Here we are in the 21 century and people like the JWS are still adhering
to the lies of Christianity and how this religion developed over time.
In this situation these people have been mentally manipulated and
exploited by men running their religious publishing house even inciting
people to sacrifice their own lives toward this dubious work of
commercialized fiction.
I think it is a mistake to look at religion purely from a doctrine and belief perspective. A greater factor to consider is the social and psycho-social role that religion plays.
In other words, very, very few people actually join a religious organization based on what they teach. A good 90% of the people who join don't even know what the religion actually teaches before they join. Hence, using doctrine and what they believe isn't the most important reasons to consider when seeing organized religion from the critical eye.
Though the words of experts in the matter vary, most-to-all agree that the most common reasons for people to join a religious organizations have absolutely nothing to do with their believes or teachings. The most common reasons why people join religious organization are more about how they feel than about what they want to learn:
- Decision point - they want guidance about important life decisions
- Dissatisfaction with state of world - they are disappointed about how things are and need to find comfort
- Loneliness - they need socialization, a place to belong to, a group of people where they can enjoy the company of others
- Loss of loved ones, loss of other types in life (job, tragedy strikes, divorce, etc.)
- Ego - they see religious leaders and they want to be them
- Relieve doubt - they want a sense of certainty about the future
- Spiritual search
- The “buzz”, or emotional arousal "Other people are doing it"
- Attractiveness of religious leaders
- Health reasons - they want hope and comfort or help with a disability
- Recovery from substance or behavioral addictions
- Escape abusive situations
- Find a suitable mate
If you see those reasons, most of them have little-to-nothing to do with actual doctrine.
Later on, when they learn what the religion teaches, expert say, that these are the most common reasons why people stay in spite of the faulty logic and strange believes:
- They continue to believe in the leader
- They are too invested, their entire social life revolves around the religious group and they want to protect their investment
- Their family member are still in and they want to hold onto family
- Their bonds and relationships can be real and solid
- Too proud or too embarrassed to admit that they have been wrong for a long time
- Fear of losing their false sense of security; fear of having to face life on their own
Again, those things have little to do with what a given religion actually teaches. If you ask me, we don't need to look at experts' opinions, just read the post of those who are still in and are struggling and you will see some of the items in the list as their reasons to being still in.