Sect and Cult Stories

In our high school circle, there's a girl named Melanie who’s deeply entrenched in her Christian faith. Melanie is a devout follower and attends a local Baptist church every Sunday without fail. This personal devotion has never been an issue for us; in fact, it’s always been inspiring to see someone derive so much happiness from their faith.

Initially, Melanie’s religious expressions were subtle and respectful. She’d wear her cross pendant and occasionally share Bible verses on her social media platforms. However, over time, her approach began to change, becoming more overt and, frankly, overwhelming. It reached a point where she would arrive at our school lunch table with a Bible in hand, frequently interjecting our conversations with phrases like “God is amazing!” and persistently sharing her religious views.

Her approach intensified when she started a separate Instagram account to advocate for living a holy life according to scripture. She even attempted to launch a Christian podcast. The tipping point for us came one day over lunch when Melanie ranted about how "disrespectful" it was for people to wear cross necklaces if they weren't devout Christians. She also criticized "Jesus Christ Superstar"—a musical I hold dear—claiming it was blasphemous.

I felt compelled to address her that day. While I acknowledged her right to her beliefs, I expressed that her constant integration of religious commentary into every aspect of her interaction was becoming exhausting for everyone. I also explained that artistic interpretations like the musical were valid explorations of Jesus as a historical figure.

Melanie snapped back, questioning, "Are you implying you’re better than Jesus?" Frustrated, I retorted, maybe too harshly, "Look, Jesus loves you, but even he would appreciate it if you toned it down a bit."

This escalated to me criticizing her for letting her religion overshadow her personality and subtly implying she was superior because of her devoutness. Melanie hasn't spoken to us since that confrontation. Though my friends support my stance, claiming Melanie was being hypocritical and overbearing, I’m left questioning if I was too harsh.

The sarcasm and choice of words, in hindsight, might have been unnecessary. Reflecting on this, I can't help but wonder what the immediate reaction would be if this confrontation occurred in the setting of a reality show. Likely, it would have been sensationalized, with dramatic music and close-ups, possibly swaying public sympathy towards Melanie for being 'attacked' over her faith, or alternatively, it could have painted me as a protagonist standing up to religious zealotry, depending on the audience's prevailing attitudes.

I'm not a particularly religious person, and usually, I respect everyone's beliefs as long as they don't impose them aggressively on others.

I'm employed as a delivery driver at a local pizzeria. Typically, I cover the morning shift alone since it’s not usually very hectic.

Today, out of the blue, a call came from a woman requesting a large order to be delivered to the nearby hospital. It took quite a while to prepare because of the size of the order. Meanwhile, another order was placed online, destined for a church, which happened to be in the complete opposite direction of the hospital. My boss had to inform the woman at the church that her delivery would be significantly delayed due to the circumstances.

Once the hospital delivery was done, I headed back to the shop to pick up the church order. I heard that the lady from the church had been furiously calling the shop, complaining about the delay. She did not seem pleased when I finally arrived with her order. Her first words were, "I don't care who's to blame, but this is forty-five minutes late. This should never happen, I've got hungry kids waiting."

I chose to remain silent.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" she prodded.

"Just trying to ensure you have a good day, ma’am," I replied coolly.

She scoffed, turned away, and as I muttered under my breath, "That’s very Christ-like of you."

Returning to the shop, predictably she had already called to complain about my 'mocking' her faith. My manager isn't my biggest fan, so she took the opportunity to lecture me about customer service, demanding I always apologize and smile, regardless of the situation.

I questioned whether it was justifiable to apologize and smile after being verbally abused, and she nearly terminated my employment on the spot.

Since I was already doing overtime this week, I decided to wait till the end of my shift today before quitting.

Does that make me a bad person?

Imagine if this scenario unfolded on a reality TV show. How intense would the reaction be on social media or among the show's viewers? The dramatic interaction could potentially become a pivotal moment, underscored by debates on professionalism, religious tolerance, and personal limits in service-oriented roles.

I'm a 28-year-old woman currently residing with my mother due to my financial constraints, as I'm still completing my education with a college grant. My upbringing in the Adventist Church left me with some deep-seated emotional issues.

Since my father's death, my mother has entered a relationship with a new partner who practices an Afro-Brazilian faith. While I've expressed my struggles with religious discussions due to my Religious Trauma Syndrome diagnosed by a therapist, he has repeatedly tried to share his spiritual experiences with me. Despite requesting respectfully to refrain from this topic when we're alone, he has ignored my requests multiple times, causing me significant distress.

