Without certain special interest groups, some issues could slip through the crack of inattention.
Thanks to the Becket Fund, the problems with the HHS mandate in the Obama Care package will not get past the view of the public.
The folks at the Becket Fund understand that religious liberty is the first of all freedoms in America.  It’s the bedrock upon which this nation was founded.  A threat to religious liberty is a threat to our very existence.
The president’s mandate is anathema to the American way.  It would require every employer to make available health insurance to its workers, without regard for the employer’s religious beliefs.  Thus any attempt to make Catholic church agencies pay for health care that would supply birth control and abortifacient inducing drugs should send danger signals to all.
The intelligent and energetic attorneys who work for the Becket Fund identified the threat immediately and have been in the forefront of defending people of faith against this violation of our basic freedoms.
The mandate was issued in August 2011, and the Becket Fund quickly raised the alarm by suing on behalf of both Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic liberal arts college founded by Benedictine monks, and Colorado Christian University, an evangelical college located outside of Denver.
The Becket Fund moves forward with this crucial litigation. On Feb. 9, 2012, it filed on behalf of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), the Catholic TV organization founded 30 years ago by Mother Angelica.  On Feb. 21, it filed on behalf of Ave Maria University, a school dedicated to living the teachings of the Catholic church.
On March 22, the state of Alabama joined the Becket Fund’s lawsuit on behalf of EWTN, defending their citizens’ rights from offer products against their religious beliefs.
For 16 years, Kevin “Seamus” Hasson has been the driving force behind the intellectual and legal activities of The Becket Fund and continues to inspire thousands with the clarion call to defend religious liberty as a basic human right that no government may lawfully deny.
That’s why it was such an honor to attend the black tie gala of The Becket Fund in honor of Hasson last week.  The 17th anniversary Canterbury Medal Dinner was held at the Waldorf-Astoria.  About 500 people filled the Starlight Roof to thank Hasson.
“We thank this man for what he’s done for religious liberty,” said Eric Metaxas, New York Times best-selling author.  “Seamus’s eyes were open to the threat to religious liberty long before it was as brutally pointed as it is today.”
“Now more than ever do we need the work of the Becket Fund,” said Cardinal, Timothy Dolan, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who gave the invocation at the affair..
Among those in attendance at the dinner were Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, Jews and Orthodox Christians.  They were there because they realize that the threats to lives of faith are real these days.  The defense of our basic freedoms rests squarely with the people at the Becket Fund, which is why this year’s Canterbury Medal Dinner was so well attended.
Kevin “Seamus” Hasson, who has been slowed by the onset of Parkinson’s disease, is determined not to rest while there is still a struggle to be overcome.