We have all heard this dirge many more times than we would normally do over the last few weeks due to the unprecedented success of the British Olympic team (or the name "Team GB" which I personally despise. It sounds made up by some corporate windbags in a meeting where everyone is "going forward" with everything). Many of the British winners have received unfair criticism from sections of the media for not heartily belting out this hopelessly outdated "anthem". The same applies to English footballers who choose not to get involved. Has it ever struck any of the blind "patriots" that some of these sports people may be atheists and/or may not be comfortable about God "saving" some privileged institution that means nothing to them and has played no part in getting them to the pinnacle of their chosen career ?
For the record I don't consider myself atheist and definitely don't want my God wasting their time "saving" monarchs, presidents or any other heads of state. Any country's national anthem which focuses on a hereditary monarchy rather than it's people, who are the lifeblood of the nation, is a deeply unhealthy one.
These Olympic games have gone some way in showing Britain to be a modern, multicultural, innovative nation. The current national anthem reflects none of that. In the 21st century the words to it sound ridiculous and belong to an age when it was perfectly acceptable for monarchs to execute their wives (let's not go down the Diana road on this post!) and persecute their "subjects" at will. It's time for change. There seems little chance of a referendum in this country on the future of the monarchy any time soon but UK "subjects" would be going some way to being dragged into the 21st century if only they would consider a new, progressive, uplifting anthem about it's multicultural nation and it's values etc.
If we can't change the head of state then at least let's change the national anthem.
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