I heartily agree that there are many avenues to factual information, and even some sites that are great at researching what is happening may get their facts wrong, or wires crossed, so that it’s critical that everything you pick up must be weighed against opposing viewpoints for clarity. And no one route to data should be excluded because of the political hooliganism of their peers.

It’s sad to say, but I’ve been forced to winnow a great many “Conservative” websites, simply because it’s not worth the effort of finding anything worthwhile amongst the drooling imbecilic pandering to their lowest denominators. And I’m fully aware that constricting myself to only one side of any issue is foolhardy, so I do keep a few for reference if only for the occasional valid points. I’m a liberal/semi-Socialist that is also fully aware that Liberals need some balance, because we don’t live in the vacuum we accuse Libertarians of pretending they exist in.

Anyway, I too am an avid gamer, with a brand-new rig, so I’ll be back in the DC Wasteland shortly. hehehe!

To be honest quite a few Christians would agree with most of his songs sentiment about family and mass consumerism.

It’s Tim’s reaction that winds me up a bit. What matters is that the money made from the CD goes to people in need regardless of whether or not the charity is religiously ‘driven’.

Tim’s pointing out that what really matters is people and family and, if you’re religiously inclined, then that, too. The song doesn’t denigrate people of faith and it’s not anti-Christian. It’s his take on this time of year and what it means to him personally, and mythology just doesn’t factor that strongly into it (just as it doesn’t for the majority who mindlessly tick “Christian” on the census every decade). How on earth is that a ‘joke’, ‘sick’ or ‘disrespectful’, to quote those from the Herald-Sun article?

One last point and just so you know: a “secular CD” is every CD ever made that isn’t religious, regardless of the beliefs of its performers. From The Beatles (early stuff, anyway) to Iron Maiden, and everything in between.

Nowhere does it state the Salvo’s are not doing any charity work because of criticism, so I’m not really sure why you felt the need to imply that sentiment, which is obviously false.

The CD in question is still available in their shops and the proceeding are still going towards the disadvantaged. Can’t really see what your problem is Ben.

As for the Salvos’s attitude:

We hope the Australian community understands how important these funds are for us in supporting services for disadvantaged and marginalised members of the community, even though we do not in any way support the statements made in this song

The song expresses the man’s joy of celebrating the solstice with his family. It condemns both dodgy sentiment and consumerism that is rampant at this time, and focusses on love and togetherness.

If the Salvos can’t do charitable work without bristling whenever religious dogma is criticised, then we have plenty of secular alternatives including Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam, Amnesty International, International Red Cross, and lots of other specific charities. They can all do their work regardless of whether you criticise religion.

We even have the Smith Family helping disadvantaged families using evidence-based and community-forming approaches, so the Salvos can kiss goodbye any hope of our charity money.

They can contest all they like, but I don’t see the difference. Organisations don’t hold religious beliefs, the people in them do. If religious beliefs affect the ethos, running, policies or decision-making of an organisation then, ipso facto, it is a organisation driven by religious beliefs.

That Minchin is complaining about the fact that they are ‘biting the hand that feeds them’ is flat out nonsense, if you read the news article it clearly states that:

“Major Neil Venables said the organisation was disappointed by the song, which was at odds with its Christian ethos, but hoped people would still buy it.”

And most charities would contest that they are not “driven by religious beliefs” but are charities that hold a religious belief.

Hence the only ‘imbecile’ and ‘dick’ is Tim Minchin: First for whining about a Christian charity that offers a lot of services to the disadvantaged and second by making a false accusation of them ‘biting the hand that feeds them’ when they claim the opposite and third for letting his own ego get in the way of true meaning of altruism.

Hugely disappointed in Tim Minchin right now!!!