Called a "Demon" by a religious fanatic...First time for everything I guess

[Shana-chan]

I guess some people simply have no appreciation for the performing arts...

So that was the highlight of my day Susan's, thought you might get a kick out of it ^^;

Oh but I certainly have some appreciation for the performing arts and I dare say! You certainly put on one "hell" of a show.  I must certainly did get a kick out of reading this and laughed and giggled so many times. Would you believe me when I say, I am not the least bit surprised by the man and how he acted but the one thing that did surprise me was the police bringing you in? Anyway, your post was well typed up, seemed to scream theater as well as, story writer. Oh and, one thing I found interesting was, he called you not a women but a devil but then his next sentence he clearly called you a she. Anyway, thank you for sharing and while I certainly enjoyed reading this and got giggles out of this and so on, I am sorry the police brought you in and I do ask you'll please be careful in the future. After all, lot of mean people that would hurt a person for reasons such as this one. I'm certainly glad you weren't hurt.

[Danniella]

We have a street preacher in the town where I work, who can be relied upon to yell the most ridiculous nonsense. I've gone toe-to-toe with him a couple of times before so he knows I'm a godless heathen... and one day as I walked past him he thundered: "YOUR BELIEF IN DINOSAURS WILL DO NOTHING TO SAVE YOU!!!1!!"

Drat. And here I was, counting on a bunch of long-extinct reptiles to pull my fat out of the fire. 

Hmmm...Did the dinosaurs go to hell? Now there is a theological debate I would love to witness.

Applause to you, Danniella.

That was a most impressive way of shutting him down.

Danka <3

Thank god that he was bearing a cross instead of a gun Daniella.
...

Just be careful. Don't stop 'cause we need people that will stand up to this kind of hate, but just be extremely careful. I don't think it was very dangerous since the crowd seemed to be on your side, but when the crowd is also on the crazy train watch yourself.

Well guns are super illegal in Scotland, so that would really be an interesting turn of events if he pulled a firearm on me...just as well mortal weapons cannot penetrate my fell skin.

But in all seriousness, yeah I completely concur, you always need to be careful when confronting people in this way. Experience has taught me that it's important to read the situation and the threats before interjecting. I most certainly wouldn't recommend wading into the middle of a group of Wesbro Baptist Church members in the middle of one of their hate rallies for example...but in this case, it was clear that I was in no real physical danger.

Is there ever a time when the crowd is actually on the side of these doofuses? We're talking about the kind of person who thinks every random passerby is a heathen based on... what? That they just look like it? And I love how the guy Daniella confronted thought he could somehow win people over to his way of thinking by going through the crowd and ridiculing them:

I'm interested in hearing what sins he was accusing this group of total strangers of committing, lol.

I see this quite allot strangely enough. He was throwing out statements like "I can see the sin in your eyes!" and "You know you have sinned!" etc.

Maybe they think that if they make people feel guilty enough they will suddenly want to "repent" -shrug-

SUCCUBUS!! Burn her!!!


-Tegs

FOOL! I WAS BORN IN THE FIRES OF HELL! YOU THINK YOUR MEASLY EMBERS CAN HARM ME!...NOW GET IN THE BAG!

I am not the least bit surprised by the man and how he acted but the one thing that did surprise me was the police bringing you in?

-cough- This is maybe not my first brush with the police in this manner -cough- just...maybe. -cough- 

Seems that the general rule of thumb with the police here, is that if there is any great disturbance of the peace in a public place, to pick up the "offending parties/ring leaders" for questioning.

It's probably just to get people off the street and separated to be honest, I've never had any charges or anything levelled against me as a result, despite some pretty spectacular arguments, and the police didn't seem to give any inclination that I would have any due to this event either.

...

Was pretty funny seeing the looks on their faces when I had to show them my ID though (only been fulltime a week, old guy name and photo on drivers licence that looks nothing like me now).

