I reported an aggressive Jehovahs Witness to the police….. AIBU?

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

Long story short, my DP died in January after a three week illness - turns out his brain bleeds were caused by almost symptomless oesophageal cancer that had metastised to his lungs, liver and brain.

I’m still reeling but have no choice than to continue the retail business we started together to make ends meet - he had his own niche career and was well known locally- I have had a lot of support and although I feel as if life is utterly pointless I have family and friends who have also suffered so I try not to pile on the agony and pretend I’m more ok than I am (I’d love grief counselling but working full time makes it tricky).

My business is an alternative Gothic / witchy shop with lifestyle accessories because that was our lifestyle together.

Recently a young female Jehovah’s Witness - 25 - who was on our friends list on FB but who I don’t believe we ever met personally has kicked off because she claims we are Satanists. she doesn’t want to see Goth stuff on her feed and it’s wrong to promote our “Satanic beliefs” on the internet.

Actually we’re not Satanists (can’t believe I’m having to say that) and the social media I do is to promote our stock…..

She put up a comment on a business post that included the gem that God took my DP to punish him for his unGodly life, then it vanished before I could respond. So I didn’t do anything except have a vague moan, not naming her, on my personal feed.

She then started messaging me more of the same , told me I was possessed by the devil when I reacted very angrily (yeah, did get a bit feisty) and stupidly I engaged enough for her to tell me I’m going to hell, and I should hold my loved ones closer as their days would be numbered as God will punish me for my lifestyle and also that I will lose my business and everything cos…, God.

I’m a pretty tolerant person, but I saw red when she started this and did call her out publicly - my admittedly profane post was removed and I got a 24 hour ban.

I reported her to the police who may or may not make contact, but Victim support have been in touch, but what I really want is someone to have a word with her because:

if I was a different person I might have done something stupid - I’m angry and know everything she is spouting is offensive bollocks, but what if she targeted someone less robust? She claims (at the ripe old age of 25) to have saved 25 people from demonic possession….. is she targeting vulnerable people?

She sounds unhinged and may benefit from some intervention.

I know on one level I should not have engaged (over twice her age) but I don’t always have the capacity to think rationally especially around the subject of my DPs death, and implied “threats” to my future and the well-being of my family absolutely pushed my buttons.

The police have not yet made contact though I have given them my movements for three days as requested or they might phone?

AIBU?

Or am I just as bad as her?

Sorry for your loss OP 💐
I would report her to relevant people then try and forget her (easier said I know) she may have been vulnerable herself at some point and been brainwashed it sounds like a cult to me or there's something wrong with her, I know a couple of JW's and they're nothing like this.
They don't normally terrorise people and that's exactly what she's been doing, you've just been bereaved and your whole family is suffering you've every right to react the way you did.
Good luck for the future.

I wondered about that.

I read the first page or so, and their rules (compassion, empathy etc) and thought it seemed more than a little odd.

However I didn't go further.

@Useyourfork I imagine that 'proper' Satanists of the kind we see in horror films don't operate publicly accessible websites.

And anyone thinking the Satanic Temple is a kind of gateway drug to 'proper' Satanism, is a teeny bit paranoid. They're secular, they wouldn't get involved with that nonsense. The whole point is that they are not religious.

@Puzzledandpissedoff please can you point me to the 'hook' bits on the website I linked to? Because I'm not buying it.

@MistressoftheDarkSide

Your shop sounds right up my street
Is there a Website at all ? If so could you PM me it please.
TIA

😂😂😂

I love this idea!

"A murrain on your cattle!"

"May your Guinness always be warm"

"May leprechauns infest your skirting boards and banshees block up your kitchen waste"

Hi. This would likely be catagorised as malicious communications but I highly doubt it would go any further than her being a suspect. Rarely do people actually get charged with it.

if you do hear anything from police they will wonder why you haven’t blocked her and tell you to do that. It’s great that victims services have contacted you though! Hopefully they will have something in place they can refer the perp to aswell, for some help.

I imagine that 'proper' Satanists of the kind we see in horror films don't operate publicly accessible websites.

The first rule of proper Satanism is you don't talk about Satanism.

I imagine that 'proper' Satanists of the kind we see in horror films don't operate publicly accessible websites.

I think LaVayan (the self worshipers mentioned above) and most Theistic Satanists (basically gnosticism) are a lot like modern 'druids'. They dress in silly outfits and do silly pretend rituals to seem edgy and interesting.

