Report: Americans Hold Different Views of What "Religious" Means
There is a lopsided divide in America about what it means to be a religious person, with a majority believing that it's about acting morally but a strong minority equating it with faith.

Nearly six out of 10 Americans (59 percent) say that bein a religious person "is primarily about living a good life and doing the right thing," as opposed to the more than one-third (36 percent) who hold that being religious "is primarily about having faith and the right beliefs."

The findings, released July 18, are part of a report by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution that aims to paint a more nuanced picture of the American religious landscape, and the religious left in particular.

Robert P. Jones, CEO of PRRI, said that Americans' two views of what makes a person religious harken back to the Protestant Reformation and to the Bible itself.  " This has been a perennial debate through the ages in Christianity," said Jones.  "The Pauine literature, especially in the Book of Romans, makes the case for religious justification by faith alone, while the book of James seems to state the very opposite  -  'faith without works is dead.'"

Martin Luther, who sparked the ProtestantReformation in 1517, taught that faith alone  -  not "good works"  -  brings salvation.  "We were curious to see whether this theological debate still has any traction in American religion," Jons said.  "And, lo and behold, it's still with us todayh."  But he noted that oneside prevails, with those who believe that action defines religiousness outnumbering by nearly 2-1 those who think the key element is faith.


Busiest Abortion Clinic in Virginia Closes Thanks to Pro-Life Law
The busiest abortion business in Virginia is closing, thanks to pro-life laws requiring abotion facilities to meet stricter health and safety standards, LifeNews.com reports.  Nova Women's Healthcare in Fairfax, a clinic with a history of botched abortions and at least one patient death, was forced to close after state lawmakers adopted new pro-life laws holding abortion clinics accountable for putting women's health at risk.  Nova's lease in its current location was terminated via a lawsuit by the property owners on the grounds that the abortion clinic created a nuisance.  Nova had previously applied for a building permit but was denied because it was one parking space short of compliance with city ordinances.  It attempted to reapply as a "health spa" to circumvent the need for the additional space, but the city manager saw through the ruse and again denied the application. 
Alena Yarmosky, a spokeswoman for NARL Pro-Choice Virginia, said Nova "was trying to relocate because they couldn't stay where they were, because of the new regulations.....The fact they were forced to move, that's a testament to the barriers these providers face."  Nova did 3,066 abortions in 2012 and 3,567 in 2011  -  making it so the pro-life law putting stricter abortion regulations in place is already saving the lives of thousands of unborn children.  This closure is one of 30 abortion clinics to close in 2013 alone, more than doubling the number of closures over all of last year.

Pastor Saeed Marks 300 Days in Iranian Prison
July 25 marked the 300th day that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been imprisoned in Iran for his faith,CBN News reports.  The 33-year-old pastor finally received medical treatment Saturday after suffering for months from injuries inflicted by prison guards.  He was taken to a private hospital where he was examined and prescribed medication.  Pastor Saeed was convicted and sentenced to eight years in Iran's brutal Evin prison because of his Christian faith, and has been beaten,subjected to intense interrogations and threatened with death.  His wife, Naghmeh Abedini, said she was thankful for the support and prayers for her husband's release.  The American Center for Law and Justice is representing Pastor Saeed's wife and two young children, who live in the United States.

House Rejects Call to Allow Nonreligious Military Chaplains
House lawmakers late July 23 approved an amendment to a Pentagon spending bill to prevent the appointment of nonreligious military chaplains.  The amendment,sponsored by Rep. John C.Fleming,R-La., requires that only religious organizations be permitted to endorse chaplains for the military.  "The amendment holds the military to its current standards on endorsing agencies, which must be recognized religious and faith-based organizations," said Fleming's spokesman, Doug Saachtieben.

Currently,the Department of Defense recognizes more than 200 endorsing agents, all of them based on a belief in God  But there has been a recent push by Humanists, who do not recognize a supernatural divinity, to endorse their own military chaplains.  It is unclear if the amendment will affect the application of Jason Heap to become the Navy's first Humanist chaplain.  Heap, a 38-year-old graduate of Brite Divinity School and Oxford University, has the endorsement of the Humanist Society.  His supporters are asking the Navy to add the society to its list of endorsers and appoint Heap a chaplain.

Jason Torpy, presidnet of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, points out that military regulations already require that chaplains be endorsed  -  and not necessarily by an organization of believes in a divinity.  "The language of the amendment only requires adherenceto the applicable instruction, which in no way restricts chaplains to only those who believe in some higher power," he said.  "Their amendment does nothing, so there's nothing to be done in response.  It just shows their ignorance about atheists, humanists, and military regulations."
  (articles from www.religiontoday@crosswalkmail.com)