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We Asked Former Cult Members: ‘When Did You Realize It Was a Cult?’ The Answers Will Surprise You
Alright, friends, here’s the deal: we gathered stories from people who once thought they were just joining a cool community, but who later went, “Uh-oh, this is actually a cult.” Let’s dive into the wild moments when the light bulb flicked on and they knew something was seriously off.
Image credits: stillsarah
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They seriously claimed handing over 10% of my paycheck every month was like buying a VIP pass to heaven. Spoiler: It’s not.
1. They quietly erased Jesus from the Bible readings and swapped in the leader’s name.
2. Worship songs? Now about the leader, not God.
3. Money? Nope, it’s not YOURS. It belongs to the leader because he woke you up this morning. Pay up.
4. Feeling sick? Don’t go to a doctor. Have faith! If you don’t get better, you just weren’t chosen.
The bigwigs told me that wanting to go to college? Nope. God’s plan was for me to just start a family. At 15, I was like, “Uhhh…”
Did you know cults aren’t just about weird religious stuff? They can be political, lifestyle-focused, or just plain strange clubs. What makes them so sneaky? They make you feel like you’re part of something HUGE and IMPORTANT. And honestly, who doesn’t want to feel special?
But if you're feeling down or lost, these groups can spot you like a pounce-ready cat. So watch out!
An adult held me in a chokehold telling me to stop fighting so the ‘demon’ would leave my body. I was thinking, ‘Uh, maybe God stuff is just... propaganda?’ LOL.
The pastor strolls in, and suddenly people are crying, shouting, and basically worshipping the dude like he's a celebrity. He even had bodyguards! Oh, and his suit? Could’ve fed a small village.
The priest told me to stop asking questions and then claimed my science teacher was trying to corrupt me. Spoiler alert: science = Satan’s playground. When tragedy hit, they said it was God’s plan and that we should just love it. I was a kid and was like, 'That’s messed up.' Now, I’m proudly atheist.
The cult “boss” is usually some super charming, but totally self-obsessed, person. They’re masters at making you think they’re the real deal. Getting out can be like trying to escape a maze, especially if you’ve been trapped for a while. A fresh dose of outside friends and activities can help unlock the door.
They straight-up warned me: if you quit, your family can’t talk to you. Ever. Because ‘bad association.’ Talk about high stakes!
Picture this: getting hitched to a near stranger because apparently it was God’s will. Spoiler: it wasn’t fun.
My ex-pastor told us to skip hospitals and rely on prayer alone. Then, hilariously tragic, he lost his own daughter – but said it was God’s will. Oof.
Some classic cult red flags? Here’s a handy list:
- Only the leader knows the truth (they say).
- No questions allowed - ever.
- Leader is ALWAYS right. No exceptions.
- Scary talk about the world outside.
- Money stuff is a big no-share zone.
- Anyone who tries to leave gets roasted hard.
- Endless accusations and rumors about the leader.
If you spot these, might be time to rethink your membership card.
Instead of spreading love, they spent sermons roasting every other church. Not exactly the ‘focus on Christ’ vibe I signed up for.
I casually asked my mom, 'If God asked you to sacrifice me, would you?' No hesitation, she said yes. Cue my mind blown moment.
That awkward moment when your Catholic priest tells you animals are basically just soulless creatures. Thanks for ruining pet cuddles forever.
Got a cult story? Ever had a lightbulb moment where you realized “Wait a minute…”? Don’t be shy! Share your tales below. We’re all ears.
They'd tell horror stories about people who left the group, always ending up sick or dying. Super creepy way to keep folks chained.
Imagine being a kid and getting grilled by five grown-ups all at once. Yeah, that happened. It was as fun as it sounds.
When my mom started seizing, it hit me hard. The Job story? Not about faith, but an evil god playing cruel games. That cult-like communion sealed the deal. Big yikes.
The founder told everyone God whispered instructions to him while he was washing his car. Bonus points: more visions came during private jet rides. Fancy divine messages, huh?
Binged a doc on my church and wow. Hillsong’s secrets exploded in real-time. Didn’t see that coming.
Was told to kneel and pray while the priest rocked a gold crown like royalty. Felt less like worship and more like a bizarre cosplay party.
