Mon May 21, 2007 5:26PM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders are urging
President George W. Bush and Congress to take action against global
warming, declaring that the changing climate is a "moral and spiritual
issue."

In an open letter to be published on Tuesday, more than 20 religious
groups urged U.S. leaders to limit greenhouse gas emissions and invest
in renewable energy sources.

"Global warming is real, it is human-induced and we have the
responsibility to act," says the letter, which will run in Roll Call and
the Politico, two Capitol Hill newspapers.

"We are mobilizing a religious force that will persuade our legislators
to take immediate action to curb greenhouse gases," it says.

The letter is signed by top officials of the National Council of
Churches, the Islamic Society of North America and the political arm of
the Reform branch of Judaism.

Top officials from several mainline Christian denominations, including
the Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church,
African Methodist Episcopal Church and Alliance of Baptists also signed
the letter, along with leaders of regional organizations and individual
churches.

Rev. Joel Hunter, a board member of the National Association of
Evangelicals, also signed the letter, though that group has not
officially taken a stance on global warming due to opposition from some
of its more conservative members.