Not a line of inquiry that a hawkish party should want to popularize, but oh well. It’s Bishop Harry Jackson, last seen making this argument to Ed Schultz, back on the air to warn the faithful that universal health care just might be immoral — or “amoral,” as the confused Fox News chyron writer has it. I’m taking the hardnosed conservative position on this one at the expense of atheist principle: If killing the bill means convincing centrists that Jesus will be miffed at the feds for crowding out Christian hospitals, then preach it, rev. Frankly, I’m surprised the Democrats haven’t pushed more of a moral/religious spin on red-staters to try to weaken support among conservatives who are making Blue Dogs’ lives hell. There are worse sales pitches than reminding evangelicals that universal health care means treatment for 47 million people who currently suffer without.

Fun fact about Jackson: Evidently, God told him to support Dubya in 2004. Exit question: Wouldn’t Jesus say that health-care co-ops are actually trojan horses for single-payer? I think he would.

Update: Like I was saying.

Obama is scheduled to address more than 1,000 religious figures in two conference calls, allowing him to extend his message to legions of faithful in the pews.

First up is a “High Holy Day” call this morning with about 1,000 rabbis from Judaism’s Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements. Organizers hope the call will provide fodder for synagogue sermons when the Jewish holidays arrive next month.

“There is a very important moral dimension to this discussion,” said Mark J. Pelavin, associate director of the which invited Obama to join the morning discussion.

The center is a co-sponsor of the second conference call later in the day — pegged as “40 Minutes for Health Reform” — with scores of lay leaders and clergy from Evangelical, Protestant, Catholic and Jewish traditions.