It's hard to believe a story called: "Rep. Monique Davis to atheist Rob Sherman: 'It's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists'" would run in 2008.

But it did, last week on "Change of Subject," a blog by Chicago Tribune reporter Eric Zorn

Illinois legislator Monique Davis (D-Chicago) said that and more to Sherman, who testified before the House State Government Administration Committee on April 2.

"This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God," she told Sherman.

Then she started screaming at him. "It's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!" She was "fed up," she blustered, and commanded Sherman to leave the witness chair.

"You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon!"

Sherman wasn't allowed to respond to Davis' outburst.

I don't know why Davis thought Sherman wants to "destroy" anything. He was actually there trying to preserve the separation of church and state, a principle Illinois (not to mention the nation) was certainly built upon.

Sherman was testifying against Gov. Rod Blagojevich's plan to give a Baptist congregation $1 million to rebuild its church that was destroyed in a 2006 fire. (The hearing was held to investigate the "bureaucratic mistake" that sent the money to a private school instead.)

Is Sherman's understanding of the Constitution (let alone his right to share it with his lawmakers) somehow less worthy because he doesn't believe in God?

No, of course not. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom "that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, more than our opinions in physics or geometry."

The Virginia Legislature had no problem accepting that premise in 1786, but I'm not sure, given Davis' tantrum, such a proposal would pass unanimously in Illinois today.

Zorn knew from experience, he said in his blog post, that many readers would side with Davis. Like him, I was pleasantly surprised to see the outpouring of support for Sherman.

One of my favorites says: "Appalling. Sherman is the obvious American here; trying, in the face of ostracism, bigotry and dismissal to defend the Constitution. Davis believes in freedom of religion so long as the religious get to be in charge [and] pass laws that usurp the first amendment....They hypocrisy is almost unfathomable, but ultimately I'm not surprised. Political leaders, after all, reflect their constituents."

There are, of course, constituents who disagree with Davis. We have a long way to go, however, when a representative believes her own constituents aren't all equal.

Update: CBS News reported this morning that Rep. Davis has apologized to Sherman.