Was I unreasonable to tell this lady to get lost in fairly strong language?

[Defnotsupergirl]

I am very obviously pregnant at the moment. At my local supermarket today I was stopped going in by an older lady who asked me the usual questions regarding when I was due, looking forward to being a mum etc. all fair enough..... Then she asked me if I was looking forward to the pain of childbirth to atone for my sins. I was dumbfounded and said without really thinking that no, I am having a planned cesarean due to medical reasons. She then became angry telling me that it was my duty as a woman to give birth in pain as was decreed by God because of the sin committed by Eve etc.

I told her to F off etc. then waddled into the shop while she was still having a go at me in a loud voice - I'm fairly sure it wasn't but was my reaction unreasonable?

[ballstoit]

Totally reasonable, in fact quite reserved imo.

Hope all goes well with the birth, enjoy your lovely newborn

[Poshsausage]

Fuck off was invented for these situations imo

[DaleyBum]

YA so NBU. Hope everything goes well

[spatchcock]

Wow. Surely there are better ways to atone for our sins? A few hail marys or taking an infirm person some biscuits?

[Innogen]

She was batshit crazy. Well done OP!

[aurynne]

"Then she asked me if I was looking forward to the pain of childbirth to atone for my sins".

I can't think of any other scenario than bursting into uncontrollable guffaws after hearing something like this myself.

[TheHamster]

That almost made me laugh at how absurd it was. Atone? For your sins? By childbirth? I don't know how the hell I would react, but I think your answer was pretty much perfect.

[LastOneDancing]

'no, I'm having a caesarian'

I bet that pissed on her fire and brimstone seasoned chips.

[Weegiemum]

There's one tiny verse in the bible (1Timothy 2:15) that says
"But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety"

Mainstream Christian denominations tend to ignore it - or focus on the faith, love and holiness bit. More fundamentalist types tend to focus on the pain part.

I'm a Christian but I'd probably have told her to fuck off too!

[Lweji]

She must be joking. The pain after a C section (i'm told) will also atone for your sins.

Your response sounds measured and appropriate.

It's shorter than to explain to her that the reason why women give birth in pain is because our brains are too large and babies are born with a skull size on the limit of what our bodies allow.
So, yes, we do give birth in pain because our brains are big enough for complex thoughts that include ethics, morals, etc
In a way women are punished for the higher intelligence of the entire species. :( Marsupials rock.

You could also have asked her if she also believed in Noah's ark. I bet she did.

[LibraryMum8]

YANBU!!

[Homebird8]

I have to bear my DCs everyday. Does that count Weegiemum ?

OP, perhaps if you bump (did I really say that?) into the lady again you might like to suggest that she hurry home to pray that your child be a boy so that he may never sin.

Hope the CS goes well and that you enjoy the pure new life that you are so wonderfully bringing into this world.

[Rosa]

Well done and a very appropriate reply......

[TwittyMcTwitterson]

Noooooo! No way did she say that??? She must be bat shit crazy. What do men do to atone their sins? Or is she a bit sexist too?!

C section after pains aren't too bad. Don't worry. There's some very naice liquid morphine if they are

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

What did her being elderly have to do with it?

My gynaecologist said the same to me, actually. "Our mother Mary never had a caesarean"

I didn't tell him to fuck off though.

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

Actually.....if she really did say that after asking you "normal" questions, then yes, she probably did have MH problems.

Or "bat shit crazy" as MN likes to call it. In its oh-so-caring way.

[aurynne]

"My gynaecologist said the same to me, actually. "Our mother Mary never had a caesarean""

He forgot to mention She did not have any sins to atone for, and still She gave birth in pain. She did not even get to enjoy the fun bits of conceiving either! You really can't win being a woman...

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

And she was probably about 11, don't forget that bit!

[PedantMarina]

Half-genuine question here: if OP had cracked her across the jaw, could she have successfully avoided jail by pleading 'hormones'?

Look on the bright side, OP. On mumsnet we're constantly having to put up with trolls and goadies and we never know what they look like. You've got a face to remember! Well jell

And congratulations, and best of luck.

[kungfupannda]

So if you atone for your sins in childbirth, then you are presumably all sin-free afterwards? So, what sins are you being punished for by everything that comes afterwards?

And how do the men do the atoning thing?

[Delphiniumsblue]

She was just a nutter, not someone to pay attention to.

[ItsSpringBaby]

I wouldn't have sworn at her, just nodded and walked away. Living in East London I'm hounded by oddballs on a regular basis.

[aurynne]

Men atone by having to sweat to get bread, according to the Bible. Very much like labour pains, innit?

[Pagwatch]

To be honest I don't really know why, in that situation, anyone would manage to get riled enough to have to say 'fuck off'.
She clearly has odd ideas. Why is 'erm - ok. Bye then' not sufficient.
At best she has strange ways, at worst mental health issues so why not just wander off?
Seems a tad ott to me.
[shrugs]

[Delphiniumsblue]

There are lots of nutters about, I never give a moments thought to what they say, I can't see why you would. In one ear and out the other. I can't see the point in responding, or getting annoyed, she may well have mental health issues.