Leaving Belief Structures and Systems

I've been thinking for the past weeks about the difference between exiting from a belief structure versus exiting from a belief system. Or put another way exiting from an organization versus changing one's personal religious/spiritual beliefs.

Personally this relates to me in: 1) my decision to break ties with an organization, what many label a 'cult,' and 2) later veering from a belief in the Bible as the Word of God. For me, these are two distinct experiences. Yet, each of these paths has had an effect of undermining some of the major foundations I had chosen for my life. Each has been an upheaval.

What are the similarities? What are the differences? How do these distinct choices influence an individual? Does one have more impact than the other? Do my questions even matter?

Each question might deserve its own blog post.