The Supreme Court in 2014 ruled that legislative bodies can begin their meetings with prayer – even if that prayer favors a specific religion.

But the 5-4 ruling also said if a prayer would go too far if "the course and practice over time" shows the prayers "denigrate nonbelievers or religious minorities, threaten damnation or preach conversion."

Ralston’s office declined to comment. Trey Kelley said his father was citing data from the Georgia Baptist Association about church participation that was not linked to abortion.

“The misguided freshman legislator is simply wrong to try and insert partisan politics into the collective fellowship of our morning sermons,” said the Republican lawmaker, “and if he had reached out to me, I could have cleared it up for him.”

McLaurin, a Yale-trained attorney who won a Sandy Springs-based district in November, said he had little choice but to take action.

“It's one thing for legislative session to feel like a church service,” he said. “It's another thing for the Georgia House to allow blatantly unconstitutional establishment of religion.”