Gumby,
Interesting points about those who follow the bible. Perhaps it is just the moral principles that are attractive to those people. No matter what someone might believe about Jesus, you've got to admire the way he lived his life and the principles he taught.
Peacefulpete,
"I feel I must add that members of high control groups/cults are ordinary people, good people,smart people,hopeful people. Arrogance, stupidity,cruelty etc, are not prerequisites to being mislead. Anyone is vulnerable to cults."
I did not mean to imply that those who stay in are "arrogant, stupid or cruel". In my experiences, those who willing join (as opposed to being raised JW) have a common background of emotional trauma that makes them more vulnerable to joining. If, as you say, "anyone is vulnerable to cults", then it would seem likely that the door-to-door recruitment efforts of JW's would have a much higher rate of success. My comments are based only on the limited number of JWs I know personally, but all those who joined were at a point in their lives where they were ready to turn their backs on "the world".
"Rather, people seek friendship, security, certainty, comfort, community and things like these that cults promise and for many within the cults appear to provide."
It would seem that those who already have a healthy relationship "in the world", would have no need for the false sense of "friendship, security, certainty, comfort..." that the WT offers.
thinker