Faithful Reform in Health Care

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President Obama

Your Senators

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Next
Conference Call

Wed, Feb. 10 ~ 2 pm EST

Agenda:
* Update on the path forward
* Interfaith Virtual Vigil of Prayer, Hope, and Action
* Congressional recess actions
* What we have to do
RSVP

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A Guide for Advocates
in Faith Communities

To help people of faith consider U.S. health care and paths to reform through the lens of faith values. Available in print and web versions.

ABOUT THE GUIDE
SAMPLE PAGES
ORDER NOW
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Watch a video
of faith leaders speaking
about health care reform

Please make a donation - small or large - and join others who are working to raise a faith-inspired vision for health care. Your support NOW will increase the coalition's presence in the work for REAL health care reform THIS YEAR! Help us all be the change agents we are meant to be. Your donation WILL make a difference!

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140,000 people of faith
join historic Aug. 19

conference call
with faith leaders

and President Obama

Listen to the recording
Press Statement
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Health Care Reform 2010: Seeking a Moral Vision

NEW POWERPOINT PRESENTATION RELEASED

View, use, and share the new PowerPoint presentation produced to help people of faith understand what we've accomplished, where we are, and possible steps forward in health care reform. It is grounded in our goal to keep a moral vision front and center as we push toward the finish line.
View the PowerPoint View the PDF version Download a PowerPoint viewer

Interfaith sign-on letter underway

"A Call for Political Courage, Vision, Leadership, and Faith"

"A Call for Political Courage, Vision, Leadership, and Faith" has been launched as an online sign-on letter to enable people of faith to urge Congress to “take heart and move meaningful health care reform forward.” Nearly sixty national and state/regional organizations have signed the letter, which was originally delivered to Congress on January 25. View the list of signers.

The letter remains open for faith organizations, and individuals are now urged to sign on, as well. Our voices of faith are needed more than ever. While we support a variety of policy priorities, we are united in our belief that meaningful health care reform must be completed this year "on behalf of the millions who are left out and left behind in our current health care system."

Read the letter and sign on today

hands&light Interfaith Virtual Vigil of Prayer, Hope, and Action

Now until health care legislation is passed!

We are SO close to enacting historic health care reform in the United States. But we aren't there yet, and we still have the opportunity to move the reform proposals closer to our vision of a health care future that truly includes everyone.

Join people of faith from all over the country in a first-ever Interfaith Virtual Vigil of Prayer, Hope and Action. From now until health care legislation is signed by President Obama, we will pray, offer words of hope, and take action. We intend to have at least one person of faith witnessing for health care reform at some point during every hour 24/7 during the coming weeks.

Virtual Vigil Sign-Up (Jan 31 - Feb 6) Virtual Vigil Sign-Up (Feb 7-14)

Consider what you would like to do -- write a prayer, send a prayer, send a letter, make some phone calls, sponsor a prayer service or vigil -- and sign up for your time by visiting the links above. Once we have sufficient sign-ons for the early days, we'll begin listing names, organizations and events on this website.

A Prayer for Health Care Reform hands-heart

In the presence of all that is holy within and around us, and in the sacred bonds of our common humanity, we give thanks for the life that we share and for our calling to care for each other. We remember our brothers and sisters who suffer or die for lack of needed health care. We confess that we have fallen short in caring for every member of our human family, and that in spite of our abundant resources we have failed to ensure that all may receive the health care they need for the life that is intended for every person. So we pray for forgiveness… for hearts that have been slow to feel another’s pain… for hands that have been still when a healing touch was needed… and for voices that have remained silent while millions suffer for lack of needed health care. May the valleys and the burdens of sickness and disease be conquered as we raise our voices of faith to the simple, moral, and merciful imperative of meeting one another’s health care needs. Amen.

Evaluate Senate & House bills through faith values

"Moral Vision in the Health Care Bills" - the newest r green heart esource to guide reflection on the health care bills through faith values - is now available. The narrative emerges from years of collaboration, conversation, and dialogue with the many faith leaders and organizations that now make up the Faithful Reform in Health Care coalition. It starts and ends with the values found in "A Faith-Inspired Vision of Health Care."

