We didn't have a name, we didn't have a bunch of guns, we weren't trying to catch a ride on a comet, but we were a cult because the man who led us was a prophet and we totally believed that, and he could do or say no wrong. It was less than a dozen of us but we went to his house everyday and hung out. He had the bible memorized. He had an ingenious way of putting things. He had so much charisma that when we walked down the street, people would look at him and their eyes would light up and they would smile. I'm not kidding. Granted I was a sheltered kid straight out of high school and was brought into it by my first husband. I was very insecure with a low self-image. Christianity gave me answers and built me up as important.

I didn't care anymore about my financial future. My riches were you know where. My family couldn't tell me anything. I dropped out of college and worked crap jobs while my husband quit his job and went to college.

It was very old school, including the view of women as inferior temptresses who must make up for their evil by being their husband's servants and taking all the shit that was thrown at them. After about nine months I had enough and divorced my husband. Of course I was told I was going to hell. Then I heard that our fearless leader was convicted of molesting his children. Of course everyone said it was the world coming after him because he was a prophet of God. But somehow I knew differently. I believe he did it.

This is how I lost religion. I was born and raised Catholic and this is when I said screw all of it.

I have never told this story before (as you can imagine) and just wanted to say it somewhere, this seemed to be as good a place as any, just had to get it off my chest and let people know this is what religion can do to people, and this is how many people become atheists