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      • It is with great sadness that I have to report...
        30/06/10
        ...that His Hollowness, Reichsführer Benedict the umpteenth will not be addressing us on TFTD. We will therefore have to forgo the supreme Ponstiffs' much needed moral guidance on such issues as child care, family planning, same sex relationships and whether your sin is original*.

        I

      • Oliver McTernan, director of the NGO Forward Thinking
        30/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Oliver McTernan here, from the NGO Forward Thinking, a proactive, demand-driven, facilitative organisation that works to promote in the UK greater understanding and confidence between the diverse grassroots Muslim communities and the wider society

      • Reverend Bob Marshall, Anglican priest
        29/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        The government is cutting Incapacity Benefit, and about time too. All those lazy, apathetic, bone idle, good for nothing layabouts, sitting in their wheelchairs in front of day time TV all day, stuffing their faces with crisps, paid for with my har

      • Reverend Lucy Winkett, Canon Precentor of St Paul's Cathedral
        28/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        Has anyone mentioned the World Cup yet? Wasn't it awful?

        Anyway, Toy Story 3 is just brilliant! Or at least, so they tell me. It's so good that it's making grown men cry. The Disney Corporation are really, really pleased with it. So go a

      • Brian Draper, Associate lecturer at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.
        26/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        Brian here, in Southampton, an associate lecturer at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity where we envision and equip Christians, and the leaders, churches and organisations that serve them, with the biblical framework, practical reso

      • Copiously Reverend Lord Professor Bishop Baron Reverend Lord Richard Harries, Baron Pentregarth, Gresham Professor of Divinity, Baron, Bishop, Professor, Lord...
        25/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        I met a good friend of mine who, like many of my friends, had spent forty years running a large business. When he retired he found that he had no hobbies or interests and was utterly dejected. He wanted to go back to making larger and larger profit

      • Reverend Roy Jenkins, Baptist Minister in Cardiff
        24/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        Gen Stanley McChrystal has been fired by President Obama. The general will no doubt have been surprised to learn that rubbishing your boss in the national press is not generally a good idea.

        Having a swipe at the management is fairly com

      • Akhandadhi Das, a Vaishnav Hindu teacher and theologian
        23/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        Has anyone mentioned the World Cup yet?

        Someone said there's an England match on this afternoon. But why do people get so excited about football? After all, it's only a game. It's not as if most people's lives are goi

      • Rev Rob Marshall, an Anglican Priest
        22/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Yesterday marked the grim milestone of the 300th British death in Afghanistan. In each and every case, we see a level of bravery and sacrifice that few of us can imagine. Hundreds of other NATO personnel and thousands of civilians have joined them.

      • Tuesday's Child
        21/06/10
        This problem has been doing the rounds for a little while, including a solution in New Scientist a few weeks ago. I thought I'd offer my thoughts on it to anyone who's interested.

        Gary Foshee presented this puzzle at the Gathering for Gardner convention.

        "I have

      • Reverend Lucy Winkett, Canon Precentor of St Paul's Cathedral
        21/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Everyone's worried about the austerity budget due out tomorrow. The one thing that everyone agrees on is that it must be fair.

        I was looking for a piece of scripture that would reveal how "fairness" was based on Christiani

      • The Irish Bishops' Conference
        19/06/10
        A few days ago, as part of their inclusive, loving, championship of equal rights for all, the Irish Bishops' Conference issued a press release. They called, once again, for members of parliament to vote against the Civil Partnerships bill, just like Catholic bishops have done in every single co

      • Brian Draper, associate lecturer at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity
        19/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        Brian here, in Southampton, an associate lecturer at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity where we envision and equip Christians, and the leaders, churches and organisations that serve them, with the biblical framework, practical reso

      • Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic Studies and Public Understanding and Director of the Centre for the Study of Islam, University of Glasgow
        18/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Forget about the World Cup, the oil spillage, Bloody Sunday and spending cuts. The really big news is that my son was stopped and questioned at Luton airport last week. What made it worse was the officer trying to relieve the tension with a smile a

      • The holiest footballer in England
        18/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        In a moving and profound statement to the press yesterday, Wayne Rooney described the rosary beads that he wears round his neck during training "It's my religion," he explained helpfully. Doubtless his sacred talisman bestows blessin

      • Reverend Roy Jenkins, Baptist Minister in Cardiff
        17/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Has anyone mentioned Bloody Sunday yet?

        People who were shot dead unjustly and grieving relatives who pressed for justice following that day, have had to wait 38 years for the truth to be told. Not a lot of people know this, but learning

      • Akhandadhi Das, a Vaishnav Hindu teacher and theologian
        16/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Yesterday's Reith Lecture by Prof Martin Rees, ponders the question of what we'll never know. Will we ever fully understand consciousness? Or will we ever have a complete unified theory of physics? Maybe there are some things that are jus

      • Reverend Angela Tilby, Vicar of St Benet's Church in Cambridge
        15/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        The Saville Enquiry, which has provided gainful employment to numerous lawyers over the past twelve years, is due to report today. 1972 was a time when pop music was real pop music and nostalgia was real nostalgia. Happy, happy days, apart from the

      • Rev Canon Dr Alan Billings, an Anglican priest
        14/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Has anyone mentioned the World Cup yet?

