Over on Religion Dispatches, Emory prof. Gordon Newby has a piece decrying the “silence of religious voices” on behalf of health care reform. That’s evidence that Newby hasn’t been listening very hard. Quite a few religious voices have been raised for those with ears to hear–or more accurately, with eyes to scan. Coalitions have formed, conference calls held, lobbying has been done, statements issued. Has all this come through the clutter of town hall meeting protests and pro-life opposition? Not so much. But the bigger problem is that progressive religious folks don’t have the institutional throw weight these days to make themselves a force in the land. We’re a long way from the days of the civil rights movement.