11 Cute Yet Comfy Shoes From Aerosoles You'll Want To Add To Your Spring Wardrobe
We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
We're not sacrificing comfort for style — and thankfully, we don't have to.
Unless otherwise specified, all sizes in this post are listed in women's.
1. A blue jean sneaker, a pretty easy choice considering how *denim* goes with everything. This shoe is a quick option you don't even have to think about when pairing with spring fashions.
2. A cork platform sandal because you're already thinking about which dress you'll pair with it. And, in this poppin' color, you can wear a simple outfit because these shoes have main character energy.
Aerosoles
Promising review:"I love the neutral cork and how comfortable these are straight out of the box. They only get better with age, which is hard to believe since they are amazing from the first wear." — Ronette B.
3. A suede sandal — in a gorgeous rust — with a modest 2.5-inch heel for a little boost that won't make your ankles cry 45 minutes into your night out.
Aerosoles
Promising review:"The Cora runs true to size. I am a 7 and it fits nicely. The toe bed is comfortable; the heel height is just right for me as well! I like the suede color; it goes with everything, so they are easy to pack for a trip. Very cute!" — Angela G.
4. A thong sandal because warmer days are coming and flip-flops are a must-have staple for the spring season. Unlike other similar styles, these feature a Diamond Flex sole, which absorbs impact and disperses friction while ensuring equal weight distribution.
Aerosoles
5. Some ballet flats — an understated shoe with a graceful silhouette for the days when you just need something simple because your patterned dress is doing most of the work. This ballet flat is the cherry on top; always sweet and, in this case, always comfy.
6. A low-wedge metallic sandal with an OrthoLite foam insole to ensure you not only look great but feel great despite hours of wear.
Aerosoles
7. A metallic loafer mule for a 2-in-1 style that combines your favorite shoes. It's like the mullet of footwear — loafer in the front, mule slip-on in the back.
8. A platform loafer with a removable Ortholite folded footbed that actually makes it comfortable for all-day wear, which is great because you're in your prep school fashion era.
Aerosoles
Promising review:"I'm an old penny loafer gal. These are updated versions without being too 'young' looking. And they are comfy. Just enough heel height. Love them with my jeans, trousers, and jeans skirt. Just love them. They would be great with a pantsuit, too." — Virginia Z.
9. A heeled leather mule in case you're looking for a more luxurious shoe. This mule offers elevation and style that sets it apart from some of your other slip-ons. Can you imagine how gorgeous that mustard yellow will look dancing in the sun?
Aerosoles
10. A walking sandal with Pillow Sock technology, which provides cloud-like comfort. What appears to be just a rad sandal with a refined buckle is actually your plus one for a weekend getaway exploring a new place.
Aerosoles
11. An open-knit flat here to give you that same simple and convenient comfort as a traditional ballet flat, but in a unique breezy design. When those temperatures rise, you'll be thrilled to have a shoe that allows for airflow.
Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
23 Wildly Unsettling Confessions People Randomly Spilled That Shocked Those Around Them
We recently shared this post about wild, "WTF" confessions people casually let rip. BuzzFeed Community members then shared their own stories of times people dropped random confession bombs on them. We also looked at this Reddit thread by TrustyMadman detailing even more unsettling confessions people wish they'd never learned. 1."I was talking to a state Senator and he was casually telling me, in front of a few other guys, about how he would cheat on his wife behind the school we were close to." —swampfish 2."My brother-in-law arranged to have his car stolen because he could no longer afford the payments. The person he hired to steal it was supposed to set it on fire. The police found it fully intact. The arsonist forgot to open a window, so the lack of oxygen put the fire out. The police called, told him he could pick up his car, and gave him the address. My brother-in-law called the car thief/arsonist and complained about the service. When my brother-in-law arrived at the location that the police gave him, the car was fully engulfed in flames. The insurance company turned down the claim because they found it suspicious. He had to keep paying for