[Moltar]

Why is this considered a cult? I would like to know exactly what you know so I can have a well rounded view of it all. TIA

[Bao version 0.2]

Why is this considered a cult? I would like to know exactly what you know so I can have a well rounded view of it all. TIA

Their books are available on the net. Read by yourself.

[NJM]

Why is this considered a cult? I would like to know exactly what you know so I can have a well rounded view of it all. TIA

A little bit on Mr. Li Hongzi:

* First, Li tells his followers that two billion years ago, in Africa, extra-terrestrials built a massive nuclear reactor. Skip to present day: he tells that demons still walk the earth and that extra-terrestrials not only rule the world, but want to clone and replace us in an invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-esque doomsday plot. He backs up this claim by giving 'proof' that the human spirit can be removed and replaced from a body: "Why does a corpse lie dead, even though it is the same as a living body?" Wow. That's a thinker, Li.

* He believes that it is possible to see the future if you use your third eye to project a 2-dimensional screen of future images in front of you onto a mirror.

* He claims to be able to heal, levitate, control others, emit various forms of nuclear radiation, become invisible, etc., but will not demonstrate his abilities.

* Li has stated that aliens abduct humans all the time, put them in cages, and experiment on them. He believes that the computer is used to control the minds of humans.

* He teaches his followers that they can survive if they jump in front of speeding cars.

* His followers believe that our modern technological advances like microwaves and airplanes are the result of alien influences (just like in Men in Black.)

* Li believes that mixed-race children are defective humans that should not exist, and that the spirit world is segregated into biospheres for each human racial group. Here's a direct quote: "By mixing the races of humans, the aliens make humans cast off gods." Li believes that the extraterrestrial overlords secretly ruling the planet are responsible for the creation of mixed-race humans.

* Li believes that homosexuals will be 'eliminated' by 'the gods', and that their practice is "disgusting and abnormal."

This post has been edited by NJM: 06 May 2008 - 02:14 AM

[Phuc Dat Bish AKA Dorkface]

One thing I believe he wrote was that HE is the one who actually gives you any of the benefits of practicing his methods, not your own efforts. That is, if the chi gong works for you, it's because you are his follower. If you quit but still practice on your own, you're destined for ruin and so on.

[Aksijaha]

One thing I believe he wrote was that HE is the one who actually gives you any of the benefits of practicing his methods, not your own efforts. That is, if the chi gong works for you, it's because you are his follower. If you quit but still practice on your own, you're destined for ruin and so on.

that is remarkably clever really.

(not ethical... but definitely a profound (if low) sort of clever).

[neijia_boxer]

sadly however- if you get past the cult part of the falun and not get caught up in the orginization- basically it is standing meditation and a few other qigongs...so its still a valid method. i went to a few like in 1997 before it got publicity...a large group would practice standing but the Museum of Natural History in DC. i would join them in standing and sitting meditation, when i started doing tai chi afterward they told me not to do it so i never returned. the method is valid however, you feel good after standing an hour and other exercises.

[Uatu the Watcher the Ed]

What were the exercises like in general?

I read a bit of their material before - it seemed to me mostly standing/sitting in various poses for a bit; not much if any use of intent, if I remember correctly.

[NJM]

when i started doing tai chi afterward they told me not to do it so i never returned.

Wow, very strange.

But they ARE Faluners.

[Andy_S]

RE: Cults and Whacky Beliefs

Well, there is this bloke, right, whose mother was a virgin (ha!), and there was a star - could have been a spaceship! - in the sky above where he was born - which was a stable. (Honest, I'm not joking. This guy in a pub told me all this) When this bloke grew up he did exorcisms, did miracles, fed thousands with a handful of fish, walked on water, and all sorts.

Sound too good to be true?

It is: When some Romans nailed him up on a cross, he couldn't do any of his magic and died.

A tart and some of his mates SAY he came back to life (!) but nobody else saw him.

Bit of a laugh, eh?

[NJM]

RE: Cults and Whacky Beliefs

Well, there is this bloke, right, whose mother was a virgin (ha!), and there was a star - could have been a spaceship! - in the sky above where he was born - which was a stable. (Honest, I'm not joking. This guy in a pub told me all this) When this bloke grew up he did exorcisms, did miracles, fed thousands with a handful of fish, walked on water, and all sorts.

Sound too good to be true?

It is: When some Romans nailed him up on a cross, he couldn't do any of his magic and died.

A tart and some of his mates SAY he came back to life (!) but nobody else saw him.

Bit of a laugh, eh?

1. That's not how the story goes, even with exaggeration and lols.
2. It adds nothing to the discussion and is a poorly disguised attempt to equate Christianity with Falun Gong. As Christianity does not preach the existence of a worldwide conspiracy of alien invaders, yet Falun Gong and Scientology do, we can class them differently. It's called categorization, and it's part of how the human brain functions.

