Stupid Ignorant Customers

[Kristev]

Don't bother with the cops. They'll be local yokels. Call the A. C. L. U. That'll put the fear of the consequences of the bible into everyone.

[Brojekk]

That was beyond ignorant of them..they should both be permanantly banned (for starters) They should have been arrested. I hate threats like that.

[EvilEmpryss]

I had to deal with a jerk cranking the religious channel on his radio during work and reading aloud from the bible on his breaks once he found out I was Wiccan. He even tucked fliers under my windshieldf wipers once a week. A visit to the EEO office with his Union rep put a stop to all that, but not the scowls he continued to give me until the day I left.

The first thing anyone facing discrimination needs to do is think: you need to seriously evaluate the threat level these guys represent. Are they just blowhards who like to talk a lot of trash but will crumple the minute someone stands up to them, or do you truly believe that they may hurt you if you don't take action? If they're blowhards, either keep your head down and bull through it, hoping that they'll get bored and pick on someone else, or call their bluff by letting them know that if they continue the harassment you will take legal action against them. I do NOT recommend playing the "I'm a witch and I'm going to put a curse on you" bit. Nothing like playing into their irrational fears to get you in serious trouble.

If you believe that there is even the slightest possibility that they are serious in their threats, call the police. You were threatened by two people who clearly had the motivation and the means to follow through with their threats. File a formal complaint with your local police department. They threatened you, and have continued to pursue their terrorism through leaving religious material at your place of work. Don't let the cops talk you out of filing the report: the ACLU will need proof that you tried to handle this at your level first before they'll be willing to step in. Don't count on them, though, they only take a select few cases every year and it would need to be noteworthy enough to get their attention; from the ACLU's track record, Pagans aren't high on their list unless someone actually gets hurt, first. This whole situation is no different, though, than if you were a Muslim being threatened by Christians or vice versa. If these guys so much as touch you, get a restraining order.

Realize that taking any legal action could result in you losing your job. It's not legal, but you will still be out a job while you fight not only the jerks but your old boss over the discriminatory firing. Some things are worth fighting for, some things are worth risking in order to protect yourself. Your job does you no good if you're dead. But getting fired for causing your diner problems because you're a pagan in a small town may mean you have a hard time getting a new job. Only you can decide what's best for you.

And have a talk with your boss about privacy. She may not have realized it was so big a deal, but she needs to be made aware of it now, in no uncertain terms.

Good luck.

[Skeksin]

If my information is correct the "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" is also slightly mistranslated. A more literal translation is "Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live". The translation into English allows the use of witch or poisoner and the King James version opted for the word witch.

Interesting if true.

[EvilEmpryss]

If my information is correct the "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" is also slightly mistranslated. A more literal translation is "Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live". The translation into English allows the use of witch or poisoner and the King James version opted for the word witch.

Interesting if true.

YES! I forgot about that one!

Then again, pointing out translation errors has never worked for me. I was told in no uncertain terms the God "fixed" the translation so that it means now what it was supposed to mean all along.

[rageaholic]

These fucktards got some balls saying that shit. Even if they thought they were being funny, they are still assholes with a sick and twisted sense of humor. It's hard to tell what kind of idiots they were since I wasn't there, but man...

And your boss, WTF was that about?! She has no right to tell random customers what your beliefs are. WHY WOULD SHE DO SOMETHING SO STUPID?!

ARRGH!!

[Spawned]

Customers suck, agreed, but bad choices in what you say suck more.

This should have been responded to with this:

"No, she is just joking." And move on. Especially in a small town.

[Sapphire Silk]

Re: SC

Gotta love people who think the First Amendment applies only to them.

[jjllbb]

Hell I'd be calling someone on the Boss for creating a hostile work environment.

I second that! Your boss does NOT have the right to disclose your religious beliefs!!

[wolfie]

When they started talking about hanging, drowning, and burning at the stake, I'd probably have thrown in something along the lines of:

"Jupiter be praised! Just when the lions are getting hungry, a couple of Christians come along."

Feel free to substitute any other god from the Roman flavour of classical mythology - after all, the Greeks didn't throw Christians to the lions (of course, the Greek empire was conquered by the Romans before Jesus' birth).

[lobo94]

Or you could always act like your channelling Magneto, and say something like, the humans must be crushed...by whatever means neccesary.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Sc1: Well you can go to hell because you will burn there after we burn you at the stake. (getting louder) "Thou Shall NOT SUFFER A WITCH TO LIVE"

That particular verse is Exodus 22:18. Too bad they didn't read a little further. Perhaps you can remind them of Exodus 22:21: "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him."

[bainsidhe]

Best of luck to you, I hope things improve.

[Calvin St.Hobbes]

I can't get into the long soapbox sermon I want to right now because 1. I have to bounce out the door for work and 2. My views on the "overly religious" would get be likewise bounced from these halls...
But...your boss was way in the wrong to throw you under the bus like that and just mentioning hanging,lynching or pictures of nooses can get one in a world of shit (especially down here in Texas and rightly so) You have a direct threat to work with.

[Amina516]

That particular verse is Exodus 22:18. Too bad they didn't read a little further. Perhaps you can remind them of Exodus 22:21: "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him."

Perfect.

*filler*