Sounds like this group is so over concerned with ideological purity testing that they're never actually going to do anything useful and are thus actually just cosplaying.
Just go volunteer at a food bank, you'll meet people you may disagree with on a good deal of things, but chances are a good chunk of their heart is in the right place, way more so than a snooty reading club with entry requirements.
Theory is certainly neat and useful, but a huge component is just... basic in person human interaction.