Download your copy today! See also The Public Option , as proposed in the House bill only.

Let Our Light Shine for Health Care for All

People of faith throughout the United States are joining together to Let Our Light Shine for Health Care for All to remember the 45,000 people who die each year -- 123 people per day, 5 per hour -- because they lack insurance that provides access to needed health care. Faithful Reform in Health Care coalition members are holding candlelight vigils and services of remembrance to remember those who have died, to raise hope for our health care future, and to act in support of comprehensive and compassionate reform. Download the resources below to help you plan events for your community of faith.

Send an email today with information about your event. View the list of events across the country

Share the stories of those who died because they did not have needed health care. A new Health Care Stories blog site has been set up to collect the stories. Visit the site to share your story today; share the site link with others and invite them to tell their stories, as well. Tell us your story

Candlelight Prayer Vigil				Service of Remembrance
	Planning Tool Kit	PDF	Word		Planning Tool Kit	PDF	Word
	Publicity/Media Tool Kit	PDF	Word		Publicity/Media Tool Kit	PDF	Word
	New song! Let Our Light Shine

"A Faith-Inspired Vision of Health Care"

Sent to Congress Jan 13 with nearly 200 organizational and over 4000 individual signers. View the cover letter, the Vision Statement, and the list of signers.

Download and print the the Vision Statement, cover letter, and signers, and mail it or deliver it to your Senators' and Representative's district office now!

As people of faith, we envision a society
where each person is afforded
health, wholeness, and human dignity.

That vision embraces a system of health care that is
inclusive... accessible... affordable... and accountable.

Vision ~ Inclusive: Health care is a shared responsibility that is grounded in our common humanity. In the bonds of our human family, we are created to be equal. We are guided by a divine will to treat each person with dignity and to live together as an inclusive community. Affirming our commitment to the common good, we acknowledge our enduring responsibility to care for one another. As we recognize that society is whole only when we care for the most vulnerable among us, we are led to discern the human right to health care and wholeness. Therefore, we are called to act with compassion by sharing our abundant health care resources with everyone.

Vision ~ Affordable: Health care must contribute to the common good by being affordable for individuals, families and society as a whole. We believe that in the sacred act of creation we are endowed with the talents, wisdom and abundant resources necessary to meet the needs of one another, including the health care needs of all. Therefore, in our calling to be faithful stewards, we understand our responsibility to use our health care resources effectively, to administer them efficiently, and to distribute them with equity.

Vision ~ Accessible: All persons should have access to health services that provide necessary care and contribute to wellness. We believe humanity is sacred and that all persons should benefit from those actions which contribute to our health and wholeness. Therefore, we are called to act with justice and love, to ensure that all of us have access to the health care we need in order to live out the fullness of our potential both as individuals and as contributing members of our society. We must work together to identify and overcome all barriers to and disparities in such care.

Vision ~ Accountable: Our health care system must be accountable, offering a quality, equitable and sustainable means of keeping us healthy as individuals and as a community. We believe that as spiritual and sacred vessels, we are responsible for the care of our bodies to the best of our ability and for the care of one another regardless of individual circumstances. Therefore, individuals, families, governments, businesses, and the faith community are called to work in partnership for a system that ensures fully-informed, timely, quality and safe care that treats body, mind and spirit.

Note: Signatures are no longer being collected for a future delivery to Congress. However, all faith groups working on health care reform should feel free to use it in their local and state-based organizing. Just keep Faithful Reform in Health care in the loop about its use!

	Print the Vision Statement (color)
	Print the Vision Statement (b&w)

Daily Sponsors
of the Virtual Vigil

National and state organizations are "sponsoring" a day of the Vigil by engaging their members in prayer and action on a chosen date. View the list to see when your community of faith is participating!

A Prayer of
Thanksgiving & Hope

We give thanks for the abundance of health care resources available in our country. At the same time, we remember our call to be faithful stewards and generous heirs of the gifts we have received. To guide our reflections of thanksgiving and hope, Faithful Reform in Health Care offers a prayer for these days.

Read the prayer