a car that had to be scrapped. Talk about karma. I could write a book about the schemes my brother-in-law tried to pull, not one of which ever worked in his favor." —Anonymous 3."During a fight, my boyfriend confessed that he dated three ladies simultaneously as a younger man. Sometimes he slept with all three of them on the same day. He says it was not that great because it's not pleasurable if he is not emotionally attached. I was shocked." —Anonymous 4."A guy I dated one summer admitted that he used to commit armed robberies with his best friend and even shot people in the process. The best friend got caught and was locked up for life. He didn't get caught and lived a very low-key life. Not sure if he was telling the truth, but it was a disturbing story." —Anonymous 5."I was doing a European tour in my early 20s with a bunch of Kiwis, Aussies, South Africans, and a few others. We were sitting in a hotel room in Rome playing Never Have I Ever. People were throwing out pretty innocuous things until one guy said, 'Never have I ever stabbed a guy,' and had a drink." —SpoonNZ 6."A coworker didn't show up on Monday. On Tuesday, I said, 'I hope you feel better today.' She casually told me that she wasn't sick. She went to jail for stabbing her boyfriend in the leg with a fork. He didn't press charges, but the time before that, it was a knife in the arm. I guess the second incident got her in trouble with the county." —Anonymous 7."I was riding in a car after a funeral with my mother-in-law and her sister when they started talking about the relative who was just buried (I'll call him M). Long story short, M had numerous scandals throughout his younger years, including an affair with his sister-in-law that resulted in pregnancy. M's wife never knew or at least pretended not to know that her nephew was also her husband's son. That son is now in his 50s, and no one in his generation of relatives knows that his cousins are actually his half-brothers. M's children and grandchildren have all grown up believing M was a very religious, pious man. My husband is a cousin of M's son. They grew up practically brothers, and he doesn't even know." —BeachBound1 8."A coworker once told me that in high school, she and a friend had witnessed a man drop his wallet, and they went to pick it up. The wallet had $5k inside. She said she and her friend figured he must be a drug dealer because only drug dealers would carry that amount of cash, so they kept the money and split it between themselves. She said she spent it slowly on new clothes and things over the next few months so her mother wouldn't get suspicious. I lost all respect for her after she told me the story. I could think of hundreds of reasons why someone might be carrying that much cash, and none of them had to do with drugs. My heart still hurts for the man who lost his wallet that two selfish children found." —Anonymous 9."I was on my way to visit a friend in Missouri when my car broke down just west of Tulsa. This was back when mobile phones were just a nerdy pipe dream, so I walked to a nearby convenience store to find a payphone to call another friend to ask for assistance. While I was waiting for my friend to arrive, I started chatting with the store's clerk. I told him about my car trouble, and he just happened to have the part I needed in his car and stepped away for a few minutes to get it. Once he returned, I thanked him, gave him a few bucks for the part, and made sure it was okay with him for me to hang out there a while longer while I waited for my friend to arrive. The clerk and I continued to chat, and this is when I learned that he already had a few years under his belt towards his degree in veterinary medicine. Then he proceeded to tell me about the surgery skills he recently had the chance to practice by removing a tumor from his buddy's stomach." "He, of course, didn't have access to the proper anesthesia, so his buddy just used a bottle of whiskey to dampen the pain instead. As I sat across the table from this guy, wondering how I would respond or even if I should respond, I was saved by my friend who had just walked in the door. I used my friend's appropriately-timed arrival as an excuse to thank the clerk again for the part and be on my way." —Anonymous 10."I was just casually eating lunch at a restaurant with a friend I'd known for years when she suddenly got really spacy and just stared out the window, ignoring everything I was saying until I finally stopped talking and asked what was up. She pointed at a man outside across the street and said, 'I'm still 95% sure that's my oldest daughter's