Yesterday, a previously mild-mannered House stenographer unexpectedly seized the Speaker's microphone and began ranting about God and Freemasons as Republicans and Democrats were voting on a deal to end the shutdown.

"[God] will not be mocked," the longtime House employee, later identified as Dianne Reidy, shouted at the stunned politicians. "The greatest deception here is that this is not one nation under God. It never was. It would not have been. The Constitution would not have been written by Freemasons. They go against God. You cannot serve two masters. Praise be to God. Praise be to Jesus."

Reidy was quickly pulled away from the microphone and escorted off the floor by Capitol Police, so, naturally, Fox News believes she was the victim of religious persecution.

Reading an email from a person identifying himself as a minister, Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy said Reidy was not experiencing a mental episode.

"What she was doing was known as an exercise of the gifts of the spirit where she was, she had brought a warning and a message from God regarding the activity, he felt, there in the House."

Later, Doocy opened another "email" from a person siding with Reidy who was aghast at her mistreatment.

"Amazingly, this religious and obviously a sweet lady gets fed up and speaks her mind, something we all have tried to do," Doocy read. "“She brings up our dear lord and she gets a mental evaluation? I think it should be the other way around."

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who could be seen nodding and agreeing as Doocy spoke, then shared her thoughts on the matter.

"Who knows?" she said. "Maybe she just saw something that didn’t seem right and mounting frustrations and tensions brought it out of her."

[H/T: Mediaite]