Well, it is certainly inspired by European reformation. But there is a place called violet hill in Hong Kong which wz d site of War of Hong Kong btwn Brits & Japs whch bgan on 8 Dec 1941 & ended on christmas day & it wz snowing then. So this might hv set tone fr religious implications in the song. Also bout Banks=cathedrals. Brits lost the war coz they bcame bankrupt though they did collect funds by making d preists persuade people 2 donate(& join the army). And capt of sum sinkin ship. Brits wer predicted 2 los b4 the war even startd(Hk wz ill prepared for battle).