father.' I'd known her for years and knew her husband and kids. I'd never seen that guy in my life." —Anonymous 11."We were at a family get-together. It was a swim party. We're all having a good time enjoying the sun and swimming. Someone had a scab on their leg, and their sister in-law said, 'Oh, I love it when they get soggy!' Then, she asked her brother if he ate his it was a totally normal thing. He replied, shocked, 'No!! Who the heck eats scabs?!? That's the nastiest thing I've ever heard.' She said, 'I do all the time!' She's in her late 30s. She continued with, 'I just pick them off and suck on them until they get soft, and then swallow. I love it when they get soggy!' I am still disturbed and sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I will never look at that person the same again. When I look at her, all I can think is soggy scab mouth." —Anonymous 12."I (50F) let the condo maintenance man in to replace my thermostat. I've met him before, and he was always nice and quick with repairs. It was the start of summer, and he asked if my kids and I had any vacation plans. I reciprocated the question, and we were just making small talk. Out of nowhere, he casually says he murdered his brother. WTF?? I completely froze, then mumbled, 'Oh,' as he put the faceplate on. He didn't follow up on that statement, and I didn't ask for details. He quickly said bye and walked out. I moved shortly after." —plutoplop 13."My boyfriend's coworker told him that he used to rob sex workers back in his younger days." —Anonymous 14."My buddy casually dropped that his kid wasn't his. It's his wife's dealer's. But I guess they are good now, so whatever." —aknockingmormon 15."One of my coworkers was pregnant, and a group of coworkers were together sharing cravings they had when they were pregnant. Typical stuff, like ice cream and pickles. One of the older ladies, who had grown up in the Mississippi Delta, said, 'I ate dirt.' We all just stared at her. She then went on to talk about how she fried it in a frying pan. Some of us were discussing how bizarre it was later, and apparently, it was a thing in poor areas of Mississippi before the 1950s. It was a way to get nutrients and minerals when food was scarce. I will never forget her saying that, and learning that was actually a thing in America at one time." —Anonymous 16."A few months ago, I had a patient (who I treated every day for a few weeks) 'jokingly' tell me that he and his buddies had killed a man and thrown his body off a bridge into the water below. He was known for telling wild stories, but that one didn't sit well with me. I don't believe he was joking by the way he told it. At all." —Anonymous 17."'Oh, that looks just like the truck I stole and sold to pay for my college tuition.'" —Anonymous 18."In a group meeting that discussed consistency and longevity of maintaining a vegan diet, one asshole declared he has never cheated on his diet and has been vegan for decades. It sounded impressive until he confessed to cheating on his wife instead. Awkward." —lovelypenguin148 19."A female coworker told me about recently visiting her boyfriend's house. She wanted to have sex, but he told her he couldn't because he had a gonorrhea infection. She wanted to have sex anyway and was upset because he wouldn't." —Anonymous 20."My neighbor was helping me move. He picked up my washing machine and easily carried it up the stairs to the front lawn as if it only weighed 10 lbs. I told him I was impressed at how strong he was. He said he was used to carrying really heavy things because he used to be an enforcer for the mob. Jaw drop." —Anonymous 21."A 'friend' of mine told me he'd bitten someone's ear off in a fight. Later, he drove a semi truck into someone's house on purpose." —willflameboy 22."I used to work at a pharmacy, and one day this sweet-looking old man came in to pick up his meds. Out of nowhere, he says, 'You know, I buried my brother in the backyard when I was 12. No one ever found out.' I laughed nervously, thinking it was a joke, but he just stared at me and said, 'He deserved it.' I still don't know if he was serious or just messing with me, but I didn't sleep well that night." —naashpig "Asked my best friend what he had done for the day, and he casually told me about how he robbed a McDonald's. Mind you, we were in high school, and the way he casually breezed past it and explained his entire day?!?! Like sir, PLEASE! Let's back up a bit. You did WHAT????" —Independent-Bat9545 Has someone ever made a major confession to you that left you speechless? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form.
