If you're trying to follow a religion, fewer alts the better. If it seems like it's a side character for you, we might not be as invested in your character and everyone loses.

If you're trying to get leadership, any alts you have are going to shoot you in the foot (IMHO). This will vary by cabal but generally speaking, if you want a reasonable shot at leadership, you shouldn't be playing a bunch of other characters on the side for any amount of time. I'd much rather give leadership to someone who is putting all their available time/effort into a single character than splitting it over three.