They seemed to think for a second that it was a fake ID xD

[big kim]

The God botherer clearly forgot let he who is without sin cast the first stone and the 11th Commandment, keep thy religion to thyself

[FTMDiaries]

Hmmm...Did the dinosaurs go to hell? Now there is a theological debate I would love to witness.

Nope, not possible: there were no shopping bags back then.

[Danniella]

Nope, not possible: there were no shopping bags back then.

[Jess42]

Well guns are super illegal in Scotland, so that would really be an interesting turn of events if he pulled a firearm on me...just as well mortal weapons cannot penetrate my fell skin.

But in all seriousness, yeah I completely concur, you always need to be careful when confronting people in this way. Experience has taught me that it's important to read the situation and the threats before interjecting. I most certainly wouldn't recommend wading into the middle of a group of Wesbro Baptist Church members in the middle of one of their hate rallies for example...but in this case, it was clear that I was in no real physical danger.

I knd of figured they were. But over her where the strictist gun controls are in certains cities, that is where the highest crime and murder rates are.

But yeah from the way you described the siuation and the crowd, he was the typical sign holding, repent the end is near street preachers. Definately, a crowd like the westboro folks bearing a collective insanity would be a very dangerous situation. God I would hate to think of something like that other than it would truly be like walking into a hornet's nest.

[gennee]

I haven't had anybody call me a demon yet. I wouldn't be shocked  if someone did in the future.

[Jess42]

I haven't had anybody call me a demon yet. I wouldn't be shocked  if someone did in the future.

Abracadabra, gennee, you are a demon. Now you can write that off of your bucket list.

[Dee Marshall]

I haven't had anybody call me a demon yet. I wouldn't be shocked  if someone did in the future.

I have. My aunt's elderly mother when I was a teenager. I hadn't even done anything...

that she was aware of.

[big kim]

I haven't had anybody call me a demon yet. I wouldn't be shocked  if someone did in the future.

I was called a little demon a lot as a kid or a wee de'il by my Scottish Granny

[FTMDiaries]

I'll admit, I haven't been labelled a 'demon' yet... but I have been called a 'devil worshipper' for being an atheist. 

[Danniella]

I'll admit, I haven't been labelled a 'demon' yet... but I have been called a 'devil worshipper' for being an atheist. 

I can join you in that experience xD

The Irony of an atheist being labelled a "worshipper" of ANYTHING is not lost on me ^^

[Jess42]

I can join you in that experience xD

The Irony of an atheist being labelled a "worshipper" of ANYTHING is not lost on me ^^

Actually a true Satanist that belongs to The Church of Satan, the one create by Anton LeVey in San Franciso do not worship Satan or even believe in Satan or God. So in actuality they are truly athiest. But it is extremely confusing because at the same time they believe in different energies. They have a websight and you can buy the Satanic Bible. I read the bible because people used to call me a Satanist and I figured if people were gonna see me that way I might as well have real information on the subject to disprove the notions of sacrificing blue eyed blond virgins during Halloween.

[JamesG]

Well... the "Church o' Satan" was more hedonist druid that picked up Christian theological trappings to attract attention by being controversial (bad boys pick up hot chicks). So they weren't any more atheist than any other spiritualist or NewAge belief system.

 

The God botherer clearly forgot let he who is without sin cast the first stone and the 11th Commandment, keep thy religion to thyself

It gets pretty hard to meet your converts and saved souls quota that way...

[JamesG]

I can join you in that experience

From the Christian perspective, absence of faith is actually the presence of evil. Ie: "If you aren't with us, yer' against us."

The Irony of an atheist being labelled a "worshipper" of ANYTHING is not lost on me

But which is not to say that it isn't a belief system...

[Edge]

Haha! Brava! Brava!
I once read (unfortunately didn't get to talk to them) someone calling trans people "demonic circus freaks" and claimed the gay agenda was world domination. That would be totally awesome.