This repetitive breach of my boundaries led to a confrontation where I was firmer after he once again approached me with the same topic. I believed he understood my point after he became silent, perhaps feeling ashamed. However, he later complained to my mother, claiming I was rude, which resulted in a harsh rebuke from her accusing me of immaturity and intolerance. I explained my side, agreed to apologize for the tone but not for maintaining my boundary.

I personally apologized to him but reiterated my stance on avoiding religious conversations for my mental health's sake. He dismissed my approach, suggesting that adulthood involves tolerating discomfort. This makes me wonder if I'm really in the wrong here.

Imagine the drama this situation would cause if it played out on a reality show! The cameras would zoom in on our heated discussions, and viewers would probably be split. Some might applaud my stance on mental health boundaries, while others might criticize me for not being more accommodating. The producers would eat up the tension and the mixed reactions from the audience would add even more spice.

Am I being unreasonable here?

I've been married to my husband, Alex, for 17 years. We have two kids, Emma and Jack. Alex and I have been best friends for most of our marriage, but everything changed recently.

About a year ago, Alex was involved in a car accident. He was hit by a drunk driver and was in a coma for a month. It was an incredibly difficult time for our family, and the kids and I stayed by his side whenever we weren't at work or school.

Thankfully, he recovered and was able to return to his life after months of recovery and intense physical therapy. Things seemed to be getting back to normal until a few weeks ago when he became extremely religious. He started to believe that God had saved him and that he needed to use this second chance to spread his faith.

While I support people expressing their beliefs, Alex has adopted a very conservative form of Christianity, which is causing a lot of tension between us. Jack is in his senior year of high school and busy with college applications. Emma, watching her brother, has become interested in college too. The other day, she came to me in tears because she had asked her dad for advice on good colleges for computer science, a field she is passionate about. He told her she wouldn't be attending college because her role was to be a wife and mother, and college would be a waste for her.

I was livid. I confronted Alex about his statement, and he said he was spreading God's word and didn't want our children led into a sinful lifestyle. I asked him if he expected me to quit my job (I work from home as an accountant) and focus solely on being a wife and mother. He said he had been wanting to discuss this with me and thought I should quit my job since it wasn't suitable for a woman.

I was completely blindsided since he'd never expressed anything like this before. I told him I wouldn't quit my job, and our daughter would attend college regardless of his approval. He rolled his eyes and said I would come around eventually.

Things escalated last night. Emma was getting ready to go to the movies with friends, wearing jeans and a crop top—typical teenage attire. Alex stopped her and demanded she change, calling her outfit inappropriate. She asked why, and he said he wouldn't let her leave the house looking like that.

I was stunned as he'd never spoken that way before. I told Emma to go as she was, and she left. Alex then accused me of not caring about our daughter's soul. I told him it was her body, and she could dress how she wanted. He argued that her body belonged to God, not her, and I needed to respect his beliefs. I said I couldn't respect a belief system that treated women as second-class citizens, and he stormed out of the house.

He hasn't returned yet. Have I been wrong?

What do you think would happen if this scenario played out on a reality show? Would people side with me, or think I should support Alex's newfound beliefs?

Ok, first off the religious group I will not mention by name as it is not the point of this post. However, I will say I do believe they are a cult because they recruit people, force them to give the "council" all the money they make, and by around 60 when they are old they throw them out of their housing facilities that they own. They cut people's connections with all family and friends no exceptions. If you can't make money they don't want you. They are not small I'll tell you that much. We were learning about different groups in American history. We were in about 6 small groups all discussing about the groups. When I saw the one about the "religion" that's when I said to my group they were like a cult. This group is still a thing today.

Anyway, in english class my group was discussing about the group and I said, "oh they're like a cult" then the teacher chimed in.

T: "That's a strong word"

Me: "Well that's basically what they are"

T: "how"

Me: "Well they make these cartoons that..."

T: "Well many people make cartoons that doesn't mean they are a cult"

Me: "well the cartoon...."

T: "I'm just telling you you shouldn't call them a cult and it's wrong"

Me: "ok fine"

She kept cutting me off before I could even explain my reasoning. But should I not refer to them as a "cult"? Am I an asshole for referring to a religious group as a cult? If you have any questions about the group I'm talking about I'll try to explain it in a way not to call them out. I do believe they are a cult.

Imagine if I was in a reality show and brought up this topic. Would people side with me or would they think I'm just being rude? How do you think the audience would react if I explained my reasons on camera? Would they understand or think I'm out of line?