As the founder of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Kevin Seamus Hasson has spent more than twenty years at the forefront of the war on religious freedom. His book, The Right to Be Wrong (Image Books, August 14, 2012), presents a freedom to which all people are entitled: the right to follow where our consciences lead, even if our consciences are mistaken.
Protecting Religious Liberty by Preserving Every Person’s Right to be Wrong
Our common humanity, Hasson argues, entitles us all to this freedom—within broad limits—to follow what we believe to be true. It is imperative that this indispensable right be guarded by all people, both religious and secular alike. For when this basic element of religious liberty is threatened for one, it is threatened for all.
Drawing on a series of stories, both contemporary and historical, Hasson narrates the struggle to define religious freedom in America. From the earliest days of this country’s history, there has been a culture war over religion that has only escalated in recent days with events such as the Obama administration’s HHS mandate. The only hope of ending the feud over religion exists in our ability to respect the right each person has to observe his or her beliefs; no matter how misguided you consider another to be. In other words, everyone has the right to be wrong.
KEVIN SEAMUS HASSON is the founder and President Emeritus of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonpartisan, interfaith, public-interest law firm that protects the free expression of all religious traditions. He is a widely respected voice in the media, and has been quoted by The New York Times, USA Today, The Huffington Post, NPR, CNN, Fox, and others. Hasson is the recent recipient of the Heritage Foundation’s Salvatori Prize, the Canterbury Medal, and an honorary doctorate from both the Catholic University of America and the University of Notre Dame, where he also holds a law degree and M.A. in Theology. He lives with his wife, Mary, and their children in Fairfax County, Virginia.
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