You join a cabal because you are aligned with their philosophy and purpose. You are a pledge, which means you have every intention and desire of fighting with, defending, and dying with these people.

I can certainly understand anyone not wanting to get involve in cabal wars without powers, the full support of allies, etc. from a player perspective, and in some cases, from a characters perspective.

I can also absolutely understand the leader of a cabal weighing a pledge's willingness to demonstrate their dedication and commitment to fighting for the cause when making the decision of whether or not to interview/induct them, how soon, etc.

It's your choice to do it or not, but expecting most leaders to not use it against you is silly, IMHO.