A woman had grown up in a very strict religious household and recognized her past religion as a cult. She left this environment at a young age, but her experiences left a lasting impact on her life, and she soon found out that voicing her religious views could cause tension within her workplace.
Brought up in a Cult
The woman had been brought up in a particular Christian off-shoot that was, by definition, a cult. “I got out very early on, it was obviously wrong to me”, she explained.
Her Mother’s Exit
Recently, the woman’s mother had left the same religious group, confirming its cult-like nature. This shared experience brought them closer and allowed them to discuss their past in a more open way.
Navigating Religious Conversations at Work
The woman currently resided and worked in Texas, a place known for its religiosity. At company outings, religion often became a topic of discussion, and people frequently asked about each other’s beliefs.
Avoiding Conflict
The woman, keen to avoid conflict, generally opted for a vague response. She would state, “I am not religious and would rather avoid discussing it as I grew up in a cult that harmed me in many ways.”
An Inquisitive Co-worker
On a recent occasion, one of the woman’s coworkers showed genuine interest in her response and pried further. He asked about the specifics of what made the religious group so harmful.
Describing Christianity
“I mentioned that they taught that women were not people but property, that gay people should be killed (I am bisexual), and that anything bad was all just God’s plan”, the woman recounted.
Unsettling Reactions
The co-worker, it seemed, deduced that she was referring to Christianity. This realization appeared to disturb him, and he voiced his disagreement, stating that what she experienced wasn’t a cult.
Facing a Dilemma
Despite her attempts to stay away from religious conflict, the woman realized that her strong words had brought her precisely that. She regretted the altercation and how she had inadvertently labeled the entirety of Christianity as a cult, as expressing this only caused her to offend her co-worker.
Defending Her Stance
On the other hand, the woman had simply defended her stance and hadn’t meant to paint the whole of Christianity with the same brush as the cult she was brought up in. Furthermore, she had not gone out of her way to have this discussion and had only opened up when the man pried, so she felt that there wasn’t much she could have done differently.
An Online Verdict
The woman headed online, asking her internet friends whether she had been wrong to call Christianity a cult. To her relief, everyone rushed to defend the conflicted woman. “You talked about your own experience in an actual cult”, someone reminded her. “As long as you acknowledge that not all of Christianity is a cult, then you’re fine.”
Entitled to Her Opinion
However, another person responded to the previous comment, claiming that regardless of what she meant, she was entitled to her beliefs. “Why does she have to “acknowledge that not all of Christianity is a cult”?, they asked. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”
He Asked
As the woman had already mentioned, one commenter reminded her that she had attempted to evade the conversation entirely, stating her apparent ‘guilt’ as grounds to believe she was not being truthful. “I’m not sure if you’re trolling, but if you’re being real here, you did nothing wrong”, they concluded. “You told him you’d rather avoid discussing it, and he pressed.”
She Should Have Thought
However, not everyone defended the woman. “It’s logical to assume that Texas businessmen who start talking about religion belong to one particular faith”, another commenter pointed out. “This means that you accused their religion of being a cult to their faces, except you weren’t direct about it. They are right to expect an apology.”
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