The Brethren, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and many other Christian denominations, practice an explicit form of shunning (virtually all sharply circumscribe their association with those who have left the bubble). This should come as no surprise. After all, Christianity’s sacred texts were written during the time when it was just another goofy 1st-century cult, and they are reverting back to their 1st-century cult roots as Christianity declines.
Woe to those caught-up by the madness.
Leaving a group like the Brethren is an emotional nightmare. To be betrayed and abandoned by those you love causes psychological damage that can take years to reverse. You don’t trust people. Friendships are dangerous. Opening up means exposing yourself to the risk of further betrayal. It’s happened once, your subconscious warns, and it could happen again. You question people’s motives.
The older I get and the more I see of it, the more inclined I am to believe that religiosity in all its manifestations is a variety of sickness that fouls whatever it touches.