[NJM]

Also, Jesus wasn't racist.

[WujiRob]

I thought it was funny
Sure there differences, but there are parallels as well. Kinda puts things into perspective, I'd say.

[ilove_thistuff]

I thought it was funny
Sure there differences, but there are parallels as well. Kinda puts things into perspective, I'd say.

sure and we're part of the cult of IMA.

[yun]

Christianity does not preach the existence of a worldwide conspiracy of alien invaders

One of the defining features of a cult is that the belief system is not mainstream. As the large, established religions can definitely be considered mainstream, they cannot be considered cults. However, their beliefs are no more reasonable than scientology or falun gong beliefs. Rather, their beliefs are just accepted by more people.

Christianity generally has the belief in hell and of demons and Satan conspiring (sometimes conspiring with God in the case of the Job story) to lure humans to their eternal demise. I'd say that because demons, devils, Satan, and God are not of this world that they must be alien to it. In this way, I claim that Christianity does preach the existence of a worldwide conspiracy of alien invaders.

I don't think approaching falun gong, scientology, or other non-mainstream beliefs as invalid because the beliefs are ridiculous is a sensible route. The mainstream belief tends to be equally ridiculous. I think questions like "can a person leave falun gong safely and without retribution", "does the scientology group isolate a person from their former friends and family," and "does the group allow the person to think for themselves" are more important than whether the claims are ridiculous or not.

[Doc Stier]

Definition of a Cult

Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following 5 characteristics:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members.

2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society.

3. Its founder is a charismatic, self-appointed, and dogmatic leader, who is totally unaccountable to others.

4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to promote its agenda priorities.

5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

The major world religions...Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism....do not normally coerce anyone to become or to remain believing members. People freely embrace the doctrines of the religion solely because it resonates within their hearts and minds, and thus contributes to their personal spiritual path. Whenever this is not true for a particular individual, such persons will be totally resistant to any and all attempts to recruit them and indoctrinate them, and will often sever their membership even if raised in the religion since childhood.

Although the hierarchy of elders or the upper echelons of leadership in these religions may appear to be elitist, especially to non-members, none of these religions have effectively created a totalitarian society even within the ranks of their own members, as witnessed by historical dissension and revolution within each religion.

The Founders of each religion were certainly charismatic individuals, but are not generally seen as self-appointed or personally dogmatic. Rather, they all professed themselves to be called to and/or appointed to their message and function by God or a Higher Consciousness, and are generally believed to be so by those who embrace their spiritual teachings and religious practices. They each felt themselves to be directly accountable to the Source of their calling and teaching.

None of the world's major religions fundamentally advocates immoral, unethical, or illegal means of promoting their religion.

The wealth and influence of each major religion is regularly used for charitable social agendas, as well as for the benefit of their memberships in various ways.

As such, I believe that they are not cults, and should not be branded as such merely because the person doing so does not share their beliefs, and chooses not to be a member.

Doc

This post has been edited by Doc Stier: 27 July 2008 - 04:21 AM

[Ron Panunto]

In my opinion, all religions are cults, some are just more subtle in their approach, but in the end, they all have the same ill effects on the human psyche.

[Doc Stier]

In my opinion, all religions are cults, some are just more subtle in their approach, but in the end, they all have the same ill effects on the human psyche.

LOL Just like gangsta rap, violent video games, graphic horror films, and many other things, eh?

Sweeping generalizations are great, aren't they?



Doc

This post has been edited by Doc Stier: 27 July 2008 - 11:11 PM

[Aksijaha]

Gary....

"The major world religions...Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism....do not normally coerce anyone to become or to remain believing members."

I don't think that is necessarily true of Islam. Isn't it Sharia law that "once a muslim, always a muslim,
under pain of death"?

[Aksijaha]

In my opinion, all religions are cults, some are just more subtle in their approach, but in the end, they all have the same ill effects on the human psyche.

Personally I agree. I'm just as atheist as the next monotheist, just slightly more so.


They disbelieve in all gods but one. I disbelieve in one more god than they disbelieve in.


I tennd to take the view that in 500 years the truth will out. If science has all the answers it
will be abundantly clear by then (I think it's pretty obvious now).But religion has hung on since
primates acquired sentience apparently. It may be part and parcel of our evolutionary legacy..
theism that is.

[Northwind]

Uh Huh.....
Well...FaLunGong is definitely cultish however....Feller did have a LOT of LEGIT stuff in there... Care to challenge me on this or want to know what it is or what qigong style they profess or what qigong is etc...without worry of being stamped out of exti9nction by the naysayers then contact me.

Otherwise...Yes it's all bs. Just like the stuff we study. Bring it...