Dutch artist sets up 'God's answer machine'

A Dutch artist has set up a telephone line allowing people to leave messages for God in a move he hopes will help people contemplate their lives.

Johan van der Dong said that he had set up the Netherlands telephone line to give people the chance to take pause and contemplate life.

He said, "Like praying, leaving a voicemail message is a way to organise your thoughts… It's a perfect combination for some contemplation," reports Reuters.

The line will be operational from 7 March and callers will hear the unusual response of, "Hi, you are speaking to God. I'm not in right now so leave a message after the beep."

The telephone number is 06-4424-4901 for callers in the Netherlands and +316-4424-4901 for those from other countries.