The thing with LaVeyan satanists is stupidity is supposed to be one of their "sins," yet most satanists I know followed LaVey to the letter despite it being right in the introduction to his book that he studied how to manipulate people through religion. *face palm* Also, most satanists I know are obsessed with Christianity, homophbic, racist, and other stuff they share with the more crazy Christian fundamentalists.

Did somebody say Pratchett?

Huge Pratchett fan, Kaylee. We have to be friends now.

,
Teg

The only people I know of who are not huge Pratchett fans are people who have no read Pratchett.

[jussmoi4nao]

I actually...think I'm in love with you right now, hahah. That was incredibly brave and more than a little awesome.

[Miss_Bungle1991]

I haven't had anybody call me a demon yet.

I remember my great-aunt told me that I sounded like a demon when I was in my teens. But I was screaming and growling along to Napalm Death at the time, so that might have something to do with that. 

[Jess42]

Haha! Brava! Brava!
I once read (unfortunately didn't get to talk to them) someone calling trans people "demonic circus freaks" and claimed the gay agenda was world domination. That would be totally awesome.

The thing with LaVeyan satanists is stupidity is supposed to be one of their "sins," yet most satanists I know followed LaVey to the letter despite it being right in the introduction to his book that he studied how to manipulate people through religion. *face palm* Also, most satanists I know are obsessed with Christianity, homophbic, racist, and other stuff they share with the more crazy Christian fundamentalists.The only people I know of who are not huge Pratchett fans are people who have no read Pratchett.

That just goes to show how most belief systems that have some kind of structure or hierarchy is flawed. Plus humans are easily manipulated, promise them something, or say just the right things that they want to hear and it's almost like they are hypnotized. Have you ever experienced a psychic reading? Or watched a show that the host "talks to the dead"? I am not saying that there aren't people with true psychic abilities or that do have some sort of communication to the other side but these side show people are just too obvious. Who hasn't had a loved one pass? Who hasn't experienced a tragedy in their life? The bigger the audience the bigger the fish they catch.

[Amy1988]

Below is another (admittedly shorter episode) of "Danniella's Wild Dysphoria Ride!"

It involves brief recounting of a very strange event that I was involved in today. Hope somebody enjoys reading my continued rants

...

So there I was, grabbing a few bits from the Tesco in the town centre, when I hear a rising commotion from outside the store.

I think nothing of it, finish up my shop and, bags in hand, leave the store. But the instant I emerge into the street, I can see a sizeable crowd has gathered in a circle around a most strange sight.

A bearded man in a cheap suit staood on a bench, clutching a bible in one hand and holding upright a large placard with the other, was screaming at the top of his lungs an impromptu sermon on the sins of man and the collected crowd.

His placard read "The Equation is Simple, 1 man + 1 woman = 1 Marriage, No exceptions"

As I stood enraptured by the bizarre scene, like the rest of the gathered crowd, the man continued his rage filled, homophobic rant, making clear his stance that marriage should never be between people of the same gender, lest we invoke the wrath of God.

I watch as he begins to focus his ranting on specific targets in the crowd, one by one picking them out, listing their apparent "Sins" and screaming about redemption.

With the ink on the new Gay marriage laws in Scotland barely even dry, and as somebody who detests the spreading of flagrant homophobia, not to mention the criminal misapplication of basic algebra, I felt the need to interject on his ongoing, and increasingly phlegm filled, rant.

Now I should preface this by saying that I have done this type of thing many times before in the past. I stand firm by the old saying that "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men should do nothing"...and also the lesser known saying that "Haters are like crickets, they chirp all ->-bleeped-<-ing day, but when you walk up them, they shut the <not allowed> up."

What I did not anticipate during the particular verbal confrontation that ensued, was that I have just started fulltime this week, and just how much this piece of vital information would take the argument to a whole other level.

