Marilyn Manson Faces Swiss Criminal Probe

[TexasStooge]

ZURICH, Switzerland - U.S. shock rocker Marilyn Manson is the target of a criminal inquiry in Switzerland, after a religious group made a formal complaint about his stage act.

Zurich District Prosecutor Michael Scherrer told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the artist was under investigation for allegedly breaching Swiss law protecting religion as well as making incitements to violence during a concert in the city in February 2001.

Manson — whose real name is Brian Warner — and his band members take their first names from pop culture icons and their surnames from famous serial killers. He also uses the sobriquet "Antichrist Superstar," and is known for his ghastly, cadaverous look and macabre lyrics.

Baptized as a Satanist and an honorary priest in the Church of Satan, Manson has ripped a Bible during previous stage shows.

His act has made him the target of religious and conservative groups around the world, including the Swiss-based Christians For Truth, which lodged the complaint.

Scherrer said he interviewed Manson ahead of another sellout concert Sunday at a Zurich stadium, part of the artist's ongoing European tour. Christian groups and lawmakers in Zurich had tried unsuccessfully to have the latest concert banned on grounds that Manson's views were offensive to a majority of the population.

The rocker rejected the accusations, Scherrer said. Manson cited artistic freedom and said his act was meant to provoke a debate about violence and religion, the official added.

Scherrer said he had yet to decide whether to charge Manson.

[Lindaloo]

Religious groups have tried this here in the US as well. Manson is a freak of nature.

[streetsoldier]

Yes, but heavily-Calvinist Switzerland is NO place to vent his spleen re: religion...they take it SERIOUSLY there (as we used to, HERE ).

[Lindaloo]

I agree Bill!!. I hope they get him good.

[blizzard]

Religious groups have tried this here in the US as well. Manson is a freak of nature.

Nothing natural about that freak.

[GalvestonDuck]

In some ways, it's similar to when Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry went to Afghanistan and were imprisoned by the Taliban for trying to preach Christianity. As much as many of us would like to get The Word out there to the rest of the world, sometimes we must respect their differences in culture and law. Of course, in the case of Afghanistan, it wasn't so much a cultural difference as it was strict rule under an extremist regime. However, the same rule against proselytizing exists in many Muslim countries.

Before you jump on me , I'm not saying it's EXACTLY the same thing. Those two women of faith were held for over three months by cruel, inhuman animals. Manson is just a weird Satan-worshipper who wasn't so much preaching his whatever you want to call it (religion) as much as he was protesting against another one. I'm just saying that sometimes we as Americans tend to forget that our freedoms don't necessarily extend outside our borders.

When in Rome...do as the Romans do. Or don't visit there.

[streetsoldier]

Well, AFLAC, Switzerland is about the closest thing to a theocracy you can get in Europe; Manson will not fare well there if he's brought into court.

As to his being a violation of the laws of Nature...even the Swiss can't enforce THOSE laws!