It is SO cool to be able to fly a question here on any subject and get so many responses. Way cool!

Though I'm smart enough to heed virtually none of them, I (we?) still enjoy the replies. Here goes.

The electrician I use is an uber-Catholic holy hots. We're the same age, grew up in the same town and attended the same parrish church. Commonalities end right there, though we get along very well.

I don't care, really, but I don't want to hear about the people he has seen cured at holy sites.
I've never seen a "K of C" bumper sticker that large. It's about 30 x 20" on the back door of his large panel van.

Several weeks ago, one of my clients called him directly to do a couple of little things. When asked about scheduling, he went on to her about how he'd be away for his "Right to Life" March on Washington. And went on...

She was polite, but told me later she was creeped out to the max. She doesn't want him on the next big projects I'm doing with her. And she's awesome.

I'm meeting him at a client's house this Friday so he can wire the soffet I'm installing. He's not an a-hole, just simple. (No, not because of his beliefs.) He hardly lifts a finger---his assistant does it all. People, children, pets and woodland creatures love the assistant to pieces. He's a way cool and fun guy, who knows what he's doing.

All options are still on my table----from speaking to him about, to ignoring it, to ignoring it and finding someone else. He's always easy to reach, calls right back, is reliable, honest, and charges less than most of the competition.

I feel that he understands only 1/3 of what I tell him, but his assistant always nods and winks in understanding while behind his boss's back. It all gets done, but only after I do my little "Dancin' with the Misfits" routine.

Ideas, threats, condemnation welcome.

Can you hire his assistant out from under him?

Boy, that was fast. Thanks, Ken. Already tried...and tried.... for several years now. He would feel guilty, though not for spiritual reasons.

I doubt that he's going to listen to you; but I think that's really the next place to go now. Once he doesn't listen to you, you have the other options.

Mind that this is coming from a guy who would probably do nothing.

He listens. He has trouble understanding 2nd level reasoning.

And I do hear you re: doing nothing. It's so much less stressful than actualy doing anything. The older I get, the more it's my "go to" solution.

That was my first thought as well, Ken.

I guess I'd try to diplomatically discuss it with him, e.g. "I respect your religious beliefs and your right to voice them to whomever you please. But as your friend, I feel I ought to let you know that when you do so so often, or so forcefully, it makes me and some of your customers uncomfortable. Do you think you could dial it back a little? I'd like to keep working with you. You're a hard worker, your prices are good, and you're reliable. Whaddaya say?"

Hopefully he will be able to have a light bulb moment and realize that not everyone thinks the same way he does. It may be as simple as that.

However, there is the possibility that he'll double down on the sermonizing, with or without getting annoyed/agitated.

Sounds like you've anticipated how a talk would go. I'm not sure if I'd give it a shot or just sit on it.

Good luck!

If I were looking for sensible, professional advice I'd have asked for it! Damn you, Dr., damn you!

Seriously, thanks for the thoughtfully considered input, JP. Though aware of my options and how I might introduce them, the "do nothing" seems so appealing at the moment.

I was so hoping for some cruder solutions; not to use en toto, just from which to cull possibilities.

You could ask him if he wants a mint and hand him an Altoids box full of sublingual antipsychotic wafers.

Melts in his mouth in seconds! There's many to choose from. I'd go with Abilify Discmelt as it's probably least likely to cause sedation. There's also Risperdal M-Tab and Zyprexa Zydis.

Mwah ha ha.

I like the suggestions that have already been....err....suggested.

Does that help?

Mark heard my evil laugh and thought I had Olive Garden cheesecake.

Which I did Monday at lunch, dinner, and Tuesday at lunch (double leftovers).

Or you could just kill him, then hire the assistant. Is that off the table?

Jeeeeze, between one of you having an evil laugh and the other with the stab, stab, stab thing..... add talk of murderers and ....gasp....healthy sandwiches....

This place is turning freakin' evil....