        Personally I can't stand football but I'm going to talk about the England vs. USA match on Saturday night anyway. Many of you ordinary people probably get quite excited by the whole thing

      • Mary Midgley, Moral Philosopher and professional anti-Dawkins critic
        13/06/10
        Rating 5 out of 5 (Extraordinarily platitudinous)

        These New Atheists, and one in particular who I won't mention by name but is undoubtedly worse than Hitler, keep saying that evolution proves God does not exist. I can give you hundreds of references where he says precisely that but u

      • Now he's got a gong
        12/06/10
        Oh, come on! As if being a pop star, a physicist and a TV presenter wasn't enough, now he's gone and got a bl***y OBE.

        I must say, having bravely failed to secure Secularist of the Year in February, I was rather expecting to receive some sort of recognition from Her Majesty in t

      • Catherine Pepinster, editor of the Catholic newspaper, The Tablet
        12/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        Urban foxes are in the news.

        While we're on the subject of foxes, let's talk about snakes, which brings us neatly to the Big Book of Magic Stuff. Snakes are mentioned in the first book of the Big Book of Magic Stuff. In particu

      • The Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, Baron Aldgate
        11/06/10
        Rating 2 out of 5 (A little platitudinous)

        The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a symptom of our ever more desperate search for oil. As Ronald Heifetz pointed out, there are two types of problem: technical, that can be solved by a doctor or a mechanic, and adaptive, where we need to mak

      • Reverend Rob Marshall, an Anglican Priest
        10/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        Has anyone mentioned the World Cup yet?

        Yes, it's (nearly) time. It's finally (nearly) arrived. The moment we've all been waiting for is finally (nearly) here. After four years since England last didn't win the World

      • Akhandadhi Das, a Vaishnav Hindu teacher and theologian
        09/06/10
        Rating 5 out of 5 (Extraordinarily platitudinous)

        £20 million of lottery money is being used to set up a new voluntary organisation in Wales. It will attempt to combat loneliness among the elderly. As Mother Theresa said "Loneliness can be a terrible form of suffering, but then suffe

      • Reverend Dr Giles Fraser, Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral
        08/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Many of you will know the famous tune:

        "BLA BLA LA LA RA TA DA LA DI LA DI LA TADA TADA."

        But no, this is not my rendition of Copland's Appalachian Spring or indeed of any recognisable tune known to man. This wa

      • Right Awful Anne Atkins - Agonising Aunt and Vicar's Wife
        07/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Why, why, why, why, why? I mean why? Why? Whose fault is it? As it says in the Big Book of Magic Stuff, it's all your fault. Why? That is the question, as Shakespeare said. Or alternatively, as Coleridge said, The motive-hunting of motiveless

      • Catherine Pepinster, editor of the Catholic newspaper, The Tablet
        05/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Happy nearly World Cup everyone! Pubs and clubs all over London, and possibly some other parts of England, are getting ready to welcome hundreds of fans to share in the communal atmosphere of England surging to glory and another historic victory.
      • The Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, Baron Aldgate
        04/06/10
        Rating 4 out of 5 (Highly platitudinous)

        Isn't the indiscriminate massacre of people in Cumbria just terrible?

        How? How could this happen? How could someone, that friends describe as a "nice bloke" just snap like that? Well, let me explain. You see, long ago, a

      • Rev Canon Dr Alan Billings, an Anglican priest
        03/06/10
        Rating 5 out of 5 (Extraordinarily platitudinous)

        Isn't the indiscriminate massacre of people in Cumbria just terrible? And so soon after other terrible things too? Fortunately the people of Cumbria have two things that can help: community and Faith. "Community" is a wishy-

      • Dr Indarjit Singh CBE, director of the Network of Sikh Organisations
        02/06/10
        Rating 3 out of 5 (Fairly platitudinous)

        Happy Jassa Singh (no relation) Ramgarhia birthday everyone!

        Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was a brave, noble, fair Sikh leader. He fought against the ruthless, bad, evil Mughal Emperors and their dastardly minions, who were from another religio

      • May Clemmy
        01/06/10
        There are really only two contenders this month. The first is Rhidian Brook with his truly awful, irritating prose.

        The other one can only be, with what must be a very strong contender for Platitude Of The Year 2010, Clifford Longley and his assertion that the Roman Catholic Church reall

      • Soberingly Reverend Tom Butler, ex-Lord Bishop of Southwark
        01/06/10
        Rating 2 out of 5 (A little platitudinous)

        Isn't the violence against the Gaza aid convoy just terrible? We don't know exactly what happened yet, but we do know that ten people are dead and many more, including Israeli soldiers are injured.

        When is violence acceptable

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