I don't know a lot about that particular issue (it sounds truly unpleasant), but this was basically an effort to draw attention away from the issue - guns kill people, and the U.S. makes it shamefully easy to get guns, and politicians won't change that horrendous situation because they're afraid of the non-thinking gun fans (there really are intelligent gun owners out there, they're just not being heard) - by complaining that gun control backers hated prayer, and (obviously) Christians, thereby turning a gun control debate into religious oppression claims.