If you aren't doing human sacrifice you aren't a proper Druid or Satanist

I’m so sorry you’ve lost your O/H and then had to go through this on top. Yes, ‘they’ target the vulnerable. 'They' are also attracted to religions as conferring power on them

IME/O there are many kinds of grief vampires attracted to other people’s tragedies. They feed on the pain and misery of other people’s unexpected real ‘drama’s’ and try to find a way of making a public starring role for themselves in it and out of it.
We are used to and recognize some types of them automatically, ie; those that turn up to tie balloons and candles with deeply personal messages about how they’re devastated that they’ll never see someone who never did more than nod to them on the street in passing, ever again, and how it will affect their lives..

We get blindsided by those who come in less well known forms.
It’s only afterwards we can see them for what they are, because they’re hiding behind an ‘officially sanctioned reason’ for involving themselves in your pain.

Mine came in the form of the supposedly ‘devoutly religious’ holding exorcisms to protect themselves from my person who had been nothing to do with them. Until they claimed otherwise in the name of religion because the death wasn't from natural causes.
It went from distressing acts to harassment very quickly.

The only part of it that police had any interest in was when I flung a large bucket of water over them.

Religion = fairy tales for adults.

She is a lost cause and you should pity her. Sorry about your DP.

Please can you point me to the 'hook' bits on the website I linked to?

I really don't want to derail on what's a thread of support for OP, but will risk saying that there isn't one on the website, since naturally enough this aims to be anodyne - and that may even be justified among the well intentioned, since good thoughts create good deeds and are to an extent a protection

But there's a subtext and associated risks here, which can be clearly seen by anyone who's studied the subject rather than assuming the public face to be the whole - something I'd be glad to discuss if you wanted to create a separate thread about it

I am so sorry for your loss.
Hopefully the advice you have had on how to deal with what frankly sounds like an unhinged person has been helpful.
I know you say that you would love grief counselling but work full time. If you are in a position to pay privately (maybe family would help?) then some counsellors offer evening/ weekend sessions. If not then go via your GP, even if it’s quite a wait, at least get your name on a waiting list. A lot still offer telephone sessions, so only take an hour out of your day if you could get someone to help at the shop or close an hour early once a week?
Just something to think about. Sorry, I know you weren’t specifically asking for advice on this but grief is one of those weird bloody things that you can think your coping because you push it down and are able to go through the motions of life, but it pops back up in all sorts of ways, for years afterwards.
xx

Yep I used to work in substance abuse and JWs witnesses were always hovering around looking for vulnerable recruits.

Unfortunately can you can just call organised sexism, harrassment and mass delusion a religion and it will get unjustified protection from criticism and the police.

Would you openly say that to a Muslim?

Sod talking to their 'boss' at the kingdom hall, report them to the police for harassment when appropriate. Don't worry about hurting their feelings they certainly don't worry about yours.,

Just block her OP. JW are known to harass people. Funny how she couldn't just block you to begin with instead of sending you vile messages.

I don't think the Police would do anything IMO.

It never ceases to amaze me that we don’t tolerate blatant racist, homophobic or sexist prejudice but don’t turn a hair when people come out with this kind of remark about religion - which also happens to be a protected characteristic. It really is shameful.

I wouldn't put it as bluntly as that, but if a Muslim started ranting at me about how sinful I was then I would say something very similar but phrased more courteously. Same with any denomination.

Personally I don’t give a fig what anyone believes unless they are using it as a tool to harass and bully people.

If someone uses their religion to be malicious, it should absolutely be called out.

Protected characteristic or not, the motivation behind such actions is part of the issue.

I completely agree with that. I was addressing the nasty fairy tales for adults comment.

Why? Is theirs any different from any other religion in its basis in reality?
Or are you suggesting they are more likely to respond negatively?

Surely what she posted publicly is against FB rules? Have you tried reporting her to FB? Are there any mods?

I had JWs to the door so often that I asked them to stop calling (didn't work) & I wondered whether I could report them for harrassing me on the grounds of my religion - because obviously if I was one of them instead of CofE (slightly lapsed) they wouldn't keep knocking on my door. I never did test that idea.

I was addressing the nasty fairy tales for adults comment.

Why is that nasty? If you wanted people to never say they don't believe in God then presumably you also don't want people to ever say they do believe in God? What about vegans saying meat is murder?

You seem to have a staggeringly low threshold for what constitutes 'nasty'. I'm not sure MN is a great place for you. Have you tried Netmums?

Would you openly say that to a Muslim?

PP did so in the post you replied to. Muslims read MN, it's a public forum.