So as I push my way to the front of the crowd, I can see the fanatic's eyes fall upon me. I pull myself up to my full 6'4" heeled height and find that the man is not as high above me as anticipated...clearly he needed the bench to preach from, otherwise people would be wondering where the hate speech was coming from. I manage to silence the man after a moment with an outstretched palm and a stern expression.

"All right good sir" I say, attempting to keep my voice as civil as possible, since I have found this to be the most effective way to get people enraged. "So do tell me, where do I stand in this most ironclad of equations?" I say, gesturing towards the offending placard and it's woeful text.

"As a woman! Placed here by the lord!" He bellows, throwing his gaze across the crowd once more, as he attempts to work my interjection into his sermon, "You shall marry and bear children, as is best to spread his undying love, and the lessons the bible teaches us!"

I can't help but giggle and move in closer, gesturing for him to bend down to listen to what I have to say next...

As he complies. leaning down and looking at me intently, I speak in as hushed a voice as I can muster over the murmuring of the confused and entertained crowd.

"What if I told you" I say, switching to my male voice momentarily, "That I am not a woman at all, and that your pathetic equation is as antiquated and irrelevant as the hateful filth you spout in a transparent attempt to make your sorry life have some greater meaning."

...

I must admit, I take a twisted joy in this particular form of verbal cowing, and I do so with what my friends have remarked as an "alarming and very unsafe frequency"...but in all my years of verbal confrontation, I have never witnessed a reaction quite like the one the small fanatic produced today...

He turned bright red, paused for a moment, his jaw slamming so far open that it looked like it would never manage to ascend the monumental height back to its original elevation, then he pointed one shaking hand at me...and began to scream...

"THIS IS NO WOMAN!" he screamed frantically, "IT IS A DEVIL IN HUMAN FORM! A DEMON FROM HELL SENT TO LEAD OUR FLOCK ASTRAY! LISTEN NOT TO HER WORDS! SHE IS HERE TO TAINT AND CLAIM YOUR SOULS!"

There was no amount of composure that could prepare me for that response, and as I burst out laughing (in an arguably maniacal manner) I turned to the gathered crowd as he continued to rant over my head, and spoke to them.

"Oh no! He caught me!" I laugh "I'm totally a Demon from hell, here for your souls. Oh well, busted! Everybody get in the bag, time to take you back to hell." I say, holding one of my shopping bags open and gesturing for people to climb in it.

The crowd, revelling in the absurdity of the situation, burst into uproarious laughter,

The fanatic began to go even crazier than I imagined possible, howling borderline incoherent threats of retribution and damnation at the top of his lungs, the crowds mirth only made even greater by his outbursts, with the odd audible jeering and clapping permeating the continued deafening uproar.

The in a bizarre way, the whole thing reminded me of my extremely brief stage career. (Yes I was terrible, apparently no amount of "enthusiasm" is an adequate compensation for being tone deaf and having atrocious natural rhythm).

In my head there were roses being thrown, cries for an encore and numerous adoring fans lining up for autographs of the brave person who stood up to the lunatic. But in reality, the only autographs I wrote today, were as indicated on the bottom right hand corner of every sheet of paper on a small mountain of paperwork, as I sat in the waiting room of the local police station, trying to explain to an entirely humourless police officer how I was involved in a most unsavoury disturbance of the peace in the town centre today at lunch time.

I have no idea what happened to the crestfallen fanatic, last I saw he was being silenced when the police placed him inside a separate car, and my inquires to his fate were met with a stern

"You will find out more should any charges be levelled, until then I cannot discuss the matter any further."

I guess some people simply have no appreciation for the performing arts...

...

So that was the highlight of my day Susan's, thought you might get a kick out of it ^^;

As I stated in another post, religion seems to attract nuts with a pathological need to feel superior over and stand in judgement over other people completely contradicting the bible.  They also apparently don't understand that the sins they commit on a daily basis are no less sinful than the sins they claim others commit.  This is why my generation has rejected religion unfortunately.  In a few years I hate to say faith will be a thing of the past and these people are to blame.