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
23 Shocking Confessions That Left People Speechless
We recently shared this post about wild, "WTF" confessions people casually let rip. BuzzFeed Community members then shared their own stories of times people dropped random confession bombs on them. We also looked at this Reddit thread by TrustyMadman detailing even more unsettling confessions people wish they'd never learned. "I was talking to a state Senator and he was casually telling me, in front of a few other guys, about how he would cheat on his wife behind the school we were close to." "My brother-in-law arranged to have his car stolen because he could no longer afford the payments. The person he hired to steal it was supposed to set it on fire. The police found it fully intact. The arsonist forgot to open a window, so the lack of oxygen put the fire out. The police called, told him he could pick up his car, and gave him the address. My brother-in-law called the car thief/arsonist and complained about the service. When my brother-in-law arrived at the location that the police gave him, the car was fully engulfed in flames. The insurance company turned down the claim because they found it suspicious. He had to keep paying for a car that had to be scrapped. Talk about karma. I could write a book about the schemes my brother-in-law tried to pull, not one of which ever worked in his favor." "During a fight, my boyfriend confessed that he dated three ladies simultaneously as a younger man. Sometimes he slept with all three of them on the same day. He says it was not that great because it's not pleasurable if he is not emotionally attached. I was shocked." "A guy I dated one summer admitted that he used to commit armed robberies with his best friend and even shot people in the process. The best friend got caught and was locked up for life. He didn't get caught and lived a very low-key life. Not sure if he was telling the truth, but it was a disturbing story." "I was doing a European tour in my early 20s with a bunch of Kiwis, Aussies, South Africans, and a few others. We were sitting in a hotel room in Rome playing Never Have I Ever. People were throwing out pretty innocuous things until one guy said, 'Never have I ever stabbed a guy,' and had a drink." "A coworker didn't show up on Monday. On Tuesday, I said, 'I hope you feel better today.' She casually told me that she wasn't sick. She went to jail for stabbing her boyfriend in the leg with a fork. He didn't press charges, but the time before that, it was a knife in the arm. I guess the second incident got her in trouble with the county." "I was riding in a car after a funeral with my mother-in-law and her sister when they started talking about the relative who was just buried (I'll call him M). Long story short, M had numerous scandals throughout his younger years, including an affair with his sister-in-law that resulted in pregnancy. M's wife never knew or at least pretended not to know that her nephew was also her husband's son. That son is now in his 50s, and no one in his generation of relatives knows that his cousins are actually his half-brothers. M's children and grandchildren have all grown up believing M was a very religious, pious man. My husband is a cousin of M's son. They grew up practically brothers, and he doesn't even know." "A coworker once told me that in high school, she and a friend had witnessed a man drop his wallet, and they went to pick it up. The wallet had $5k inside. She said she and her friend figured he must be a drug dealer because only drug dealers would carry that amount of cash, so they kept the money and split it between themselves. She said she spent it slowly on new clothes and things over the next few months so her mother wouldn't get suspicious. I lost all respect for her after she told me the story. I could think of hundreds of reasons why someone might be carrying that much cash, and none of them had to do with drugs. My heart still hurts for the man who lost his wallet that two selfish children found." "I was on my way to visit a friend in Missouri when my car broke down just west of Tulsa. This was back when mobile phones were just a nerdy pipe dream, so I walked to a nearby convenience store to find a payphone to call another friend to ask for assistance. While I was waiting for my friend to arrive, I started chatting with the store's clerk. I told him about my car trouble, and he just happened to have the part I needed in his car and stepped away for a few minutes to get it. Once he returned, I thanked him, gave him a few bucks for the part, and made sure it was okay with him for me to hang out there a while longer while I waited for my friend to arrive. The clerk and I continued to chat, and this is when I learned that he already had a few years under his belt towards his degree in veterinary medicine. Then he proceeded to tell me about the surgery skills he recently had the chance to practice by removing a tumor from his buddy's stomach." "I was just casually eating lunch at a restaurant with a friend I'd known for years when she suddenly got really spacy and just stared out the window, ignoring everything I was saying until I finally stopped talking and asked what was up. She pointed at a man outside across the street and said, 'I'm still 95% sure that's my oldest daughter's father.' I'd known her for years and knew her husband and kids. I'd never seen that guy in my life." "We were at a family get-together. It was a swim party. We're all having a good time enjoying the sun and swimming. Someone had a scab on their leg, and their sister in-law said, 'Oh, I love it when they get soggy!' Then, she asked her