Queengate and Republicans and Atheists.

Is singing God Save the Queen  something a English Republican and Atheist an English Republican  like Jeremy Corbyn should avoid.

The media's faux outrage over Corbyn standing in respectful silence probably shows  the future in how they intend to treat the ner Labour Leader

And Mr Corbyn it seems has bowed to pressure and agreed to join in singing the anthem.

Should he. When I last looked we were not living in an Absolute Monarchy or Totalitarian Dictatorship

Should a Welsh or Scottish Nationalist  join in "The UK" National anthem at such events.

Standing in respectful  silence seems a compromise between open hostility to an anthem that many people share which forces them to appear to support an institution that they don't believe in.

As for atheist I now many a left winger who are also atheist joining in Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika' (God Bless Africa) with Gusto

And we will be hearing many Nations invoking a deity in the Rugby World cup including "God Defend New Zealand" is one of two national anthems of New Zealand, the other being "God Save the Queen". Legally they have equal status, but "God Defend New Zealand" is more commonly used, and is widely albeit incorrectly referred to as "the national anthem

The anthem has English and Māori lyrics, with slightly different meanings. When performed in public, the usual practice is to sing the first verse in both Māori and English.

E Ihowā Atua, O ngā iwi mātou rā Āta whakarangona; Me aroha noa Kia hua ko te pai; Kia tau tō atawhai; Manaakitia mai Aotearoa	English translation (Karetu) Lord, God over yonder, Of all our nations Listen to us gently, With the infinite love May the goodness bear fruit; May your kindness come; Please give protection to Aotearoa
English verse: "God Defend New Zealand" God of Nations at Thy feet, In the bonds of love we meet, Hear our voices, we entreat, God defend our free land. Guard Pacific's triple star From the shafts of strife and war, Make her praises heard afar, God defend New Zealand.

The Maori version sound better and I suspect even New Zealand Atheist have a problem with it.


The fact is that may anthems have objectionable verse and many invoke a deity.

But calling on that deity to defend a monarch which a significant number of the population would like to be replaced  seems to much.

People should always have the right not to join in any anthem if they feel it compromises they beliefs.

To do so is an insult to freedom from Totalitarianism  ironically  what the pilots of the Battle of Britain were fighting for an irony lost by the UK's media.