Pastors, particularly fervent ones, won’t allow their cults and sects to be undermined by non-believers.

It’s why we see strict rejection, and expulsion by insulated religious groups of apostates; to that extent, they will attack the character of the non-believer, and are willing to break-up families to achieve their desired outcome - the ostracisation of the threat to their following.

They will 100% cut off the limb because they know if they don’t, the non-believer’s presence will eventually result in more people being willing to question that which they have been indoctrinated with.