What will happen if we leave Europe? Perhaps the question we should ask is: what will happen if we don't?

The media is focused on the political, financial and social implications of a possible Brexit – legislation, trade, migrants. However, we are the spiritual leaders of the nation and so we must consider the spiritual and moral implications too. We should be asking questions such as: what is the EU's ethos? Does it uphold our Judeo-Christian heritage? Has it retained the foundations of Christian Europe or is it humanist (man-centred) in outlook?

Controversial Symbolism

Many Christians have noted symbols used by the EU and drawn sinister conclusions about their intent. A popular view is that the Strasbourg Parliament building was based on the painting The Tower of Babel by Pieter Brueghel the Elder (though the architects actually were inspired by Roman amphitheatres).

To add to the confusion, the 'Many Tongues, One Voice' poster used by the Council of Europe bears a resemblance to the Brueghel painting and certainly the slogan implies a reference to Babel. Some have pointed out the poster's use of inverted stars, which are also symbols used in witchcraft. However, the Council of Europe is a separate organisation to the EU¹ and so the Babel imagery cannot be said to have been deliberately used by the EU at all.

A controversial image which is used by the EU is the statue of Europa from the tale by the Roman author Ovid, about a woman ravished by Zeus or Jupiter. It depicts a woman riding a beast, leading many to point to Revelation 17's woman riding a beast, also known as the prostitute 'Babylon', with whom the "kings of the earth" commit adultery and who intoxicates the inhabitants of the earth (Rev 17:1-2).

This image has also appeared on various Euro coins and postage stamps. In Revelation this woman is an archetype of those who war against God's people: "I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus" (Rev 17:6).

One controversial image which is used by the EU is the statue of Europa, which depicts a woman riding a beast, leading many to point to Revelation 17 and its prophesied war against God's people.

Post-Christian Europe

Yet we do not need to observe statuary, buildings or symbols to recognise that we are living in post-Christian Europe and that biblical values are blatantly set aside by governments. This is not a hidden agenda - it is done openly. The list below of Ungodly laws passed in Britain since 1950 (Issachar Ministries, published elsewhere on prophecytoday.uk) demonstrates that the British government is quite capable of enacting a humanistic agenda without the EU's assistance.

The jury is still out on whether the EU provides a layer of protection in this context, or whether it exacerbates the problem. For instance, the Christian Legal Centre takes its appeals to Europe when they do not succeed here (for example, Aisling Hubert's gender abortion case, as reported in the last issue of HEART²). However, limiting our sovereignty to one government's laws is preferable, arguably, to having two such levels of humanistic legislation to battle.

The issue of UK sovereignty goes beyond legislation, in any case. We need to consider our position strategically for the end times. Leaving the EU gives us the ability to act unilaterally with regard to Israel and without being forced to provide troops for the EU army. When the nations surround Jerusalem (Luke 21:20), we do not want our nation to have been compelled to be there.³ We want to ensure that British citizens have the chance to be among the 'sheep' rather than the 'goats' of Matthew 25:31-46.

The issue of UK sovereignty goes beyond legislation – we also need to consider our position strategically for the end times.

Erasing God and Christianity

Since October 2004, we have been bound to Europe constitutionally by The Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe. When the Constitution was being written, Pope John Paul II pleaded for recognition that as a "new institutional order, Europe cannot deny its Christian heritage, since a great part of its achievements in the fields of law, art, literature and philosophy have been influenced by the evangelical message."⁴

The Pope called for a strong reference to Europe's Christian roots in the preamble.⁵ Bishops and religious leaders backed up the Pope, including Rabbi Aba Dunner, secretary general of the Conference of European Rabbis, who stated, "I would love to see the word 'God' in there, in some form or another."⁶ Critics argued that a Judeo-Christian reference did not resonate with secular Europe and pointed to another problem: what of the continent's Muslim populations?

