‘A Christian nation’: Man criticized for prayer by congresswoman, Valadao, Costa respond

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A man was criticized by a U.S. congresswoman after leading the House prayer on Friday morning. However, it was not the separation of church and state that fueled her, and now, Valley congressmen are speaking out.

In a since-deleted Friday morning post, Rep. Mary Miller said:

“It’s deeply troubling that a Muslim was allowed to lead prayer in the House of Representatives this morning. This should never have been allowed to happen. America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth, not drift further from it.”

Miller later edited the post to reflect that the man is Sikh, not Muslim.

Valley congressmen, including David Valadao and Jim Costa, spoke out against the comment. Costa pointed out that, “This isn’t a theocracy. This is America,” and that “Religious freedom means we honor every faith – not just one.”

Valadao, who started the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, took the opportunity to defend the Sikh community.

“Throughout the country—and in the Central Valley— Sikh-Americans are valued and respected members of our communities, yet they continue to face harassment and discrimination,” Valadao said.

According to the House of Representatives, the tradition for legislative sessions to open with a prayer dates back to 1774.