SWISS AUTHORITIES DROP MARILYN MANSON INQUIRY: ZURICH, Switzerland - Swiss authorities have dropped a criminal inquiry of U.S. shock rocker Marilyn Manson, launched after a religious group complained about his stage act. The Zurich district prosecutor's office said Monday it had found no evidence to back allegations that the artist had incited violence and breached Swiss law protecting religion during a concert in the city in February 2001. The Swiss-based group Christians For Truth had lodged a complaint about the singer. The Zurich prosecutor announced a formal investigation earlier this month. Manson played another sellout concert in Zurich on Nov. 30, part of his ongoing European tour, and prosecutors questioned him in the Swiss city. The rocker rejected the accusations, and the prosecutor's office said it was persuaded by Manson's argument that his act is meant to provoke a debate about violence and religion. 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. Manson also uses the sobriquet "Antichrist Superstar" and is known for his 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. Christian groups and lawmakers in Zurich tried unsuccessfully to have the latest concert banned on grounds that Manson's views were offensive to a majority of the population. Courtesy of Associated Press