Apostasy

Apostasy is the act of leaving a religion for another religion or for non-belief. Many religions have rules against apostasy and lay out specific punishments for apostates. For instance, most Islamic scholars agree that the death penalty is the appropriate punishment for a male apostate, and that either imprisonment or death is appropriate for a female apostate. Other religions, such as Scientology and the Jehovah's Witnesses, urge their followers to shun apostates. These types of punishments are meant to keep believers faithful through fear.