Hey. I didn't say anything about healthy sandwiches. Or at least not much more than 4 characters. Characters like STAB STAB STAB STAB STAB

Bob, when did YOU end up being the sanest guy here?

Good thing Bruce Campbell showed up.

You take that back right now!

You could also tell him that if he pushes his religion on you that it would only be fair that you push your religion on him. Then introduce him to your brother Lucifer.

My parents had a cat named Lucifer once. It liked to pounce on my Dad's head. I think that's why they don't have him any more.

My cat was named Kali. Never name a cat after a goddess of destruction. Now is the chance for all Hindus on this board to hate my guts.

I must be Hindu, then.

A reincarnated ferret?

No. Low caste possum.

There's lots of justified killing in the religious books he would venerate. So really, it would be an act at his level .

And then there's original sin and vicarious redemption.....

Altar boys are too young to work.

Once and for all----I am not bisexual!

Hmmmm?? 17 valium 10ers and a fifth of whatever it is he smells like in the morning and just some ruffies for his assistant.

I take four of those daily for muscle spasms, along with lots of other good stuff. I'll just bring my drug bag over .

Trainwreck'd again?!

Tell the truth.

The client wants you off the job because of the conversation you two had.

The amount of business you might lose is impossible to quantify and I can't risk you alienating my customers in this economy.

Keep conversations with my clients professional and about the job or I can no longer hire you.

These subjects are so tough in a world that claims to be tolerant of everything, yet is tolerant of very little.

It seems that we are to openly accept Hindus, Muslims, Islams, Buddhists, witches, warlocks, atheists, vegetarians, carnivores, and Bose owners, however as soon as someone mentions God or Jesus, that is unacceptable and inconsiderate of everyone who believes differently.

With that said, and as a Christian, you are engaged in a business relationship with this person. I don't go to work talking about my beliefs, however it was interesting to see a few coworkers at the new church that I have been attending lately. Who knew. While we have a belief in common, I treat them the same as anyone else.

I have such a diverse group of people that work for me from all sorts of races, religions, countries, and backgrounds. I treat them all the same. If they screw up, they hear the same regardless of what they believe. If they do a good job, I do the same.

However, if any one of them, regardless of the personal/professional relationships we have, did anything that was inappropriate, offensive, or just plain non-productive, they get talked to. It isn't easy because the fear of someone feeling discriminated against, but again, in this world of tolerance, some things need to stay outside of the work place.

Talk to him. You can encourage the person on a personal level since you have a background, but you also have a business relationship and it is your responsibility to tell him that people are offended. If he takes the approach of "It is my belief to share my faith." then you can say that you are obligated to look elsewhere if things can't remain 100% professional while on the job. There is nothing illegal against setting the expectation of working while being paid to work.

Good luck.

I don't see an open acceptance of Muslims (or adherents of Islam), witches, warlocks, or even atheists for that matter. Just as there are atheists whom find a belief in god unacceptable, there are also religious people that find nonbelievers, or believers in other gods unacceptable (often traveling around the world to convert people).

I however hold one fundamental principle that is uniform- there is nothing outside of the self or our experience, and anyone that believes in Cupid, Zeus et.al, is delusional. But, most importantly, I don't have an inkling of disdain for anyone just because I find it incomprehensible. I love all people the same.

Yes, of course, if they're equally hot! S'only fair.

And do you take 4 Valium per day, or 4 ruffies? Please clarify.
I need to know before I go to bed.

HA! Valium .

Fivers (wimp) or tenners?

Honestly, is any man entitled to an opinion who cannot spell the name of his home state correctly? Now, if you had typed Massachushits, I would have understood.

oops.

Funne thign is i am relly gud speller

Tenners, all the way .

I knew there were lots of reason to respect you-----I had no idea. We should compare med bags. Engage in some international, ummm, diplomacy.

Kidding, of course.

How many mg's can you do (w/o ETOH) at once without having to tighten your safetly belts?

