If you’ve ever work in web design, web development, or any service-oriented job you owe it to yourself to check out Clients From Hell. Today I stumbled on this gem at their website:

Client: ”Obviously we need the site to be deeply spiritual. The use of a cross is obvious and although perhaps over-used we would like to go with that… Also perhaps some Saints, figurines… You get the idea?”

Designer: ”Do you have any specific Saint’s in mind?”

Client: ”No, just run with it… after all we all worship the same god right?”

Designer: ”Actually no, I am atheist. Is this a problem?”

Client: ”Oh, erm, you´re one of THEM are you? Hmm that is a problem… people who abandon the word of god are in league with the Devil, and if you designed our site… well, it would make it sinful, a place of deception… No… erm, maybe you would like to discuss your hatred of God? Then perhaps I could convince you of the true path.”

Designer: ”I cannot hate something which does not exist.”

Client: ”I see. No, we need a designer who is…you know, not in league with the devil.”

From: http://clientsfromhell.net/post/541830476/client-obviously-we-need-the-site-to-be-deeply

So anything built by non-believers is “sinful, a place of deception”? If I had to guess, I’d think there have been a least a handful of churches and holy-places built with non-theist hands, or at least by the hands of folks that believe in some other variation of god.

Guess they really are places of deception then…

Little late in posting this to the blog, but on April 15th U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb of the Western District of Wisconsin ruled that the federal law mandating a National Day of Prayer was a violation of the US Constitution.

You can read the full ruling here, hosted at the Americans United for Separation of Church and State website.

Ironically most of the people upset by this are the same folks that argue for small government; they don’t want the government interfering in our day-to-day lives, arguing that things like universal health care represent unwarranted governmental interference in our lives.

But a federal law mandating that one day a year we set aside time to pray to a mythical being that only some members of the population believe in? A very literal endorsement of religion?

This they find fine and think the decision to rule it unconstitutional is abhorrent.

Abhorrent? Seriously? People have the right, have the freedom, to pray whenever and wherever they want. This IS in the Constitution and is one of our most important rights. The government not endorsing that prayer takes no freedom from you, takes no rights from you while simultaneously not imposing a belief system on those that disagree or do not believe.

Americans United has a create page detailing why this is good for the country; in fact, they believe that it’s essential for the country — especially if you value your right to pray and worship as you choose.

And for those who haven’t already seen it, AU’s Executive Director Rev. Barry Lynn taking on Fox’s Megyn Kelly:

In short, no. Period. Keith Olbermann sums it up:

Our founding fathers deliberating excluded any reference to a god or gods or creator in our Constitution, the law of our land. They were heavily inspired by John Locke and his Two Treatises on Government who argued that an effective government must remove the supposed divine-appointed roles of most popular monarchies at the time. (His theories on structuring the government into three primary branches — judicial, legislative, and executive — as well as his belief that humans all have the right to life, liberty, and property may also sound familiar to anyone who as studied American government.)

For some reason, people forget this. Perhaps it is not explicit enough. What about the Treaty of Tripoli, signed by President John Adams in 1797?

Article 11 of the treaty reads:

Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Despite what the Sarah Palins of the world may say to rouse the crowd, the simple fact is that this country was founded on a basis of freedom for all, all faiths and non-faiths.

The references are numerous to support this, and nothing I’ve written here is new. So please. can we stop? Just stop the inane and insane repetition of falsehoods and misrepresented history?

The automotive industry is in trouble and it appears that a bailout plan may be decided upon by the end of today.

Surely the Rev. Charles Ellis at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple will believe that his actions yesterday were directly responsible for it as the congregation at one of Detroit’s largest choices gathered to ask God to have Congress deliver such a bailout. They actually had SUVs at the alter, as described in the Reuters article “SUVs at altar, Detroit church prays for a bailout” –

Local car dealerships donated three hybrid SUVs to be displayed during the service, one from each of the Big Three. A Ford Escape, Chevy Tahoe from GM and a Chrysler Aspen were parked just in front of the choir and behind the pulpit.

Ellis said he and other Detroit ministers would pray and fast until Congress voted on a bailout for Detroit’s embattled automakers. He urged his congregation to do the same.

How would praying and fasting accomplish help turn a Congressional vote, you might wonder? Well, apparently:

“It’s all about hope. You can’t dictate how people will think, how they will respond, how they will vote,” Ellis said after the service. “But you can look to God. We believe he can change the minds and hearts of men and women in power, and that’s what we tried to do today.”

I’m sure that, were there a God, he’d have better things to do than to monitor the United States’ Congressional decisions on the state of the automotive industry. Just a guess.

It amazes me sometimes what people think prayer can accomplish and the role they figure God will play directly in their lives.

UPDATE: The New York Times has an article as well, complete with photographs of the SUVs, adding this quote:

“We have done all that we can do in this union, so I turn it over to the Lord,” General Holiefield, a U.A.W. vice president for Chrysler, told the crowd. A vice president for the parts suppliers, James Settles Jr., asked those present “to continue your prayers, so we can see a miracle next week.”

Obviously we are a Christian nation if our Congress can create miracles! I wonder how Pete Stark feels about that?