Yes, being susceptible is what makes people join cults; it also makes people succumb to advertising, dire political parties, cons of all shapes and sizes, etc etc.  It's to do with the suspension of intellect and of one's critical faculties, as we all know.  So why did we all suspend our critical faculties at that critical point, when so many others smelt a rat and didn't?  Why didn't we smell a rat for so long?  Are we still prone to not smelling rats, given our propensity back then?

Most of us here did leave at some point and at some point we smelled a rat. I know I did in 1979. The walls of denial came crashing down like a curtain dropping.

Livia, discussing what made us vulnerable is SO different from saying we are responsible. Are the elderly responsible when they are the victims of scams. If you read cult literature there is quite a bit about what sorts of life circumstances and personality types fall prey to cults. What everyone is trying to say is that did not make them responsible. If I leave my door unlocked am I responsible because someone robs and rapes me? I may not have been wise, I may have been stupid, naive, but not responsible. I think that is at the crux of the debate you have precipitated.