The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
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The following is a statement quoted from the group's website, with no independent verification:
"The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, interfaith, legal and educational institute dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions. It operates in three arenas: in the courts of law (litigation), in the court of public opinion (media), and in the academy (scholarship).
"The Becket Fund believes that Freedom of religion is a basic human right that no government may lawfully deny; it is not a gift of the state, but instead is rooted in the inherent dignity of the human person. Religious expression (of all traditions) is a natural part of life in civilized society, and religious arguments (on all sides of a question) are a normal and healthy element of public debate. Religious people and institutions are entitled to participate in government affairs on an equal basis with everyone else, and should not be excluded for professing their faith.
"The Becket Fund is named after Thomas à Becket (1118-70 AD), who stood resolutely at the intersection of Church and State. As a friend of King Henry II, Becket served as Chancellor of England and oversaw the laws of the kingdom. But as Archbishop of Canterbury, he steadfastly refused to allow the King to interfere in the Church, and was martyred by the King's knights for defending the principle of religious liberty.
"The Becket Fund is currently defending the Pledge of Allegiance with the words "under God" intact in Newdow v. Carey.
"The Becket Fund runs companion resource websites based on their major activities including litigation on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the freedom for religious organizations to preach without fear of censorship or IRS retribution, the anti-Catholic and nativist Blaine Amendments, and the Becket Fund's activities regarding Sri Lankan religious liberty."
