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?

So your slandering Satanism and Satanists is based off some vague "study" that you don't feel like expanding on?

There's really no need to be aggressive, crwnhgow; what I said was that I didn't want to derail a support thread, but since it's moved on to a more general discussion about beliefs, it's probably safe to say it's not the many well intentioned members of the Satantic Temple I have an issue with - even though I find the name of their fashionable "religion" unfortunate

My issues are actually twofold: first that many don't appear to have thought through the logical consequences of some of their beliefs, and second that, because there are different kinds of satanic groups, this one has the obvious potential to be a recruiting opportunity among their more credulous members, who may easily believe that one group with satanism in the title is much the same as another

FWIW I have very little time for any organised religion, not least because, as OP correctly said, they're chiefly motivated by power ... and power, as we've so often seen, corrupts

JWs are nuts. I'm a church going Catholic and I'm pretty sure the ones I've met think I'm going to hell.

They don't believe in hell (not being Christians :-) they think Earth is basically hell and you will be punished by staying here when 144,000 of them go to heaven.

It's worth noting that most of them are damned too, only a very small proportion of JWs are Saved.

They don't believe in hell (not being Christians :-)

They are Christians.

because there are different kinds of satanic groups, this one has the obvious potential to be a recruiting opportunity among their more credulous members, who may easily believe that one group with satanism in the title is much the same as another

But what type of Satanism do you think exists which does bad things? LeVar Satanists, Theistic Satanists- you still haven't specified.

Or are you saying you think there are actually Real Satanists doing human sacrifice and shit? I mean, there are, but you aren't supposed to know about us.

I believe worship of the Egyptian goddess Isis was a strong competitor for Christianity at one point.

I think one issue is that pagan religions would often be absorbed into a conqueror's pagan religion. Many gods and goddesses were felt to have an equivalent in other pantheons - or at least could be made to fit. Monotheistic religions are, or end up being, rather inflexible and more likely to believe themselves the 'one true way'.

Religion brings out all kinds of freaks!

www.report-it.org.uk/religious_hate_crime

The religions (or absence of them) of you and her are irrelevant. In her mind, yours are different to hers and you are being targeted and abused solely because of this religious difference. This is 100% a religious hate crime, it needs to be reported, and you can report it through the link above.

What kinds of Satanic group are you worried about?

Are you also worries that more liberal moderate forms of Christianity, for example, are recruiting tools for the more extremist fringes?

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 agree.

I am an atheist but would never bring up someone’s religion in a negative way, just like I wouldn’t bring up their sexuality, disability or race.

People like Islamic terrorists will blame their religion but they have MH issues/been brainwashed or are just dicks - it’s not the religion making them do that.

By all means call someone out for their actions but there’s no need to bring their religion, race, appearance etc into it.

They don't believe in hell (not being Christians :-) they think Earth is basically hell and you will be punished by staying here when 144,000 of them go to heaven. It's worth noting that most of them are damned too, only a very small proportion of JWs are Saved

Once again, JW is a Christian religion 🙄

They believe that the people saved by their faith who survive the battle of Armageddon will live for ever on a transformed paradise earth. A special 144,000 will go to heaven. All of them will be saved one way or another with only non believers damned to eternal death. They also believe those faithful who have already died will be resurrected. Or at least that’s what they believed when I was taken to the Kingdom Hall twice a week.

144,000 is a very specific figure, I wonder where they got it from 👀
I reay hate the damage they do to vulnerable people and the shit they spout in general about gay people etc.

I know a JW and she said about homosexuality being akin to paedophila and just wrong in general. I asked her why she believed that and she said that God created man and woman not Adam and Steve.
I think she was a bit shocked that I didn't agree. I said quietly that I didn't believe in God.

I would have just blocked them and moved on. What a waste of police time.

There are fringe organisations in Christianity just like in other religions who are extremists, who believe everyone else is damned etc. I have issues with them targeting me due to my work (mainstream church) and I tell them in no uncertain terms to get lost, some may say I'm less than Christian about how I say it. Mostly crazy American churches at the moment sending unsolicited pictures of foetuses but I've had the JW's coming around in the past. If the material I'm sent is offensive I have an email/postal address I can send to the police, mostly it's just annoying. We are very liberal and believe there's a place for all in our church, this causes my problems!

Please do a AMA if you feel able to - I think there will be lots of questions :-)

There’s already been a quite extensive one a couple of year back
www.mumsnet.com/talk/AMA/3715225-i-am-an-ex-jehovah-s-witness-ama

Quite an interesting summary:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_beliefs

JW here and no that’s not normal behaviour. What she has said to you is not based on the bible and so won’t be approved by local Kingdom Hall.
Block her (if you haven’t already), and report her to the local congregation elders.
Sorry for your loss xx

I doubt the local cult leaders will give a fuck.

I'm leaning towards thinking Jehovas Witnesses are worse than satanists anyway. 😂

Seriously, though, I used to work with one and had a cheeky read of the book he kept on his desk. It actually had a section where it said that any young JH who fell for somebody outside of the faith should be discouraged. Sounded a bit culty and controlling to me.

I'm so sorry you had to experience that at such a difficult time.
She doesn't sound like any JWs I know (they don't believe loved ones dying is God's punishment and don't believe in hell) so it does seem that she may have mental health issues like you say and just calls herself a JW.
Unfortunately the elders will be limited in what they can do. They can speak to her but they can't control what she does and what she calls herself. She needs professional help.
In my mum's congregation they had a lady who was schizophrenic and people put her behaviour down to being a JW but it wasn't anything to do with the religion. She was really well cared for by the congregation but they couldn't control her behaviour caused by her illness.

Truly sorry for your loss and I totally get that she struck a nerve and caused an outburst, but like others have said, the best course of action is to block her across the board. There’s no need to entertain her by leaving your messenger open for her - you need to move past this. I will say, if it makes you feel any better but this is actually a fairly common thing in the goth community across social media, particularly instagram. Dozens of accounts have been targeted and hacked by people that think the account holders are satanists - I’ve seen people receive some pretty horrible messages akin to what you’ve described. It’s unfortunately a weird mentality some groups hold, and again, the best way to deal with it is to block them and not rise to what they’re saying.

Really hope you manage to put this behind you and continue to thrive in your business.

Still wondering who these evil Satanists are.