The article - The Power of the Mustard Seed - Why strict churches are strong. By Judith Shulevitz reminds me of my own strict religious upbringing. People join religious groups with strong precepts that limit behavior because they want to belong to a cohesive group that insulates them from the larger world. This article looks at work by an economist who postulates that religous groups create a product: one that offers a passionate community who cares deeply about each other and which gives meaning to life.
My own coming-to-terms with fundamentalism came when I came out as a queer and started reading philosophy extensively. Within six months my whole fundamentalist worldview came apart - and I started to grow.
