There is a difference between a cost of entry into a religion and the content of the falsehoods in the religion.
Many cults do not ask us to pay physical costs, but to deny reality as the cost of entry.
In fact, is that not the entire premise of the monotheistic religions? The price of entry is faith in falsehood? A cost of non-correspondence with reality? The signal of trustworthiness to others is the likewise denial? The shared lie?
There exist amazing cults (stoicism), questionable cults (Buddhism), ignorance creating cults (Christianity and Islam), immorality creating cults (Judaism), and even worse cults that teach even worse lies.
There is no need for lies. History, myth, man, and nature are beauty enough and wonder enough without the need for lies.
