getting rid of the free riders, the strict churches become stronger-and more attractive. "Strictness works," Iannaccone declares.
It can be carried too far, however. "Even though hundreds were willing to join the Bhagwan Rajneesh in Antelope, Oregon, few would have followed him to the Arctic Circle," Iannacone says. Many small sects wither and die because they impose excessive demands. A 1985 study of more than 400 sects found that 32 per- cent never increased their membership...