Scapegoating and Excommunication

Some cults specialize in scapegoating -- periodically picking out one member and blaming him for all of the cult's problems, and kicking him out of the cult.

Many cults practice shunning and ostracism of those who leave the cult. Cults just cannot tolerate people leaving voluntarily. There is a great danger that those who have come to their senses and quit the cult will also lead others out by talking some sense to them, so cults viciously denounce those who leave, and instruct the remaining members to have no contact with those who have left. The Jehovah's Witnesses call deserters and exiles "people who have been disfellowshipped", and contact with such people is forbidden. Scientology calls them "suppressive persons", and again, contact with them is forbidden. The Moonies won't allow contact with splitters, either.

It may occur to you that there is an apparent contradiction here: Some cults routinely excommunicate doubters and slackers and keep their remaining members in line by threatening to expel them, while some other cults don't want to ever let anybody leave, not under any conditions, not for any reason. Part of the answer is, "It's a matter of who strikes first." A cult member who comes to his senses and says, "This is a crazy cult and the leader is a liar and I'm leaving" is a great threat to the cult because he may well instill doubts in other members. He may cause some other members to wake up and smell the coffee, and quit too. On the other hand, if the cult leader attacks first, and says, "Joe is lazy and immoral and unspiritual and we must kick him out before he contaminates others with his evil", then anything that Joe says after that is just some sour grapes, and not so much of a threat.