I've honestly never taken any more than I'm supposed to. I have however had my Valium stolen by caregivers a couple times, and with it being a controlled substance, it turns into a hassle with my insurance because they will only refill it when I have seven pills left.

The shit really does mess me up whenever I'm drinking alcohol.

I've also woken up on the operating table, just at the end of my surgery, as a result of taking it for so long.

While I (always) appreciate everyone's input, it's funny how, being all guys, no one got to the heart of the matter as the client (a woman) saw it.

It's only an ecclesiastic issue to the electrician. She couldn't care less. What did offend her, however, penis brains, was that he openly told an educated, single, successful, professional, indepedent woman that he thought he had a right (as a man) to demand that Washington allow him, and all men, to tell women what they can and cannot to do with their bodies.

It was mondo sexist to her. It was not a religious offense.
It was just cloaked in one. He could have told her (or almost any of my peeps) that he went to a great church-sponsored retreat over the weekend and blah, blah. That would not likely involve a stance on abortion being mindlessly presented to a woman.

Motorboaters, indeed!

I just remembered that I have overdosed on Clonidine. It was obviously accidental, as my caregiver mistook it for it my Baclofen.

The maximum Clonidine that I'm supposed to take a day is four, and the maximum Baclofen that I'm supposed to take is 2 1/2, four times a day.

Yup, my caregiver ended up giving me 14 Clonidine a day. To say the least, my blood pressure was low, and I was feeling lethargic .

In the 70's, we called 17 tenners and a fifth of vodka a Karen Quinlan cocktail. Google her under 'Euthenasia in America.'

And if you're gonna OD, pick something other than Clonidine. You definitely don't wanna fall asleep, then die. That'd be a right drag.

Tell JP to stop spouting off names of all these psychotropics, then acting so professional and all when we ask for anything. Miserly southern cloudhead.

Ya know, Cam, that tag on tag thing doesn't really work if your posts follow mine. I'll need to consider that before I choose my next victim/subject.

I wondered if that might be the case, Bob. Such things should never be discussed in a client/service provider relationship, no matter what your views.

Now I DO want to talk with him on Friday. Not because of any particular thing said here, but because I feel compelled to complete the narrative for all who weighed in. Catholic guilt?

I'll see how I feel on Friday morning, after I've taken 1/2 of the Clonidine that Cam's gonna send me.

I like what JP and Lampshade said.

Politics and Religion can be divisive subjects and their discussion is not essential to this work.

Except that many women see abortion as neither politcal nor religious. That was the source of her disapproval---professing his stand on it. Women feel that there should never be a "his" anything on the subject---except for "his" baby. And half of all women know that he might not be so "his" about it after a fashion.

Sounds like your client is partially to blame. I'd tell your electrician to keep conversations with clients professional, unless other-wised instigated by the client, and I'd tell the client that my electrician is very good at what he does and ask for some forgiveness and anther chance to prove it.

A very sound take, for sure, Michael. However, unless I'm talkin' space, design, surface choices or color, the client is always right. Their reaction to the introduction of an inappropriate topic is nothing I can change, especially when I agree that it shouldn't have happened at all.

She's uber cool and awesome--a blast to hang with. He's a nice guy, a good elec., but an abject, clueless dolt.

Right now, I'm thinkin' I'll address it on Friday when I see him. Regardless the outcome, I'll find a new guy to work with on her upcoming projects, or just do the few small electrical bits myself. If there is a positive outcome, I'll still use him.

I'll simply ask clients up front: Would you prefer the Right to Life electrician or a Right to Choose one?

Crap! I gotta find a women electrician. A hot one! And send here to my clients that I know are already experiencing martial dischord.

Now that it's been discussed so much here (thanks to all who contributed) I'm beginning to re-see it myself as not political, feminist or religious.
It's about a very bright person dealing with a a very dim bulb. That, I guess, is ultimately irreparable.

I don't think that sensitivity training is in his future---or within his grasp.

Well, if she's hot let's hope she's not grounded. I don't like the smell of burning hair.

D'ya hear the one about the woman electrician who...?