Prophecy News Watch – November 9 , 2008 - The Bridge Calvary ...

France, which championed the Union, hoped that by basing it on modest regionalprojects, such as cleaning up pollution in the Mediterranean, it would be able to sidestepthe trap of regional disputes.Priorities set out in the declaration include fighting pollution in the Mediterranean, solarenergy, building land and sea highways and cooperation on higher education andresearch.The Marseille accord, clinched after months of tough negotiations, rescues the forumfrom the threat of looming deadlock, but it also amounts to formally recognising tensionsover the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.And the highly-political compromise to create five deputies to the secretary-general is afar cry from the slimmed-down, nimble governing structure at first envisaged for theUnion.From Cross to Crescent in Paris - Islam spreads throughout Europehttp://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/11594589/It's a sight that would shatter most Americans' romanticized image of Paris.Just a 15-minute metro ride from the trendy shops and quaint cafés of the Champs-Elysees, a virtual sea of North and West African Muslims spills out the gates of aneighborhood mosque. Like waves breaking on a beach, their bodies bend in unison ashundreds of men prostrate themselves before Allah. Their prayers are guided by animam's Arabic incantations.The crowd's prayer rugs cover a city block's worth of sidewalk. Tourists point and takepictures. Some French pedestrians are visibly uncomfortable as they negotiate theirway around the assembly.But the scene isn't an aberration. Instead, it's evidence of a trend that's changing theway Southern Baptists view the international mission field: Islam is expanding acrossEurope.From Cross to CrescentFueled by immigration and high birthrates, the number of Muslims on the continent hastripled in the past 30 years, making Islam Europe's fastest growing religion. WhileEuropean Muslims build mosques and win converts, European Christians (excludingevangelicals) are witnessing what's been called a near free-fall decline in churchattendance.Tourists make up the overwhelming majority of those crowding Notre Dame in Paris,snapping photos during Mass as if the cathedral was more museum than place ofworship. Even more alarming are statistics that only 5 percent of the French own a Bible