Majority of Britons Want to Leave the EU after Paris Attacks: opinion poll

By Reuters 24 Nov, 2015 06:11 EST

people pause to observe a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Paris shootings, at Liverpool Street Station in London, Britain November 16, 2015. Reuters

More than half of Britons want to leave the European Union as voter anxiety over the bloc's security was stoked by Islamist militant attacks on Paris that killed 130 people, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday.

Prime Minister David Cameron is trying to win concessions from other leaders ahead of a referendum on British membership which he has promised by the end of 2017, though polls show British perceptions of the EU are volatile.

A survey of 2,000 people carried out by the ORB pollster for the Independent newspaper showed 52 percent of British voters wanted to leave while 48 percent wanted to stay.

Previous surveys by the pollster showed a majority of British voters supported remaining in the bloc, but support for staying has fallen by 7 percentage points since June.

"It is the first movement we have seen in six months in the data and clearly a backlash to the events in Paris," Johnny Heald, managing director of ORB International, said in an emailed response to questions about the poll.

"Many feel as if Europe has failed to protect their borders, the result of which has been bloodshed on the streets of Paris. We need to wait a few months to see whether this is a knee-jerk reaction or whether the tide is turning," he said.

A British divorce would shake the bloc to its core, ripping away its second largest economy and one of its top two military powers. Pro-Europeans warn an exit from the EU would hurt Britain's economy and could trigger the break-up of the United Kingdom by prompting another Scottish independence vote.

Opponents of membership say those fears are overblown and that Britain and London's financial center could prosper if it moved away from the stagnating economies of Western Europe and threw off what they view as onerous EU regulations and red tape.

The ORB poll showed support for leaving was highest among those aged over 55 and lowest among those aged 18-24. Scotland and Wales were the most pro-European parts of Britain while the south west of England was the most euroskeptic part.

Opinion polls before the attacks in Paris had shown British support for staying in the European Union was falling as concerns grew about the bloc's handling of a crisis provoked by an influx of migrants into Europe.

Earlier this month, British Prime Minister David Cameron launched his attempt to reform the 28-member bloc ahead of a referendum on whether Britain should remain an EU member.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

In order an effort to promote traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, in collaboration with Macao YMCA, Guangzhou Suigang'ao Teenagers Institute, and the Teacher Chang Foundation of Taiwan, has conducted a survey on teens measuring their cultural awareness. They found that Hong Kong youths generally identify with and support the values of traditional Chinese culture.
Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.
Yesterday, October 31, was Reformation Day, and Lutherans around the world held various events in commemoration. In Singapore, the Lutheran Church advocated for Christian communion, while the German Lutheran Church encouraged believers to face the challenge of “trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time.”
Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.
2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation
In the afternoon of Reformation Sunday, Oct. 27, some 2.1 million Christians gathered for a joint worship service from 2pm to 5pm in Seoul, Korea to “unite for repentance, revival, and restoration of holiness in our society.” According to organizers, an estimated 1.1 million joined onsite despite the bad weather with another 1 million joining online. The unprecedented joint worship service brought together Korean churches across denominations as they affirmed traditional marriage and family and
Willow Creek Community Church invites believers to write prayer cards for the next president
This past Sunday, Willow Creek Community Church based in Illinois invited believers to “pray for the next president” during the service. The church not only expressed its concern for the upcoming election but also emphasized the role believers should play in the process and the importance of offering prayers for the nation's leaders.

Majority of Britons Want to Leave the EU after Paris Attacks: opinion poll

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues

2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.