brother if he ate his it was a totally normal thing. He replied, shocked, 'No!! Who the heck eats scabs?!? That's the nastiest thing I've ever heard.' She said, 'I do all the time!' She's in her late 30s. She continued with, 'I just pick them off and suck on them until they get soft, and then swallow. I love it when they get soggy!' I am still disturbed and sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I will never look at that person the same again. When I look at her, all I can think is soggy scab mouth." "I (50F) let the condo maintenance man in to replace my thermostat. I've met him before, and he was always nice and quick with repairs. It was the start of summer, and he asked if my kids and I had any vacation plans. I reciprocated the question, and we were just making small talk. Out of nowhere, he casually says he murdered his brother. WTF?? I completely froze, then mumbled, 'Oh,' as he put the faceplate on. He didn't follow up on that statement, and I didn't ask for details. He quickly said bye and walked out. I moved shortly after." "My boyfriend's coworker told him that he used to rob sex workers back in his younger days." "My buddy casually dropped that his kid wasn't his. It's his wife's dealer's. But I guess they are good now, so whatever." "One of my coworkers was pregnant, and a group of coworkers were together sharing cravings they had when they were pregnant. Typical stuff, like ice cream and pickles. One of the older ladies, who had grown up in the Mississippi Delta, said, 'I ate dirt.' We all just stared at her. She then went on to talk about how she fried it in a frying pan. Some of us were discussing how bizarre it was later, and apparently, it was a thing in poor areas of Mississippi before the 1950s. It was a way to get nutrients and minerals when food was scarce. I will never forget her saying that, and learning that was actually a thing in America at one time." "A few months ago, I had a patient (who I treated every day for a few weeks) 'jokingly' tell me that he and his buddies had killed a man and thrown his body off a bridge into the water below. He was known for telling wild stories, but that one didn't sit well with me. I don't believe he was joking by the way he told it. At all." "'Oh, that looks just like the truck I stole and sold to pay for my college tuition.'" "In a group meeting that discussed consistency and longevity of maintaining a vegan diet, one asshole declared he has never cheated on his diet and has been vegan for decades. It sounded impressive until he confessed to cheating on his wife instead. Awkward." "A female coworker told me about recently visiting her boyfriend's house. She wanted to have sex, but he told her he couldn't because he had a gonorrhea infection. She wanted to have sex anyway and was upset because he wouldn't." "My neighbor was helping me move. He picked up my washing machine and easily carried it up the stairs to the front lawn as if it only weighed 10 lbs. I told him I was impressed at how strong he was. He said he was used to carrying really heavy things because he used to be an enforcer for the mob. Jaw drop." "A 'friend' of mine told me he'd bitten someone's ear off in a fight. Later, he drove a semi truck into someone's house on purpose." "I used to work at a pharmacy, and one day this sweet-looking old man came in to pick up his meds. Out of nowhere, he says, 'You know, I buried my brother in the backyard when I was 12. No one ever found out.' I laughed nervously, thinking it was a joke, but he just stared at me and said, 'He deserved it.' I still don't know if he was serious or just messing with me, but I didn't sleep well that night." And: "Asked my best friend what he had done for the day, and he casually told me about how he robbed a McDonald's. Mind you, we were in high school, and the way he casually breezed past it and explained his entire day?!?! Like sir, PLEASE! Let's back up a bit. You did WHAT????" Has someone ever made a major confession to you that left you speechless? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Buzz Feed
2 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Former Megachurch Attendees Share Why They Left
As we all know, a church and its leadership can deeply impact a person's relationship with religion, and there are many people who have become disillusioned with the "mega-churches" they once attended. These churches, which are known for their large congregations and oftentimes theatrical sermons, have drawn criticism in recent years for scandals, as well as their focus on money and politics, leading many individuals to question the very foundations of their faith... So recently, I asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share the reasons why they quit attending "mega-churches" and received hundreds of responses. Here are 19 of their most insightful stories: "I started attending a mega-church in 2010 because I was looking for answers I wasn't even sure I needed. I went with a friend whom I had grown up with and her family. For the record, they had always been 'born again Christians,' and I just put up with it. Then I started attending..." "I have always been pro-abortion rights and believe in some form of evolution, but when I attempted to sign up to teach Sunday school, I was handed a 10-page application that asked if I believed in either of those two things. If so, I had to renounce my belief in them or I wouldn't be allowed to teach. Then, when the higher-ups announced there would be classes on how to fill out your ballot for elections and who you should and shouldn't vote for, I decided to leave. It's fine to believe in God. It's okay to have beliefs that don't always align with the church, but when you want to check my ballot before I vote, I have a problem. I never stepped foot in there again."