I mean, the stuff people left behind is not much worse than what they found. Meaning, how is arti and prassad and foot-kissing any better than the longest Passover seder at your Aunt Sadie's house, where Uncle Julius pinched your cheek so hard, it felt like you had a permanent Gobstopper lodged under the folds of your facial skin?

Personally, I think the "dreadful" old testament is not the reason that Jews joined cults. Joining a cult probably had more to do with getting a new sense of belonging and forming close-knit friendships with other people. It can be pretty isolating at times when you're the only kid in school who doesn't have a Christmas tree.