FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” is Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for his unconstitutional threats to remove members of the public for remaining seated during the state Senate’s opening invocation.
Last week, during the Senate’s Aug. 15 session, Patrick admonished people in the public gallery who did not stand during Sen. Angela Paxton’s Christian invocation: “In the name of Jesus, who has saved us, who keeps us safe, and who is coming again.” Reportedly, only a handful of observers and protesters remained seated during the invocation, but, even if every person present chose not to stand, Patrick would still have no constitutional grounds to threaten the public gallery.
“For those of you who didn’t stand, next time you come to the gallery, you stand for the invocation,” Patrick reprimanded. “It’s respecting the Senate.” He then underscored an unconstitutional threat: “If you don’t stand for the invocation, I’ll have you removed.” Patrick added, “We asked you to stand. I’ve never seen a gallery ever have any members in my 17 years of people who refused to stand for the invocation. It will not be tolerated.
FFRF Action Fund’s parent organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, promptly sent Patrick’s office a letter asking the lieutenant governor to retract his unconstitutional remarks.
“Ordering attendees to stand during a religious exercise is unconstitutionally compelling their participation in religious activity,” FFRF legal counsel Chris Line wrote. “Conditioning access to government on religious conformity violates the Establishment Clause and the First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion.”
Notably, while serving as a state senator, Patrick walked out of the Senate while a Muslim cleric delivered an invocation in 2007, remarking that remaining in the chamber and standing would have been “endorsing” Islam. “I think that it’s important that we are tolerant as a people of all faiths, but that doesn’t mean we have to endorse all faiths,” Patrick said about the incident. “I surely believe that everyone should have the right to speak, but I didn’t want my attendance on the floor to appear that I was endorsing that.” Going by this logic, Patrick seemingly wants every member of the public attending Texan legislative proceedings to “endorse” Christianity by standing during a Christian invocation.
Patrick is serving as the chair of Trump’s so-called “Religious Liberty Commission,” which is going far beyond its stated purpose of preserving “religious liberty compliance” and “amplifying the voices of faith leaders” in public policy. The Patrick-led commission is actively working to erode the separation of state and church by advancing religious privilege and a Christian nationalist agenda. It is undeniably a part of the Trump administration’s concentrated effort to end the so-called “anti-Christian weaponization of government and unlawful targeting of Christians.” Patrick was named FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” in May for his work on the commission.
Patrick’s website also boasts that he placed “In God We Trust” in the state Senate and “Under God” in the Texas Pledge. He clearly wants to install Christianity in every facet of Texas governmental proceedings, which the Texas Legislature worked overtime to accomplish during its latest legislative session.
Despite Texas’ efforts to privilege Christianity, it is blatantly unconstitutional to threaten to remove citizens from the Senate chamber for not standing during official prayers. Patrick must retract his threats and make it clear that religious coercion has no place in government.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.