One Irish priest commented, "First Brussels will remove our independence, then they will give us mandatory abortion and euthanasia and homosexual 'unions...And that is all seen as enlightened and touted as Europe's commitment to 'equality and justice.' But without our sovereignty - we will be powerless to resist."⁷

Here is the Preamble to the Constitution, with no mention of our Judeo-Christian heritage:

DRAWING INSPIRATION from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law...⁸

Note the deliberate use of the word 'humanist', with the word 'religious' undefined and sandwiched uneasily between references to culture and humanism. Despite the Pope's and others' requests, there are no references in the Constitution to God or Christianity.

The EU's constitution makes no mention of the great debt owed by Europe to its Judeo-Christian heritage – despite numerous calls for its acknowledgment from prominent religious figures.

Pluralism, Rights and Freedom

Note too the use of the word 'pluralism' in the list of the Union's values (below) and the emphasis on humanity's dignity, rights and freedom, without ultimate responsibility to any higher authority.

In the EU Constitution's Article below about Freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the phrase "in public or in private, to manifest religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance" is being flouted continually, as the UK's Christian Legal Centre's growing case-load bears witness. Recently, it was reported that a Christian student has been expelled from a social work course at Sheffield University over his biblical views on marriage and sexual ethics, which he posted on Facebook. How can it be said that he is allowed to express his beliefs publicly?

It seems that there is a clash between the Union's Article on Values and the Article on Freedom of thought, conscience and religion. You are free to express your religious views - but only insofar as they do not offend anyone who holds a different opinion. The EU claims to protect freedom of religion but recent cases show that where these values clash with cherished anti-biblical values, Christians are unlikely to be supported.

We also need to think about whether the EU has been an institution worthy of our allegiance and respect. The European Parliament's well-documented history of corruption and misappropriation of funds speaks for itself.

Not Rejecting Europe's People

A vote to leave is not just a vote for self-preservation by Christians. It is a vote for the future stability and security of our nation, for whom we stand accountable before God spiritually.

A vote to leave should not be considered to be a rejection of Europe's people or our mandate to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. A Brexit should not mean descent into national introspection and 'little Englander' protectionism. A Prophecy Today UK reader reminded us that in 1947, Smith Wigglesworth (an outstandingly anointed man of God and pioneer of the Pentecostal movement) prophesied about the UK and Europe:

When the Word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest movement of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed the world, has ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and the Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring of God's Spirit will flow over from the UK to the mainland of Europe, and from there will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth.¹²

We do not need to remain politically and economically bound to Europe to forge strong spiritual ties. When we were a self-determining nation trading across the world, we led the world in missionary endeavour. Let's seek spiritual union with Christians across Europe but leave an increasingly ungodly political union.

