WELLINGTON A campaign to put a message questioning belief in God on some buses in three New Zealand cities has been called interesting by Archbishop John Dew of Wellington, because God is the focus. The messages, which created controversy in Great Britain, will read There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life. Campaigners hoped to raise $10,000 from the public to pay for advertisements in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and to have them on about a dozen buses by March. The campaign was launched on December 10.

Archbishop Dew said those behind it have a right to express their views.

Freedom of speech is a right we all have. I find it interesting that a group of people who claim not to believe in the existence of God have chosen to make God the focus of their bus campaign, the archbishop said.

The use of the word probably in the proposed advertisement could perhaps suggest a degree of uncertainty on the part of campaign organisers.

Archbishop Dew said many groups ask the public for money and people have the freedom to decide how to respond.

As for enjoying life, the Gospel is about spreading good news.

Christians have always believed life should be enjoyed and celebrated and there is a line in the Gospels which speaks about living life to the full, the bishop said.

There have been more than 800 buses on the road in Great Britain with the advertisements. Similar campaigns have been run in other nations, including the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, Australia, Finland and Germany.

The backers of the New Zealand campaign said it would provoke discussion on religion and take away the stigma of atheism.

In the 2006 census, 34.7 per cent of respondents said they had no religion.