campaign expanded to hundreds of buses, not just in London but around the UK. 

What is interesting to me, as a Universalist, is the assumption in the banner that the only way to escape a prophesizing of hellfire and brimstone is to remove god from the equation.  I am sure that it is uplifting to many an atheist or agnostic to be able to see a bus pull up with this message, but what about for all the theists for whom the choice has been narrowed.  Belief in God is equated with a belief in exclusive salvation and its lack is equated with eternal damnation.

That's not the way I think of the concept of God.  In fact, I could just as easily have written:

"There's probably a God.

Now stop worrying and enjoy your life"

I think of what is usually defined by the word "God" as being the inclusive, creative spark which manifests as the continuity of existence and the infinite possibility of meaning.  Without such an affirmation of being (more "yes" than "no" or else the whole of existence would, in the fullness of time collapse), I would think you would need to worry more than a tad. However, since existence has been persistent, both physically and spiritually, there has probably been and continues to be this essence of being. 

More than that, such an essence must transcend the actions or beliefs of any one individual or else, again, in the fullness of time, the "sins" or doubts of some one person would have negated the source of being.  In simpler words, this understanding of God does not rely on my actions or beliefs for its meaning. 

So, this essence of being will take care of itself.  I might just as well stop worrying and enjoy my life.  The measure of enjoyment of life is not pleasing some God, but rather finding fulfillment and meaning in the ways I live by which I may comprehend more of the inclusive, creative world in which I live. 

In fact, believing that I live in just such an existence which is inclusive and creative makes life meaningful and allows me to enjoy it.