UNGODLY LAWS PASSED IN BRITAIN SINCE 1950

1. 1951: The Fraudulent Mediums Act (Deut 18:10-13) which abolished The Witchcraft Act This legalised witchcraft in Britain which had previously been banned for centuries and made all occult arts legal. Through this Act Britain allowed all kinds of spiritual activities to be acceptable. Alien spirits and witchcraft activities are offensive to God and we are severely warned against them in Scripture. In Romans 1:23-29 Paul says that idolatry is the first step in the corruption of human civilisation which leads to "sexual impurity" and other "shameful lusts" and "every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity".
2. 1959: The Obscene Publications Act (Mark 7:21-23) was a very weak Act and had the effect of making it more difficult to prosecute pornographers, as lawyers had to prove that the publications had "a tendency to corrupt and deprave". Defence lawyers were able to ask the jury if they had been corrupted and depraved by exposure to a book, film or video. Most jurors did not want to say that they had been 'depraved'. The defence were able to claim that it was a 'public good' and an 'educational' value. The Act's Amendment in 1977 (Col 3:5-6) and The Broadcasting Act 1990 extended the law to cinema and television respectively, preparing the way for the Internet. This Act allowed all kinds of offences to be screened into our homes that certainly are an offence to God.
3. 1965: The Murder (Abolition of the Death Penalty) Act (Lev 24:17-22) removed the death penalty from the Statute Book for all kinds of murder and sent a message through the nation about the social acceptability of violence.
4. 1967: The Abortion Act (Gen 4:10-11). We had abolished the death penalty for murder but in 1967 we said it was acceptable to murder unborn babies. Doctors were now allowed to perform abortions if they complied with certain conditions. About 450 abortions take place daily in British hospitals, bringing to more than 6 million the number of unborn children killed since abortions became legal.
5. 1967: The Sexual Offences Act (Lev 18:22, Rom 1:22-27) was a further offence to God and directly against the Word of God where homosexual practices are said to be detestable to God. It decriminalised homosexual acts between consenting men over the age of 21, if done in private. (a) In 1994, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act reduced to 18 the homosexual age of consent. (b) In 2000, the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act equalised the age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual sex at 16. This Amendment Act was brought in against the wish of the vast majority of the population and against the stern opposition of the House of Lords. The Government used the Parliament Act, which is only to be used for extreme measures of constitutional importance, to drive this through. This virtually abolished Clause 28 and allowed homosexual acts to take place between young people of sixteen years of age and upwards. Both boys and girls were thus allowed to be exposed to paedophiles and sexual predators and children in schools were taught that all forms of sexual intercourse were allowable according to each individual's wishes.
6. 1967: The Obscene Publications Act Amendment (Eph 5:4-6, Rom 13:13) further opened the way for all kinds of pornography and literature to be published of an explicit sexual nature.
7. 1968: The Theatres Act (Prov 15:26, 1 Thess 4:7) abolished 'censorship of the theatre', although the public performance of plays requires licensing, and obscene performances are prohibited. This Act allowed nudity and all kinds of explicit sexual acts on stage. The effects of this Act in removing censorship were long-lasting and soon began to have a wide effect upon the arts and media.
8. 1969: The Divorce Reform Act (Mark 10:2-12) introduced the principle of the irretrievable breakdown of marriage as the sole ground for divorce, to be proved by adultery, unreasonable behaviour, or desertion; or by two years separation with consent to a divorce, or five years separation without consent to a divorce. In other words, it opened the way for easy divorce – the floodgates were opened by this Act for widespread marriage breakdown.
9. 1972: The European Communities Act, the EC (Amendment Acts of 1986 and of 1993) (Ps 9:10,17) took Britain into the European Economic Community (EEC), and by which the Single Market and Maastricht Treaty both became law. All these measures contributed to increased political control over Britain by unelected non-nationals in Europe.
10. 1989: The Children Act (Ps 127:3-5). Despite the good intention of this Act to increase the protection of children, it had the fundamental effect of removing the traditional concept that parents are the best judges of their children's welfare. Grandparents were no longer recognised in the kin structure of the family that were reduced to 'significant others', thus promoting the breakdown of traditional family life.
11. 1990 Amendment to the Abortion Act (Jer 7:31, Ps 106:37-38) reduced the age at which an unborn baby could be aborted to twenty weeks and legalised the abortion of 'disabled' babies at a much later stage than that. King David spoke about God knitting him together in his mother's womb and Jeremiah speaks about being called into ministry from the time of his conception (Jer 1:5). This Act showed our society's total disregard for the principle that life is sacred as the gift of God.
12. 1990: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (Ecc 11:5) legalised the creation of embryos for experimentation or storage in laboratories. This Act also amended the Abortion Act 1967, resulting in abortion on demand for handicapped babies right up to the time of birth.
13. 1993: The Sunday Trading Act (Ex 20:8-11) allowed widespread trading on Sundays which was directly against God's command to observe a Sabbath day, a day of rest each week. There was a marked increase in the number of shops opening on Sunday (20% of all shops in October 1994, and 54% by July 1999). It produced an acceleration in the closure of neighbourhood shops, an expansion of Sunday work and general increase in traffic and pollution. Sunday became just another day like any other day which inevitably weakened family life and reduced church attendance.
14. 1994: The National Lottery Act (1 Tim 6:10) instituted a state national lottery. It pays out 50% of its taking to winners, but is an intrinsically regressive form of voluntary taxation, as the burden falls most heavily on the poor. Further, many of the 'good cause' recipients, who receive 28% of the takings, have agendas wholly opposed to Biblical values. The National Lottery has become an obsession for millions of people wanting to get rich quick and it encourages people to gamble, often with money they cannot afford.
15. 1995: Licensing Sunday Hours Act (Deut 12:5, Mark 2:17) virtually abolished Sunday observance and was another direct Act against the Word of God – more or less legalising anything to happen on Sundays, but with some restrictions on the number of hours that shops could open for business.
16. 1995: Removing Prohibitions on Advertisements (Rom 1:24) legalised sexually explicit images that had previously been regarded as obscene. It marked yet another stage in the corruption of society by exposing the nation to obscenities.
17. 1996: The Family Law Act (Mal 2:16) replaced the five grounds for divorce in the Divorce Reform Act 1969 with a so-called 'no-fault' divorce system. The Lord Chancellor announced in 2001 that this part of the Family Law Act would not be brought into effect and would be repealed in due course.
18. 1997: The Amsterdam Treaty (Ps 2:1-2) further eroded national sovereignty, bringing Britain increasingly under the rule of a humanist, anti-Christian code of law. This was one more step in Britain being ruled from Brussels rather than by our own elected Members of Parliament. It was selling our birthright for a mess of pottage.
19. 1999: The Finance Act (Is 61:8) scrapped the already low value of the Married Person's Allowance for the tax year 2000/2001, thereby signalling the government's lack of esteem for marriage. It was a further step towards the degradation of marriage and the breakup of family life in Britain.
20. 2001: Regulations to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (Ex 23:7) permitted embryo research for developing treatments for serious diseases. Effectively, this allows cloning of human embryos and experimenting with creating human life.
21. 2004: The Civil Partnership Act (Matt 19:5, Eph 5:3) granted civil partnerships in the United Kingdom rights and responsibilities very similar to that of civil marriage. Civil partners have the same property rights as married heterosexual couples with the same pension benefits and social security rights. They also have the rights of parental responsibility for partner's children as well as 'tenancy' and 'next of kin' rights with a formal process for dissolving partnerships which is similar to divorce in the case of marriage.
22. 2004: The Gender Recognition Act (Gen 2:23, Is 5:20) granted transsexual people legal recognition as members of the sex opposite to their birth gender, either male or female. This allowed them to acquire a new birth certificate recognising their new gender within the law and allowing them to marry a person of the opposite sex. The Act required applicants to have transitioned two years before the issue of a certificate but it made no requirement for sex reassignment surgery to have taken place. The act was a further assault on God's act of creation of human beings in his own image, both male and female.
23. 2013: The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act (Rom 1:6-27, 1 Cor 7) redefined traditional marriage which had always been between a man and a woman. It allowed two persons of the same gender to enter into legally recognised marriage. This Act crossed a red line in British parliamentary history. It passed a law that directly contradicted God's act of creation in creating men and women as complementary human beings to be united in a faithful marriage covenant through which the physical expression of love would produce the procreation of children to ensure the health and well-being of future generations of the human race. The passing of this Act was said to be under strong duress from the European Union upon British politicians.

