The FFRF Action Fund declares Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (FRC) its “Theocrat of the Week” for insisting “God’s word” must influence government policy.
In a recent episode of Washington Watch, the daily program hosted by FRC President Tony Perkins, he shows a clip from the council’s “God & Government” six-part civics course, in which he argues that “We have a responsibility to ensure that God’s word is known and that it influences … policy.”
“Is government to be a concern of yours?” Perkins opens the clip, speaking to a room full of people. “I think so, in fact, this is why Paul, writing to Timothy in his first letter, says that we’re to make intercessions in prayers and supplications for our leaders.”
He continues, “And that doesn’t mean the leaders we agree with. In fact, we should be praying more for the leaders we don’t trust and don’t agree with. So that we might live peaceably, peaceable and quiet lives, as Paul wrote to Timothy.
“So we need to be concerned about what’s happening in our government, we need to be concerned about what … the children in our communities are being taught and what they are learning because what they do is going to affect all of us.” Perkins underscores: “And so we have a responsibility to ensure that God’s word is known and that it influences … policy.”
“God & Government” is described as “a video-driven, Bible-based training course that explores the connection between biblical principles and American Government,” equipping “participants with a practical understanding of civil government from a biblical worldview.” It promises to answer questions such as “What does God have to do with the [U.S.] government?” and “What role should Christians have regarding government?”
“Start today and learn how to bring God’s truth into every area of political engagement,” the course’s landing page says.
Alongside the course’s six videos, all filled with Perkins’ sermonizing, workbooks are available for the course’s “students.” Keys for the workbook questions include answers like, “If the Bible and biblical truth was sufficient for the Founders to build the nation upon, it should be sufficient to guide the nation by today,” and, “A nation’s laws reflect its God.” One of the course’s first questions supplies a “D. None of the Above” answer that purposefully misrepresents the constitutional principle of state/church separation, asking whether “The term separation of Church and State is found in: A. The Declaration of Independence, B. The Constitution of the United States, C. The Bible, or D. None of the Above.”
The course’s fourth video and accompanying workbook delve into the supposed “Christian History” of the United States, passing off Christian nationalist American pseudo-history as fact.
FRC is a Southern Poverty Law Center-designed hate group that targets the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community. The council continually dehumanizes LGBTQ+ people and peddles derogatory anti-LGBTQ+, anti-abortion and “freedom of conscience” public policy.
Perkins has served as FRC’s president since 2003. He earned his first “Theocrat” label in July 2025 for claiming that, “This is what separation of church and state looks like!” in response to a federal court blocking a Washington state law that would have mandated that ministers must report child abuse, including when learned of during confession. Perkins continually denies the existence of state/church separation (unless it provides a way to protect and privilege Christian churches).
Perkins, alongside the FRC, is FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” for grossly misrepresenting state/church separation, for urging Christians to distort secular governance through a biblical lens and for promoting American pseudo-history to further its political objectives. Our government is rooted in a godless Constitution that separates state and church, not “God’s word.”
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.