I was wondering how this movement ever started.
I can tell you what I know as a 4th Generation Witness.
My Great Grandmother was the first of several hundred desendants and relatives to join. She came to the US as an Italian imigrant from Sicily at age 9. She hooked up in the 20's with the Watchtower masquerading as an American style Christian organization. Probably seemed like the thing to do in her new country. My grandmother was a 1st generation American Sicilian who only had a 3rd grade education. Grandpa was a 3rd generation American who descended from the same village in Sicily, but also only had a 3rd or 4th grade education. They joined the cult as did my mother, who was a high school graduate. But she suffered in the WWII years with getting kicked out of school because of the flag issue. They made her feel proud to suffer for the Truth.
I finally read the bible and figured out that there is not ONE SINGLE SCRIPTURE that offers salvation outside of the New Covenant. Most of my several hundred Italian realitives on my grandmothers side are members. It is their "thing".
There is hell to pay for ignorance of sin and God's solution to the problem.