Salvation Army vs Tim Minchin
From an interview with Tim Minchin in the Guardian.
Your song “White Wine in the Sun”, which includes lyrics critical of Christianity, caused controversy last week in Australia when it was used on an album of Christmas songs sold to raise money for the Salvation Army. What’s your take on the fuss?
I think the Salvos are idiots. I didn’t know they would benefit from the CD, but by the time I found out I didn’t want to make too much of a fuss. So I gave my song free, then they turn around and say that they don’t agree with the sentiment of the song. Obviously, they are talking about how I think Jesus is not magic. Part of me is hugely outraged by what imbeciles they are, to bite the hand that feeds them and put their proselytising above charity.
It’s a terrible paradox that most charities are driven by religious belief. I believe very strongly in giving only to secular charities, because I don’t think there should be a back end to altruism. I won’t make this mistake again. I tweeted that if people want to buy my version of the song independently, I’ll give the proceeds away, as I did last year, to the Autism Trust, a non-proselytising charity.
Christmas means much to billions of people who don’t believe in Jesus, and if you think that Christmas without Jesus is not Christmas, then you’re out of touch, and if you think altruism without Jesus is not altruism, then you’re a dick.
Full interview: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/nov/28/tim-minchin-comedian
Salvation Army vs Tim Minchin,
To my ear “White Wine In The Sun” beautifully expresses a healthy and positive spirit of the solstice celebration and what it means to us. I get moist eyes listening to either of Tim’s or Kate’s versions.
As for the Salvos’s attitude:
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.