Architects of our own destiny?
- 2016-04-21
- By ReimaginingEurope
- Posted in Guy Brandon, Sovereignty
The question of Britain’s ‘sovereignty’ in the context of the EU is an interesting and tricky one for Christians.
The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 shows that the Bible does recognise national boundaries, languages, cultural and ethnic identities as having some importance – though, of course, this doesn’t prove that such boundaries are prescriptive and desirable, only descriptive. This, it simply could be read, is the way the chips fell in the generations after the Ark landed, not God’s explicit instructions to future cartographers and practitioners of international law.
National identity and the ability for self-determination were fundamental to Israel’s own formation and history. It was only possible for Israel to enforce its God-given Law when it had autonomy, which was not the case in Egypt and which the Israelites lost following subjugation by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans in successive waves of invasion from the 8th century onwards. Hence the Jewish authorities relied on the Romans to put Jesus to death, because ‘we have no right to execute anyone’ (John 18:31 – Roman occupation impacted their ability to do the wrong thing, as well as the right thing, something we might remember). In the same way, the UK can only enact laws that fully reflect its own values and work in its interests if it denies the right for another body (Brussels) to appropriate part of its sovereignty.
At the same time, placing national identity above our identity in Christ should raise a warning flag. Our own legal system might be underpinned by biblical foundations and Christian heritage, but it is not God-given. Sovereignty should not be absolutised, whether the issue is approached from a practical or spiritual direction.
The question mirrors, on the national scale, our view of our own personal autonomy. To what extent do we see ourselves as the architects of our own destiny? We all make personal compromises in the interests of living together. As Freud remarked, ‘civilisation is built on the renunciation of instinct’. For the Christian, there is the added dimension that we have been purchased by Christ’s death (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and are free – not to do anything we choose, but to ‘serve one another in love’ (Galatians 5:13-15)
So, should we give up a degree of national autonomy in the interests of the common good? As ever, the question is not cut-and-dried. There may be benefits we enjoy, such as guarantees around freedom of religion, which we would no longer have if we withdrew from the EU. Christians might contemplate the risks of withdrawing from such protections, as well as the attractions of being masters of our own destiny.
About the author
Guy Brandon is the Research Director at the Jubilee Centre in Cambridge. He joined the Jubilee Centre in 2006 as a part-time researcher and author and is now its Research Director and resident author. He is a trained counsellor and freelance writer, and has a degree, MPhil and PhD in Old Testament theology from Cambridge University. He is married with two children.
Loading ...
I would point out, that before we joined the EU, one rarely heard of any problems with freedom of religion in the UK.
Admittedly, Christianity, was a more dominant faith then, than now.
It is only in recent years, we have had a problem.
I am not attributing that to the EU, but it certainly has not helped, but the root cause of course, is our nation turning away from God, and that is not helped by EU membership.
Remember, that most EU countries, are mainly Catholic, and if you ask for a Anglican Church, in a Tourist Information, in France, they will look it up in the Cults section, where it will be listed, alongside Moonies, JW’s, Mormons, etc. I suspect it is much the same elsewhere.
So to be an Anglican in the EEC, tends to be looked down upon.
We even found that, when we lived in a Lutheran area of Germany, where they thank the UK for 2 things.
Firstly, for helping them to beat us at football, by fielding four weak teams, (England, NI, Scotland & Wales) instead of one stronger UK team.
Second, for paying far more to be in the EU, than other nations.
Nowhere in the Bible, does God say, Give away your sovereignty, to others.
As it stands, the UK is a vassal state, much as Vichy France was to Nazi Germany, or Judea to Rome, though I recognise the relationship is different, the EU having conquered us by means other than military..
Dear me! I really do think that your comparison that Vichy was to Nazi Germany that the Uk is to the EU, is quite unworthy of a Christian as well as being absurd. The suggestion that the the EU is equivalent to Nazi Germany is beyond the arena of rational discussion and does no credit to the credibility of those who argue for the UK to leave the EU.
One little point, quite amusing really, is that your suggestion that the Church of England is regarded as a cult is a misunderstanding of the French word ‘culte’ which is merely the word normally used for faith or religion as in ‘le culte catholique’ or ‘le culte anglicane’.!
Having worshipped in Anglican churches on the continent for many years in the past and in the present, I can assure you that they are warmly regarded by sister churches as part of the Christian heritage of Europe.
Why would we no longer enjoy religious freedom if we left the EU ?
A foundation for Christian thinking about the world, its nations and politics is that God alone is sovereign and requires our allegiance before all other claims to sovereignty. Ideologies, empires, nation states can claim only a limited allegiance from Christians. God is God of all nations and shows no preference between them. God’s concern is that individuals, communities and organisations should seek to do God’s will.
Some refer to God’s covenant with Israel as an example of God’s preference for the nation state, but this is not correct and taken to its logical extreme has British Israel as the recipient of God’s special favour. The Hebrew Bible sees Israel as a people called to a particular task and decreasingly as the God of Israel simply more powerful than the gods of other nations round about. The special task is to be a light to the nations, an exemplar of justice, concern for the poor and those specified in Isaiah 61
Jesus takes on this mantle and develops it through his encounter with the Greek pagan woman and in his approach to the Samaritans and the Roman centurion. Nationality, ethnic origin and religious upbringing have no particular importance and the rest of the New Testament is the story of the rejection of the particularities of earthly structures in favour of the Lordship of Jesus over all.
Human organisational structures are always of secondary significance and we see very clearly through the ages and not least in the Wars of religion of the 17th century what the close association of state and religion can bring about. We see the consequences of giving a primary role to the nation state in the wars of the 19th and especially 20th centuries in Europe and the consequences of nationalism on the peoples of the European empires. The tragedy has been that in finding their independence, they have so often mimicked the worship of the nation state.
Any organisation is worthy of respect only to the extent that it enshrines and carries though the principles of Isaiah 61 and Jesus’ taking on of them himself. No claim per se can be made for national sovereignty by a Christian, and any claim that is made which is founded on the principles of Isaiah 61 will always be secondary to the claim of God upon the allegiance of all peoples.
In the present world in which we live, which is interdependent, fragile, unstable and existentially high risk, the likelihood is that where relationship, partnership, communion and union are to be found, there will be the characteristics of the Kingdom of God
John, it’s becoming apparent that you’re not interested in facts (as an example we don’t pay “far more to be in the EU, than other nations” - Germany, France and Italy pay more than we do) or even in engaging in discussion. So I’m simply going to quote Godwin’s law which I’m afraid means that you’ve lost https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law