Introduction:

Few of us are ever faced with making the sort of life or death decisions we routinely hear about in the news. And yet there are decisions we face everyday that—whether we realize it or not—have very real moral implications.

Part trivia game and part reality show, BustedHalo’s Moral Dilemmas feature is intended not only to raise moral issues for our readers but also to ask you to participate in resolving them. After reading the story below about Megan and Elle please tell us what the “right thing to do” is via the quiz at the bottom. Next week we’ll offer a “wrinkle” to the dilemma and ask your opinion once again. Finally, we will have our own moral theologian weigh in with some analysis of the dilemma and your responses.

Click here to read The Wrinkle to our Dilemma .

Click here to read our expert’s analysis.

Best Actress

Ever since she could remember Megan had wanted to act. She rented movies by the armful and would spend hours in her bedroom watching and analyzing her favorite actresses’ films trying to pick up on what made their work so believable and moving. At 5′1” and 130 lbs with a mop of frizzy brown hair, Megan wasn’t what you would call a classic body type for an actress. Still, all through high school she was the most active member of the drama society and was universally considered the best performer in whatever production she was in.

When it came time to choose a college, the Pennsylvania native decided she wanted to be in Southern California to study and pursue her dream, so she opted to attend a mid-sized private college there that suited her needs perfectly. Midway through her first semester things were going well. She loved her classes and her living situation. Instead of a standard two-person dorm room she was placed in a small suite where she shared a bathroom with three other freshman women. She had grown especially close to her suite-mate, Elle, who was also planning on majoring in acting.

Intro to Theater

A lean 5′9″ with long blonde hair and a beautiful, toothy smile, Elle seemed to represent everything Megan thought Southern California would be. The two bonded over their favorite movies and loved to talk about the introductory theater class they took together. By the time late October rolled around, Elle invited Megan to spend Thanksgiving with her family who lived nearby. Megan was relieved to have someplace to spend her holiday.

Their theater class met right after lunch every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Megan and Elle would chatter excitedly as they left class. Elle especially would sometimes talk nonstop about the things they were learning on the way home. Their apartment building stood next to a small campus convenience store and the two would invariably stop in after class and pick up a quick snack.

Megan began to feel self-conscious about their stopovers at the store. Elle would always buy several kinds of candy for herself “God, I totally need my sugar fix” she said one afternoon. But Megan was all-too aware that she couldn’t afford to gain too much weight so she started waiting outside while Elle went in to shop.

Convenient Store Sighting

Coming home late one night from the library, Megan saw Elle from a distance leaving the store with a large grocery bag. When she got back to their suite Megan knocked on Elle’s door and walked in but she wasn’t there. She saw that Elle’s bed, however was strewn with dozens of candy wrappers and her trash was overflowing with empty junk food packages. Megan thought it was strange but began walking back to her room and stopped off at the bathroom to brush her teeth. Before she could grab the handle she heard a sound from inside. When she listened more closely she realized that what she was hearing was the sound of Elle throwing up.

She quietly knocked on the door and asked “are you ok, Elle.” As soon as she spoke, she heard the sound of the toilet being flushed and the seat being quickly closed and a running faucet. Within 10 seconds Elle had opened the door and smiled nervously and said “Sorry” and scurried back to her room as if nothing had happened. Megan tried to ask if she needed any help but Elle was already inside her room with the door closed.

Closed Once Again

Two nights later Megan woke up at 3am and had to use the bathroom. The door was closed and she once again heard Elle getting sick inside. She waited quietly for several minutes listening to the sound of her friend gagging and then vomiting until finally Elle flushed the toilet and ran the faucet. When Elle opened the door, Megan just stood there staring at her.

She didn’t say a word. Instead, she just quietly brushed past Megan and headed back to her room. Megan followed her inside and confronted her.

“Elle, what are you doing to yourself?” she asked.

Elle sat down on her bed and began to cry softly.
“It’s nothing” she told her. “It’s nothing, I promise.”

Megan sat down on the floor in front of her.
“How long have you been bingeing and purging?” she asked.

Elle said nothing. She gathered her knees and rested her forehead on them and then began to sob. Neither of them said anything for a long while.

“Years?” Megan asked.
Elle just nodded her head silently.
A moment later she lifted her head and said “Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

Time for you to decide. What should Megan do now?

Read “The Wrinkle” to our moral dilemma.

Read our Expert’s Analysis of the dilemma and your responses .

Check out our index page for more Moral Dilemmas..

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