See the results of this poll: The name of our cult survivor?
Respondents: 35 (This poll is closed)
- Miriam : 17 (49%)
- Amity : 11 (31%)
- Eden: 7 (20%)
She sounds like a [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] to me 
Feels like she could have a virtue name, like [name_f]Amity[/name_f].
I voted [name_f]Amity[/name_f]. It’s got a religiosity to it, but [name_f]Amity[/name_f] always brings to mind the Amityville horror, which imo gives it a bit of a kick and separation from the religiosity.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] out of curiosity, how many episodes of 19 kids and counting did you watch before you came up with this idea? I have a similar story idea about freeing [name_f]Johannah[/name_f]!
I voted for [name_f]Miriam[/name_f]. [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] is a lesser-used female name from the Bible, so I think that the connection there would be strong. She was also the older sister of one of the more “well known” figures in the Bible, [name_m]Moses[/name_m]. I think that because many religious cults seem to be more about oppression and the “old way” of living, that [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] would be more suitable because it’s not as flashy or something that draws a lot of attention to itself, which I think fits your characterization of her.
I don’t know if this has helped, but I think that [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] is a good choice. Good luck :). It’s definitely a challenging subject.
I also went with [name_f]Miriam[/name_f]. [name_u]Eden[/name_u] seems a bit too trendy for me and [name_f]Amity[/name_f] seemed too… Pilgrim?.. for a modern day [name_m]Christian[/name_m] cult. Still, without knowing the background of the cult (their systems and beliefs etc) it’s a little hard to know which names they’d gravitate towards.
None, actually, I’ve never seen it. I happen to know many survivors of highly conservative [name_m]Christian[/name_m] sects (many would call them cults), and I know a few who are still entrenched in the lifestyle. It’s an issue that’s very close to me, seeing how the spiritual abuse has effected their lives (both male and female), and thus I have been inspired.
Thanks for all the help everyone! I’m loving [name_f]Miriam[/name_f], but I also love [name_f]Amity[/name_f]! I feel torn… I think I will probably go with [name_f]Miriam[/name_f], but I’m still holding on to [name_f]Amity[/name_f].
Miriam is a Blblical powerhouse of a name so I can definitely imagine it being a choice for a Christian cult. Amity is a bit too contemporary and Puritan for your heroine. Christian cults are pretty conservative so I think Amity wouldn’t be as realistic as Miriam. Eden is a Biblical place name but it’s only been in the US top 1,000 girls names since the 1980’s.
I’m an atheist, and I have a few atheist friends who came from very religious, culty backgrounds, I know, through them, how sick and twisted, and traumatizing they can be. I am also a psychotherapist and I have a couple of clients who have dealt with sexual, physical and mental abuse at the hands of nuns & priests.
The reason I thought you had got the idea from 19 kids and counting is because they are “quiverfull”
I also, genuinely, have a story idea about escaping a cult. It’s about a 13 year old girl who runs away from her cult family to find out what real life is like, to educate herself and expose the cult.
I’m an atheist too, so I run into many who have survived highly religious environments, including several very very close to me. I was raised [name_m]Christian[/name_m], but it was very relaxed and my parents let me make my own decisions about spirituality. I was finished with Christianity by the time I was 10, so I consider myself lucky to be in a home that allowed and encouraged me to think for myself. I didn’t even realize that people took religion so seriously until I was an older teenager, I honestly didn’t think people genuinely believed it. I thought it was all like [name_f]Santa[/name_f] for a really long time, and when I realized the actual, real damage it’s done my feelings became much more concrete.
I’ve read a little about the Duggars, but after beginning to persue this project. I had heard of them before, but I honestly thought they were just conservative Christians. I was introduced to the Quiverfull stuff via a friend who is influenced by Quiverfull philosophy to a certain extent.
Cults are fascinating. It’s really, in essence, emotionally damaged people who are trying to create some Utopia, but it inevitably (especially with the idea of a deity commanding patriarchy) just turns into abused people abusing each other.
