Reply To: Why people become OTD (with the focus on the "why")

Before the Enligtenment (General enlightenment not Haskallah) it was illegal in Europe not to be religious. You had to belong to a religion. However In France the church was seen as corrupt and when Napoleon conqured Europe and you were no longer forced to worship in a religion as Napoleon conqured Europe. And unfortunatly not all Rabbanim of local towns were so on the up and up either and people left because of those who were not up to the job