—Elena, 43, Southern California "When I was in college, the pastor for the college group told everyone that you didn't need medication if you had depression. Depression just meant you weren't praying enough. I'd been in therapy since I was a kid, sometimes with Christian therapists, and I knew that wasn't true, and medication can help." "When the daughter of a beloved couple at our church was raped, instead of praying for justice and her recovery, the pastor and leadership used her as an example of sin and why being a woman is inherently 'tempting.'" "When I was a kid, my mom attended a mega-church and took me to Sunday school there. When I was nine, they held a church summer camp for about a week, and I went because there was going to be rock climbing, archery, and other physical activities. What actually happened was they separated boys and girls into different groups and berated us girls about 'purity' and made us take part in a weird ritual where we promised our bodies and virginities to Jesus. We even had to sign a 'contract' with Jesus." "When the camp was over, they held a 'graduation' where we were given promise rings, and were supposed to be baptized afterwards. I was never comfortable with the idea of being baptized, so I didn't go. Following the camp, the counselors would make comments about me not being 'saved' because I wasn't baptized, and they started to exclude me from Sunday school activities until I was baptized. I am no longer religious."—McKenzie 27, Temecula, CA "The preacher was very vocal about the strip clubs on the edge of town, so he announced that he and fellow members would be visiting those establishments to verify the activities. A week or so later, he was describing the 'horrible' things they witnessed at the club. But interestingly, as he tried to describe one of the workers 'dancing on our tabletop,' he cracked a big smile like he was reliving the experience! His expression was disgusting." "I left my local mega-church (and organized religion altogether) when I became a mother. I was raised in an evangelical Christian setting and had been taught that Christians are called to 'love people, but not support sinful lifestyles.' That phrase was used whenever the local mega-church I attended spoke on anything LGBT-related. I accepted this for a long time, until I had children..." "I attended a mega church for eight years. I'm a single mom with a disabled child, and I was looking for a support system. In the first year, very few people spoke to me. (I should mention that I was a bartender at one of the very few bars in our formerly dry county)." "Husbands would smile at me, but they wouldn't dare say good morning, and the wives were very cliquey and mostly side-eyed me. My son even asked me, 'Why do we go if they treat us like this?' I told him, 'Because it's God's house, not theirs.' It wasn't until I started dating a man and later married him that we were welcomed into the fold. For six years, I praised reverently, volunteered on mission trips, and worked with charity, while giving $2,600 in tithes per story short, my husband became addicted to opioids and alcohol, and our marriage fell apart. I continued going to church, hoping the support system there would still help me, but the congregants quickly reverted to their old ways — husbands with smiles and wives with side eyes. Not one person offered me solace, comfort, or advice for months, so I was surprised one day when the pastor's wife reached out to me via social media. That glimmer of hope was quickly smothered because by that time, I was managing an upscale restaurant, and she was looking for reservations for one of the busiest weekends of the year. I got her the reservation and many more, but that was the extent of our relationship. Once I left that job, no one ever messaged me again, and I stopped attending the church. I'm not mad at Jesus, but I am a bit salty with how those claiming to speak for him behave."—Candace, 39, Summer Shade, KY "When my (now-ex) police officer husband told one of the elders that he was going to kill me. The elder called me up and urged me to submit to my husband, withdraw my divorce petition, and pray that God's angels would protect me and my children. I was done. That was after five years of abuse!" "An elder tried to put me under church discipline for giving feedback, which they had asked for via a church-wide survey, that was only 90% positive." "I was a commissioned pastor in a mainstream denomination. I had become a pastor late in life, having felt guilty for not doing it in my twenties. I became an associate pastor in the most progressive congregation in a fairly conservative denomination." "I was commissioned as an associate pastor, preached regularly, and subbed in for other preachers for over a year. Everything seemed fantastic, and I was lauded every when the leadership began discussing accepting gay members (we already had six quietly gay couples in the congregation) and the possibility of performing same-sex marriages, I was in support because it's what we believed! And yet…things slowly got quiet. After a year of working harder than ever, the lead pastor informed me at our annual planning meeting that I had been blackballed by the 'major donors.' The donors said that if I stayed in my position, they would withhold all donations and gifts. The sound guy, a one-time 'friend,' was the leader of a 'phone tree,' and would call and warn others when I was supposed to speak. I was abandoned without even being told. I resigned before the board, which kept the entire