There’s a line between devoting yourself and being exploited, and you don’t always notice — at least not immediately — if you cross it.

Reddit user Eveofmilady realized this in college. The student belonged to a church that presented itself as a sanctuary of faith, and as an active member of the media team, she thought she was contributing to a higher purpose.

But the pastor’s greed pushed her to the edge, demanding not just her time and dedication but even her last dollars. Luckily, as Eveofmilady explained in her post on the subreddit ‘Malicious Compliance,’ when his minions started going after her livelihood, she began to see what was happening.

There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes of organized religion

Image credits: Tabitha Mort (not the actual photo)

This woman’s church even tried to extort her

Image credits: Brett Jordan (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Christin Hume (not the actual photo)

Image credits: eveofmilady

Image credits: Stephen Radford (not the actual photo)

It’s not easy leaving a cult

We sometimes judge those who become involved in a cult, almost as if their involvement and the subsequent repercussions are entirely their own fault.

But it’s important to approach this topic with empathy, recognizing that individuals may find themselves drawn to such groups for a variety of complex reasons.

For example, California Institute of Technology psychologist Jon-Patrik Pedersen, in attempting to explain why people are drawn to cults, has argued that it’s our desire for comfort in the face of fear and uncertainty, that leads us to seek outlets that can soothe our anxieties. Something a “broke college kid with a minimum wage part-time job” might have plenty of.

In and of itself, the urge to quiet internal demons is not a negative trait. On the contrary, it’s an effective adaptation that allows us to cope with the stressors, big and small, that regularly bombard us.

So the fact that Eveofmilady had ended up in such a place shouldn’t be used against her. Plus, it probably wasn’t easy to leave, either.

Psychiatrist Mark Banschick has pointed out that cult leaders employ mind- and behavioral-control techniques focused on severing followers’ connections to the outside world.

These methods can deepen members’ existing emotional insecurities while encouraging them to become completely reliant on their cult for all their emotional and even physical needs. The resulting isolation can become so overwhelming and feel so insurmountable that followers attach themselves to their “saviors.”

Luckily, this story has a happy ending.

Image credits: Luan Cabral (not the actual photo)

So people were glad to learn that the original poster (OP) got out

Some also shared their own similar experiences

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