Italy does not give atheism a chance

I commented in this space last week about the new British bus ads that read "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." The British Humanist Assn. received an outpouring of funds for the ads but the scene in Italy is apparently much different.

The Times reported that conservatives in Genoa voiced strong opposition against a bus ad that reads, "The bad news is that God doesn't exist. The good news is that you don't need him." The ad was set to run on the city's buses but a publicity agency changed its mind saying the message violated an ethics in advertising code.