Mary Mary, Quite Contrary

 

Rumors that Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, Mary Cosby, is a cult leader have been circulating since season one, but this season, the rumor has become a full-fledged story line.  It's true that Mary runs a church. But is it a cult? Some of Mary's fellow housewives (and many viewers) just aren't convinced. 

 

 

Before we begin, a "cult" is defined as a small religious group that isn't part of mainstream religion. Cults can be dangerous because some use mind control techniques (like behavior modification or thought-stopping techniques), which can cause members lasting psychological damage. Technically, anyone can create a new religion, and can appeal to the government for new religion status and get protections (tax write-offs) and recognition from the government, but if a cult engages in illegal activities, members (including the founder) may face legal consequences. Mary insists that the cult accusations are false. “There’s no cult," she recently told Entertainment Tonight. It should also be noted that, to date, no legal action has been taken against Mary for her role in the church.  So, what is the truth (if any) behind the rumors, and how does Mary's church work, anyway?

 

Mary inherited the Faith Temple Pentecostal Church from her grandmother, Rosemary (who founded the church), after she passed away. But in order to follow in her grandmother's footsteps, Mary had to marry Rosemary's husband (her step-grandfather), Robert Cosby Sr.. "Don't think it wasn't weird, 'cause it was ... but I  did it because I trusted my grandmother, and I'm so glad I did it." Robert is a pastor in the church, and Mary is considered the Pentecostal First Lady. 

 

Mary is very dedicated to her role in the church, and some of her cast members have attended her services. Last season, Whitney Rose brought her father, who is struggling with addiction, to Mary's church, but apparently, he didn't feel the spirit, because this season, Whitney has revealed that he fell off the wagon, and she hasn't spoken to him in over a year. 

 

 

So where did the accusations come from? The first housewife to suggest that Mary might be a cult leader was Lisa Barlow. Although it was like pulling teeth, Lisa finally revealed that one of her friends, Cameron Williams, had left Mary's church after suffering "extreme religious trauma." Lisa claimed that Cameron told her he had given the Cosbys around $300,000 and had even mortgaged his house because Mary told him to.  Lisa asked Cameron, “Is it a cult? ... Yes. Does she call herself God? ... Yes.”.

 

In a later episode, Cameron (who is now deceased) also sat down with Meredith Marks to discuss what he claims to have experienced at Mary's church.  He says to Meredith, "Be careful", explaining that he is thankful to be out of that situation, adding that he had to walk away after watching the Cosbys do "very harmful things" to church members. When Meredith wanted more details, all Cameron said was, “That’s Mary’s story to tell.”. 

 

Lisa Barlow spoke to Page Six in October. “I believe him. I believe his feelings,” she told Page Six in October. “I believe he was an amazing person. I believe he had an amazing heart. It’s important for people to hear his side and what he went through because it might be healing and helpful for people to hear what Cameron said to me.”.

 

Cameron isn't the only ex-member to share his story. The Daily Beast contacted six former members who were contacted by the Daily Beast who also claim that Mary's church is a cult.  "Abby", who left Faith Temple in the 1990s, said “It’s not a joke ... she’s got these people terrified.".  She continued, "You have no idea; all those smiles and shit ... it's not real.”.

 

Another former member, Ralph Arnold Jr., says that Mary is trying to convince her congregation that she is God (on Earth).  “The church has gone to ruin ... she just screams at her members and mentally abuses them into submission.  She brainwashes them on a regular basis, not to mention the utterly flamboyant and hypocritical life she lives.”.

 

Ralph also remembered Mary positioning herself above the congregation. “Mary is trying to convince people that she’s God, or like this special mediator,” he said. “That she has power that she can talk to God and she can decide where you’re going (eit heaven or hell). Mary tries to equate herself to like a female Jesus.”.

 

Other anonymous members recalled a constant push for donations. “It was all about money," one person said. “They would shame you if you didn’t give enough.  It was a form of mental manipulation.".

 

Another woman who wishes to remain anonymous, explained that the church wasn't what she expected. “We thought we were learning a new way of life; a new way to praise God, but that was never the case.  There is so much shady stuff going on in that church," she said.

 

Even Mary's uncle, Ernest Walton, calls the church "an abomination." “Everything's coming out into the light now and everything’s coming down, but so far, no one has pressed charges against Mary, Robert Sr., or the church, and law enforcement has apparently never gotten involved in Faith Temple's activities.". 

 

Mary has responded to these claims via various interviews and platforms, and insists that the accusations are all false. She recently told Entertainment Tonight, “Clearly I’m not gonna get on national television, be a ‘housewife’ and be in a cult.”, adding “My church members, they know those are false allegations.”.

 

At the RHOSLC season one reunion, shady host Andy Cohen played an audio recording of one of Mary's sermons. In the clip, Mary called her congregation "stingy" and "poor" after she didn't receive enough birthday cards. Mary maintained that she would never take money from the church for herself. “I’m a God-fearing woman," she said. "I would never do that.”.

 

“All religious institutions, including the Faith Temple Pentecostal, accept donations from their parishioners," one of Mary's attorneys told The Daily Beast. "However they don’t force parishioners into poverty to make such contributions.” He also added that the idea of Mary calling herself "God" is “extremely offensive and has no basis in reality.”.

 

Fellow cast member, Meredith Marks, has also attended one of Mary's services. "I was at Mary's church and I saw nothing other than people who were very high-energy, really enjoying expressing their faith and that they really do love Mary," she told E! News. "I did not see anything that would ever lead me to believe that it was anything but a church.". She continued, "That's my personal experience and I have no reason to believe anything beyond that.".

 

Even before the RHOSLC began airing, it was evident in the trailers, that Bravo had an agenda towards The Church of Latter Day Saints, and with the help of a few disgruntled (excommunicated) cast members, the show has not disappointed.  But little did we know that they would be trying to create controversy (that is not necessarily there) within the Pentecostal Church, and in more subtle ways, make a mockery out of the Muslim faith as well.