It sounds to me as though the Witnesses are in an abusive relationship:
(One only needs to alter a few words...)
Why do some Witnesses choose to remain with a soul-destroying cult? A common reason is that they fear things will get worse if they leave. The Watch Tower Society has threatened that God will harm or even kill them and their minor children if they tried to escape. Others have hesitated to leave because they fear that their friends and relatives would turn against them. For example, Isabel, whose experience is referred to at the outset of this article, left her religion. She states:"The entire congregation shunned me, and I was forced to move away with my children.”
Still other reasons why some disgruntled Witnesses choose to stay are:
- They want their children to grow up with both parents, fearing the "faithful" mate will divorce them.
- They worry about being able to support themselves and their children if they lose their Witness-related employment.
- They erroneously believe that they are "murmurers".
- They are ashamed to admit that they have been and are being spiritually abused.
- They hope the situation will improve.