I wanted everyone in the Public Religion Research community to know about an several ways that the religious community is speaking out in support of health care reform and about a unique opportunity to participate in a national call with President Obama.

Invitation: President Obama call with America’s Faith Community

Most prominently, President Obama has accepted an invitation to participate in a nationwide call-in about health care reform with America’s faith community. Everyone is welcome to listen-in on this call.

The call is part of “40 Days for Health Reform,” a coordinated effort by a range of religious groups to ensure that Congress passes reform legislation that extends quality, affordable health care to every American family. President Obama will join key religious leaders and people of faith across America on a call in and audio webcast on health care reform on August 19 at 5:00 p.m. ET. The call and “40 Days for Health Reform” is sponsored by an unprecedented coalition of more than 25 religious denominations and organizations who work for social justice and the common good. More information about the call is available at faithforhealth.org.

What: Nationwide Call-in with President Obama on Health Care Reform

Who’s Invited: You

When: Wednesday, August 19, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

How to call in: Visit faithforhealth.org to register and receive call-in information.

Jews for Health Care Reform

The Jewish community is also raising a distinctively Jewish voice for universal, affordable, accessible health care.  The new site, www.jewsforhealthcarereform.org, calls on Jews to “get in the game” and outlines the motivation for Jews to be involved in the debate:

Because we care for justice, and a system that leaves millions of us uninsured and millions more underinsured is not just. Jewish tradition teaches that an individual human life is of infinite value and its preservation supersedes almost all other considerations. It’s that simple, and that crucial.

The effort is sponsored by the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism (The RAC) and contains a petition, a guide to the health care debate, and other resources. Here’s Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the RAC, talking about the religious imperative to extend health care to “all of God’s children.”

New National Television Ad Supporting Health Care Reform from a Religious Perspective

You can also check out a new national television ad featuring local evangelical, Catholic, and mainline pastors, and people of faith talking about the connection between their religious beliefs and health care reform. The ad is sponsored by Faithful America, PICO National Network, Sojourners, and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

National Health Care Sermon Weekend

Finally, “40 Days for Health Care Reform” will include the weekend of August 28-30 as National Health Care Sermon Weekend.  On this weekend, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other clergy will preach about health care reform from the perspectives of their religious traditions in congregations nationwide.

All of these events are clear indicators that progressive religious leaders and organizations are finding their voice and speaking out in powerful ways to challenge our leaders to work for basic justice for all and to be a force for healing not only for a broken health care system but for a broken world.