Broke but still had to pay membership fees. Miss a fast or tithe? They said you’re toast. Talk about kicking when you’re down.
A lady ran from her abusive husband to church, but her sister was told to dump her because she was supposedly practicing witchcraft. Yep, no chill.
The pastor’s daughter needed a blood transfusion during delivery and he said Nope. She barely made it - and left behind newborn twins. Oof.
Got brave and told my folks I didn’t buy the message anymore - they seriously tried to cut me off. Ouch.
Asked if the prophet’s teachings made sense, and got a direct, ‘Everything he says is true, don’t question.’ Yeah, no thanks.
Had that ‘whoa’ moment when it hit me: crucifying your son for your sins is seriously like a blood ritual. Yikes.
The pastor claimed God picked our country’s leaders, so we had to just respect them. Living in the Philippines, that one hurt my brain.
They made me sit in the middle while everyone shouted why I was bad. I was like, ‘Uh, this is not the fun kind of attention.’
People had pictures of the church founder or priests hanging up at home like they were celebrities. A bit much, right?
As a kid, I saw only men being leaders in church, but at home, Mom was the boss. That didn’t add up.
Breaking one tiny rule = expulsion. Like, you can’t even attend weddings outside the cult. Then I actually read the Bible myself and realized they skip 95% of it. Hello, contradiction!
We held all our festivals at strange nighttime hours in a forest circle. Plus, we had this weird hierarchy where the pastor was ‘father’ and his ‘wife’ was dubbed ‘God mother.’ Then I dreamed the pastor turned into a demon. Yep, something was off.
They accused me of using my sister’s cerebral palsy as a lame excuse to miss church. Guess what? She needed 24/7 care. Hello, empathy?
Every service started with us standing up and saying ‘This is power’ to the picture of the head pastor. Cue awkward vibes.
Had to give up my birthday, meat, and any clothes that were even a little revealing. No fun allowed.
Pastor walks in, and everyone basically becomes statues in worship. I was like, ‘Wait, what?!’
Prophecies totally flopped, but they told us it was because WE were sinning. Blame game, anyone?
Preachers started talking to me like they’d known me forever and made up wild stories to squeeze cash out of me. Smooth talkers, huh?
Signed up to learn Korean at 16, but before every lesson, we had to sit through an hour-long Christian mass in the basement. After a couple of months, I was like, ‘This is weird.’
Apparently, the cult leader’s sons can have several wives - but for the rest of us, that’s a no-go. Double standards, anyone?
Watched a documentary about cults and thought, ‘Whoa, this fits my ex religion perfectly.’ Mind blown.
They said if I even watched or listened to something non-Christian, I was committing a sin because God would be forced to hear it. I wish I was joking.
I used to go to SDA. Weirdly, their founders showed up on every national exam I took. Random, right?
Cancer hit me at 18, no one visited. Mom died, they blamed me. I ended up homeless in Spain. All by 16-18. Yeah, cults can be brutal.
Questioned why Bible and cult leader’s teachings clashed. Was told to quit questioning and just believe. Also learned John the Baptist is Elijah. Who knew?
They made me marry and have kids, but eventually I caught onto the mountain of lies. Big red flag.
My sister and I hated going to church on Saturdays. Only 4 families showed up but it was ‘well-known.’ They had weird tests like needing to see faces on curtains to be ‘pure.’ Still creeps me out.
When my brothers left the cult, folks started acting cold toward me and badmouthed them. I was about 11 and thought, ‘Whoa, this is harsh.’
Found myself struggling big time when trying to defend my religion. Felt like dodging bullets with no armor.
The volunteers were drowning in events and cash handouts, then the leader slapped on another tax. I was like, ‘That’s it, I’m out.’
The pastor tried to make me faint during prayer. I refused and then he blamed a ton of demons. Spoiler: I never felt fainting, but got spiritual anyway... now I’m Muslim, btw.
Became way more reliant on the leader than on God, which was a weird twist I didn’t expect.
The Apostle claimed he’s the door to God’s blessings. I’m just here wondering if it’s a door or a sales pitch.
Worked crazy 80-hour weeks, got paid like 35. Cult leaders praised this like it was a joyride. Nope.
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