Dan Patrick OBLITERATES the Separation of Church and State Myth at Trumps Final Religious Liberty Hearing

White House Religious Liberty Commission Holds Final Hearing at Museum of the Bible, Declares Separation of Church and State a "Lie"

The seventh and final hearing of the White House Religious Liberty Commission took place Monday at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., spanning five hours of testimony from faith leaders, legal scholars, and government officials.

Chaired by Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, with Vice Chair Dr. Ben Carson, the capstone hearing examined the past, present, and future of religious liberty in the United States.

Patrick opened with a striking declaration that set the tone for the entire hearing.

"There is no such thing as 'separation of church and state' in the Constitution. That is the biggest lie that's been told in America since our founding."

Patrick argued the anti religious left has weaponized the phrase to suppress believers and marginalize faith in public life.

Helen M. Alvaré, a law professor at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, testified that government overreach poses far greater challenges than interfaith tensions. She called the Jeffersonian separation phrase "historically and culturally inaccurate."

Bishop Robert Barron identified the "ideology of self invention" as religious liberty's principal enemy, describing it as a "dictatorship of relativism" that has infiltrated government, education, and healthcare institutions.

Author Eric Metaxas urged Americans to remember the Judeo Christian heritage that made their religious liberty possible, warning that current efforts are "just stop gap solutions" without historical remembrance.

Sister Mary Elizabeth testified about New York's laws targeting pregnancy centers operated by the Sisters of Life. The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne also faced scrutiny for declining to affirm transgender identities.

The commission will deliver its recommendations to President Trump next month. Patrick expressed hope for an extension beyond the July 4 expiration date, citing ongoing threats to religious freedom.

Dan Patrick and Religious Liberty Commission Challenge the "Separation of Church and State" Myth

The hearing comes as religious organizations across the country face mounting legal pressures. From pregnancy centers being targeted by state laws to religious orders facing consequences for upholding their faith teachings, the commission's work has spotlighted a growing pattern of government intrusion into matters of conscience.

Patrick's remarks reflect a broader movement among conservative leaders to reclaim the public square for religious expression, pushing back against decades of legal interpretation that has limited faith's role in governance.

The Crusader's Opinion

Dan Patrick said it plainly and he said it right. There is no "separation of church and state" in the Constitution. It does not exist. What does exist is the First Amendment, which protects the free exercise of religion from government interference. The Founders never intended to banish God from the public square. They intended to keep the government's hands off the Church.

The fact that nuns are being punished for refusing to affirm gender ideology, that pregnancy centers are being targeted for saving babies, tells you everything you need to know about who the real threat to liberty is. It is not the faithful. It is the state that has made itself god.

This commission's work matters. But a report gathers dust. We need action. We need laws with teeth. We need Christians who refuse to be silent.

Take Action

• Contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and urge them to support legislative protections for religious liberty. Find your representatives at congress.gov.
• Support the First Liberty Institute, which provides free legal defense for religious freedom cases across America: firstliberty.org
• Visit the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. and learn about the biblical foundations of American governance: museumofthebible.org
• Support the Sisters of Life, who are under legal attack for operating pregnancy centers: sistersoflife.org
• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians worldwide: www.TheShepherdsShield.org