The main conflicts in the road to mecca is revolved around religions.
Marius and Elsa both want to help Helen from her troubles
In that story, Elsa is described as a good for nothing woman in a religious society ( she got an abortion and having affair with married man). meanwhile, marius is a Conservative pastor. they both have a really different principles that contradict each other and shoving down their point of views to Helen, without realizing that they both have been neglecting Helen's feeling