♦ A national anthem recognising diversity?

Recent discussion of religious diversity in New Zealand has ignored the question of a our national anthem “God Defend New Zealand”. If the parliamentary (Christian) prayer is an issue surely the anthem is! The following article from the New York Times illustrates that Israel also has problems with its national anthem. It refers to the positive example of South Africa setting “an excellent example in inclusive nation-building” with its national anthem. The discussion is very relevant to our situation.