Swiss Want to Remove God from National Anthem
The Swiss government is holding a competition where artists are being asked to rewrite the nation’s national anthem because it references God too much, and officials want that played down.
According to a report Thursday from the Christian Institute, the Swiss Psalm, as the anthem is known now, will be rewritten and the winning composer will get a prize of about $10,000.
Lukas Niederberger, who is running the competition for the government, told the BBC, “The real problem is above all the text.”
In promoting the rewrite, Niederberger claimed the Swiss society is “religiously neutral,” even though the Christian Institute reported a 2010 census revealed two-thirds of the nation’s people identified themselves as belonging to a church.
According to a report Thursday from the Christian Institute, the Swiss Psalm, as the anthem is known now, will be rewritten and the winning composer will get a prize of about $10,000.
Lukas Niederberger, who is running the competition for the government, told the BBC, “The real problem is above all the text.”
In promoting the rewrite, Niederberger claimed the Swiss society is “religiously neutral,” even though the Christian Institute reported a 2010 census revealed two-thirds of the nation’s people identified themselves as belonging to a church.