Atheist Pop

For some reason I got involved in the #atheistpop thread which became a top Twitter topic yesterday evening. There seemed to be 3 sorts of contributors: people who replaced 'God' with things like 'a completely mythological idea who doesn't exist' in the titles of pop songs, the ones who were funny, and the ones who tried to be funny. Oh yes, and spammers.

Here's a few of my favourites:

It Looks Like I Will Have To Buy My Own Mercedes-Benz

Sympathy for Gary Neville

Oh! Think twice! It's another day for you and me in relative material comfort

I wish it could be Winterval every day.

By the Rivers of Birmingham

Hallelunein

Hitchens Baby One More Time

YMAA

Stairway to Upstairs

Nice Day for a Registry Office Civil Ceremony

You'll Probably Walk Alone at Some Point

Unlikely Concept of Natural Justice Chameleon.

Promised you an improbably coincidence.

Bat out of Oblivion.

My prize would go to Archdruid Eileen, who was responsible for several of the above, but I'm sure you can think of more.

Speaking of Twitter, Church Mouse has the latest 'Twurch of England' top tweeters, based on a scoring system which wants to be everyone's friend by giving you a high score. Strangely, lots of contributors to the #atheistpop thread seemed to be vicars.

Vogon Hymnody

As every reader of The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy knows, the Vogons write the third worst poetry in the universe. Well, there's competition, initiated by the Anglican Communion gathering in Jamaica, for the most uninspired verse of doggerel every penned by human hand.

Andrew Brown quotes the opening stanza of the offending item, as sung in Jamaica last week to the tune of 'Ode to Joy' (which I must admit I can't remember off the top of my head):

Lord of our diversity,

unite us all, we pray;

welcome us to fellowship

in your inclusive way.

and it gets even worse

Sanctify our listening

and help us get the sense

of perplexing arguments

before we take offence

It's enough to make me want to puree my own internal organs and imbibe them through a straw. Anyone who uses the word 'inclusive' in a hymn deserves to be locked inside an organ for 2 weeks whilst a family of hippos dances on the keyboard. Several of Andrew Browns commenters have attempted to surpass even this, my favourite is freewoolly's, though it's a bit rude to reproduce here.

On a related topic, Nick Baines posts about 'girly worship'

According to an online survey of 400 UK readers of the men’s magazine Sorted, the majority of blokes who responded said they ‘enjoyed singing – but added comments showing they preferred anthemic songs and ‘proclamational’ hymns as opposed to more emotional love songs.’ They also dislike flowers, embroidered banners, hugging, holding hands, dancing and ’sitting in circles discussing their feelings in church’. Oh dear.

The whole piece is worth reading, together with a very good follow up post on what worship is, and what part songs play in it. Interesting that the original report is penned anonymously by a 'daily mail reporter', and that in the comments women have the same complaints as the men.

I did pick up a copy of 'Sorted' at Spring Harvest, but can't find it, so I can't tell you whether the magazine is any good. It certainly looked ok from the cover (apart from the title, which seems a bit 20th century...?). End of useless magazine review.