No matter what you think of “the separation of church and state,” what’s happening in Texas regarding a Christian prayer event hardly rises to the level of an offense against the Constitution.

But the Freedom from Religion Foundation, a group of atheists and agnostics, has filed suit against Gov. Rick Perry to force him to withdraw his support for the event anyway.

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks during the 28th annual National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference in San Antonio last month. The Associated Press

The fuss over Perry’s support — he actively helped organize and promote the event and says he will participate in it — is getting national attention because Perry, a conservative Republican, is being mentioned often as a potential GOP nominee for president.

Perry, who is in his third term as governor of one of the few states to show economic growth during the recent national recession, recently said he hasn’t made up his mind about running. But since he previously denied any interest, that was seen as a sign he was definitely considering a run at the party’s presidential nod.

The prayer rally, called “The Response,” is billed as a Christian event and is set for Aug. 6 at a Houston stadium. The suit against Perry says that because he is an elected official, his support for the event is “deeply offensive to many citizens as well as to our secular form of government.”

The first claim, at least, may well be true, although it is difficult to see why some people taking offense at other people praying is a constitutional matter — even if some governmental figure is involved. And as regards its second claim, the Freedom from Religion Foundation should be reminded that the First Amendment protects “freedom of religion,” not freedom from it.

If Perry spent state resources on the event, there could be a cause for complaint, but the suit apparently does not allege that, saying only that politicians have no business supporting prayer.

Many Americans, religious or not, would disagree. Government neutrality toward religion is not the same as government hostility toward it.

So, officials remain free to say what they believe, and act on their beliefs, as long as their actions don’t involve public facilities or funds.

Otherwise, they could hardly participate in worship services or contribute to religiously based charities. That shows how foolish this suit really is.

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