issue quiet. People in the congregation still occasionally visit me and are surprised I'm gone. I left and never went back. I was already redefining my understanding of what we call 'God,' though I'd kept the process internal. After three months without the unrecognized pressure of church demands, I felt more liberated than ever before. I dove into philosophy and never looked seen religion from the inside, then the outside, I have realized it is a false certainty, a vain shield against taking life at face value. I no longer need the 'certainty,' I never did, really, but I grew up with religion, so it was never questioned. Religion is my past. I'll never return,"—Anonymous, 60+, Michigan "When my mom, who had attended and volunteered with this church for about two decades, was bedridden in hospice, I emailed the leadership to see if they could send one of the pastors to meet and pray with her. I got a reply with the day/time of a support group at the church, which was unhelpful and irrelevant. They couldn't be bothered to be there for us in our time of need." "Our final straw was the church's overt pulpit celebration of the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade. We have two young daughters who now have less autonomy over their bodies than I did at their age." "This situation happened about 20 years ago at a Southern Baptist church to my best friend, but it made us both leave: She developed a sex addiction (her words) and would hook up with guys at clubs and bars for one-night stands. She became pregnant. She didn't know who the father was, but she knew she didn't want an abortion, so she confided in the church elders about it." "In order for her to remain a member and be welcome within the church, the elders said she was required to go before the ENTIRE church and confess in detail what happened (how long it had been going on, where she'd gone, how many men she had sex with, etc.) She already felt ashamed, knowing she wasn't going to be able to hide a pregnancy, but she still wanted what she thought would be support from the both dipped out, and I haven't stepped foot into a church of any kind since. We're still best friends, and I have an almost 20-year-old godson who's doing brilliantly in college."—Anonymous, 39, Houston "I decided to leave after seeing two talented and educated women get passed over for ministry positions. They were dedicated and had spent at least a decade building the church, but were never going to be allowed to fully pursue something God had clearly called them to do." "I went to a non-denominational church with over 10,000 members. The services were televised, so they didn't let people sit in the back, but rather made them fill in the seats in front so it would look good for TV. I wanted to sit towards the back of an aisle so I could use the bathroom as needed due to a medical condition." "I quit attending a mega-church because I saw how finances were mismanaged. The Pastor would take 'specific' people to expensive restaurants and spend $1,000 on meals ($500 gift cards were also given to people as an appreciation). The leadership was very cliquish as well. If you were in their life group, you received special treatment." "I was a single parent with a daughter who fell on hard times financially, so I decided to swallow my pride and reach out to my church's food pantry so we could make it until my next pay day. When I called, I was told they didn't have any food available and that I should try other resources. I was dumbfounded. Just the previous Sunday, the pastor bragged in the pulpit that the church had surpassed 20,000+ registered members. I realized then the church only cared about optics, not meeting members' needs. It was a sad realization because I volunteered and was involved in the church. I changed churches soon after, but after witnessing the same kind of atmosphere, I quit going to church altogether."—Jennifer H, 55, Houston, TX "I was a member of a mega-church for 18 years. The first straw was when they let my ex become an 'alpha' leader and allowed him to publish a story about the end of our relationship in the church news, which was very one-sided and embarrassed me." "Our last straw attending a mega-church in Texas was when the pastor described coming across an unhoused individual walking around with a brown paper bag. I thought his sermon would be about helping the less fortunate, addiction, or not judging others because we are all God's children." "I was not only a congregant but also a youth pastor for a period of time. I left the church in 2016, when it became clear that they all worshipped a false idol. That idol's name is Donald Trump." "They all convinced themselves that Trump is a god, and anyone who disagreed was either possessed or under the rule of Satan. It was so sad to see, but no one can convince me that a lifelong sleazeball was anointed by God."—Matt, 38 Did any of these stories surprise you? Have you ever attended and later left a "mega-church"? Tell us your story in the comments or answer anonymously using this form! Dial 988 in the United States to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7/365. Your conversations are free and confidential. Other international suicide helplines can be found at The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ youth, is 1-866-488-7386. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website. If you or someone you know has experienced anti-LGBTQ violence or harassment, you can contact the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs hotline at 1-212-714-1141. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here. The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.
