World News and Trends: Could Britain leave the European Union?
Columnist Mark Steyn stated that "poll after poll shows that up to half the British electorate wants out of the EU" (The Daily Telegraph).
This surprising figure is undergirded by the stunning success of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in the recent European Union parliamentary elections. This British party advocates the United Kingdom leaving the European Union and then negotiating a fresh trade treaty with it.
Several popular British columnists and journalists do not, however, believe that Britain will leave the EU any time soon. Consider just two examples. Peter Riddell's political briefing editorial was titled: "Baloney! Britain is not on its way out of Europe." He continued in the same vein in the column: "Britain is destined to remain a perpetually awkward partner in the European Union."
Fellow columnist Tim Hames predicted a short life for the UKIP. To indicate his reasons, he wrote: "History hints that these sorts of movements when suddenly flushed with success ... soon get intoxicated with it. There are personality feuds, policy disputes and the rhetoric becoming wilder in an attempt to retain attention."
The conventional wisdom of journalists and even politicians is not always on target, however. Our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy shows that the British peoples are in reality descendants of Joseph, great grandson of the biblical patriarch Abraham.
Those who have watched the gradual fulfillment of biblical prophecy in Europe have long wondered whether Britain would remain in the EU. Some have thought Britain might eventually leave voluntarily; others have speculated that she might be thrown out. Currently the United Kingdom imports vastly more goods both in number and value from the Continent than the U.K. exports there—indicating the EU may now need Britain more than the other way around. Britain is one of Europe's best customers.
This historic, continuously developing saga of cross-channel conflicts and difficulties has many strands, such as the argument over the contents of the new European constitution. The recurring friction between the United Kingdom and the EU over many aspects of sovereignty indicates that the two have very different legal and cultural traditions. The story bears watching in the light of Bible prophecy.
To understand the vital historical and biblical background of this situation, request the free booklets The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy and The Book of Revelation Unveiled. (Sources: The Daily Telegraph, The Times [London].)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: July - August 2004
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