This list of unGodly laws is published as a pamphlet by Issachar Ministries (reproduced here with permission). It is available on application to www.issacharministries.co.uk - or ring (01767) 223270.

References

1 "The Council of Europe, founded in 1949, is a regional intergovernmental organisation whose stated goal is to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in its 47 member states, covering 820 million citizens. The organisation is separate from the 28-nation European Union, though sometimes confused with it, in part because they share the European flag. Unlike the European Union, the Council of Europe cannot make binding laws." Taken from The Council of Europe, Wikipedia.

2 Girl who fought for unborn babies has to pay costs of £50,000. HEART of Sussex, 3 February 2016.

3 Luke 21:20 was a warning about the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 AD. However, Hebrew prophecy has more than one application and so this is often applied to the end times as well.

4 Anderson, MJ. Ungodly Ways: The Dark Side of the European Union. CRISIS Magazine, 1 June 2003.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

7 Ibid.

8 Read the Treaty by following this link.

9 See the Christian Legal Centre website.

10 Christian student expelled from social work course over views on marriage. News release, Christian Concern, 27 February 2016.

11 See for example Pancevski, B. £11.5bn of EU aid 'lost to incompetence and graft'. The Sunday Times, 17 January 2016.

12 We are grateful to a reader of the website for reminding us of this.