I was never raised per se but my Granny is a Presbyterian and she made my mum take me to [name_f]Sunday[/name_f] school. I hated it and I used to tie myself to the radiator with long socks or tights, and I refused to get dressed. Lol. Eventually she gave up. [name_f]My[/name_f] Granny still tells me I’m going to hell, and I just laugh and tell her I can’t go somewhere that doesn’t exist! But, yeah, religion is evil and dangerous.
That’s a pretty loaded statement.
Some of the comments on this thread are a great example of why conversations about religion aren’t allowed here.
I think [name_f]Amity[/name_f] would be the nicest choice, although, [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] is likely the most accurate.
@victoriana88 - I’m not sure a name forum with a lot of religious users is the best place to tear apart the concept of religion. It’s fine to be atheist and not believe in it, but, I think that, no matter what you believe in, you need to be considerate of others before you spout off about sensitive topics such as religion, abortion, racism, sexism, etc.
Secondly, I believe you’re taking 19 Kids and Counting in an entirely misguided way. They’re not a religious cult at all, if you do properly watch the show, you’d realise that, they’re simply a very religious family. Overly religious, large families like the Duggars are not rare in the United States, especially not in the south. If you choose to believe that religion is evil, then that is fine, but you don’t have a right to judge a family without knowing them whatsoever.
Is there a hell? I don’t know. Is religion ‘evil’? Maybe, I don’t know enough to say. Are the Duggars secretly some sort of evil, brainwashing cult? I highly doubt it, but it’s possible. In the same way that it’s possible for [name_f]Jemima[/name_f] to be perceived as racist, the same way that naming your daughter [name_m]Edward[/name_m] could be sexist, it’s possible, but not likely.
This exactly.
the character name is for a character in a story about a [name_m]Christian[/name_m] “quiverfull” cult. We are talking about cults.
I voted [name_u]Eden[/name_u]. The others just didn’t feel right for the character.
If you’re looking for inspiration my favourite rapper, [name_u]Angel[/name_u] [name_m]Haze[/name_m], was raised in a horribly abusive cult and talks about it a lot in her music and interviews. Her song ‘Cleaning Out [name_f]My[/name_f] Closet’ made me actually sob.
Also I adore the film Electrick Children which is about a teenage girl who removes herself from a controlling Amish community which you might find interesting too - it’s more of an artsy-realist type film, not just the normal emotional drama stuff that you’d expect.
This is a really accurate statement. I too find cults really intriguing.
I have a feeling this thread may be closed soon - people don’t seem to be distinguishing ‘regular’ organised religion from the actual thread topic very well.
I don’t mind if the thread closes. I have my name (I decided on [name_f]Miriam[/name_f]- her entire family’s names hinged on her, so this created a great set), so my purpose in it has been served. There also has been some interesting discussion with fellow berries, which I’ve massively enjoyed. I recognized that there was a possibility of the thread being shut eventually simply because the topic I’m writing on is a controversial one. In every discussion about religion, there is at least one who mentions the harm caused by religion, and a whole bunch of others who get offended by the very suggestion that religion is harmful in any way, or the insinuation that the only difference between a cult and major religion is popularity.
Thanks for the tip about [name_u]Angel[/name_u] [name_m]Haze[/name_m], I’ll check her out. I’ve also been using some of the writings of [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] [name_m]Phelps[/name_m] as inspiration. I saw Electrick Children on Netflix and that’s actually the film that put the fire under me to start writing a bit, that and some interesting comments from friends of mine who are either followers or survivors of religion. I’ve also found some websites with some amazingly strong bloggers who survived the particular cult/religious homeschooling isolation that I’m researching.
good luck with story. Hopefully you can get it published!
You’re welcome - you might find her song [name_m]Black[/name_m] [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f] particularly interesting; it’s about her feelings towards her mother, who chose to join the cult and watched her daughter suffer years of abuse, before finally helping her get out as a teen.
Good luck with your novel 
I’d love to read it if you’re considering putting it online (or publishing it?)!