Hmmm- after reading this full thread, I do have to say that I don't think religious discussions have a place here on whiteblaze. You really shouldn't even have had to ask the question <<When is accepting hospitality a problem when you stay, as with "The Twelve Tribes" in Rutland, a known cult? Is it better to spend the $$ instead of staying with a person(s) who has ulterior motives?>>. You should be able to answer this yourself, and I think you really want to talk about religion and cults.
And to frosty- maybe you should meet these people before you pass judgement about them. Websites that say a religion is a cult may be slanted. So may be the site made by those of the religion. Don't just jump to conclusions based on one given site. They really are very tolerant and very nice.
And Mowgli, as to not tipping, true, it is your choice. But it is also their choice to belong to a commune- they share everything, so I'm not surprised that tips go into a communal fund. (Unless of course, people from outside of their commune work there- in which case, they really should be receiving their tips- but I know that isn't the case in Rutland. Only members of the commune work in the cafe.)
Quite honestly, Ridgewalker, you sound like a tiny bit of an extremist yourself.