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...but it's not. 0_o

No I do not think that it is a "cult" in the western sense of the word. Cults can usually be identifed by: 1. Cults will teach a salvation by works of some sort 2. Cults will have some great leader or prophet that they will adhere to 3. Cults will denounce all other groups around them 4. Cults will have claims of special discoveries 5. Cults will sometimes have the wrong views concerning donations 6 Theu use isolation, deception, and indebtness. 7. They will sometimes give you a new identity.
Falun Gong sounds like a spirtual practice not an evil cult.

A quick read on the wikipedia entry explains a lot about this. May I ask where you are from, Chaosthingy?

I do have to comment that Falun Dafa sounds like a poorly understood new religious movement. I would practically sign up except for the notion of "separate but equal" heavens among different races, and that I see their views on homosexuality as horrendous. But past that, it's really just a rehash of some Taoist and Buddhist beliefs - there is nothing Satanic about it.

Rejecting material things, giving them away or to a temple/group/etc. isn't too far away from some ancient Buddhist ascetic practices. It seems unfortunate for them from our outsider's perspective, but they view it as something essential for their spirituality. The only thing we can do is accept it, maybe even strive to understand it.

Also, Satanism isn't necessarily bad. Most Satanists in the US don't worship Satan, but themselves. Those that do worship Satan tend to see their deity as almost a "Buddha from above" type of figure, as opposed to a Buddha from among the people or the royalty. Yes, there is a whole "dark mystique" to Satan for a lot of those groups, but at the core the truest analogy for their Satan would be to the Greek Titan Prometheus (hence, part of the username).

Child or animal sacrifice, or harming others for its own sake at all, only happens among disturbed individuals who've seen too many horror movies, and are too lazy to find a real basis for their beliefs.

When a religion is banned, as this one is in China, it gets easy for us to view it as a cult. It wouldn't be impossible for someone to take real beliefs for any religion and form a cult from that - however, this could be done with any poorly understood religion, especially one that is banned. It is possible that we may not necessarily be talking about the same falun dafa.

Or, we may be attributing something completely different to the influence of Falun Dafa. The right sort of dysfunctional family would produce the results mentioned for Chaosthingy's friend more readily than anything else on the planet. If anything, a new, well-suited spiritual path - when guided properly - would be the next best thing to psychological therapy.

The same thing used to happen with Neopagan religions here in the US - outsiders saw people in funny robes and figured it must be Devil Worship. While this happens less and less, and less people are taken to court through antiquated laws banning Witchcraft, issues still arise. Neopaganism is a new religious movement in a predominately Christian and Secular society - of course there are going to be misunderstandings!

From China's history with having religion outright banned for a while, and from the US's alcohol Prohibition during the 1920s, we know just how well a ban works on a central part of people's daily lives. If anything like a ban still exists after enough people get truly fed up, it ends up incredibly scaled back.

Cults also make it or at least make it seem as though if you don't practice their faith your going to hell by persecuting non believers.

chaosthingy: If you would point us to some sources that would support your claims that would make your arguments more persuasive. Also, saying we know nothing about Falun Dafa when at least I practice it is an interesting rationalization. I have pointed to their website for information about the practice. Would you please show me how it's not like Qi Gong?

I understand your statements. That's not the problem. You keep making claims without support. Do you have some links that would support your claims? I'm asking for evidence apart from your testimony. I'm not rebuking you, I'm asking for you to cite sources. No one will take you seriously if you don't have any form of evidence to back up your claims. Otherwise you come out looking no better than your alleged opponents.

You want to prove the followers of Falun Dafa are harmful, yet your argument is inconsistent. You have gone from claiming they area cult, to claiming they are Satanic, to now claiming they want to keep people sick. If you don't like them, fine, but please keep a consistent argument.

You keep citing alleged statements by Li Hongzhi. Do you have links to said quotes? Also, on falundafa.org they list Falun Gong as just another name for Falun Dafa. If you have evidence of otherwise, please show it. I'm always willing to retract statements if there is strong enough evidence.

I'm not skirting the argument as you claim practitioners do. I simply do not understand the basis of your argument, nor understand why you have come to this conclusion. This is why many forms of debate ask for evidence. It adds credibility to your claim, and you don't have to resort to accusations of people skirting the issues.

I would like to point out that you shouldn't make generlizations about "Western people" or that none of us care about cults or anything like that. Even if it is true for the majority of us, it is not true for all of us. Also I would like to ask, if FG is peaceful why do you consider it a problem whether it is a cult or not? Most people with illnesses and mental problems find solace in religion (sometimes even new religions that are considered cults) so them being common should not surprise you or anything like that. asto your question about the guys that are fighting, no, you shouldn't assume the other guy is a good guy just because he's fighting a bad guy. criminals and such are known to fight amongst themselves just as much, if not more, than they fight good people. Also I should point out that just because you think someone is bad, doesn't make it so... contrarywise, just because you think someone is good, that also doesn't make it so...

Well, cults are what people would see as "mad".
Have you ever heard of the Cult of Cthulhu?
They believe that Cthluhu exists, sitting in the lost city in the ocean out in the Atlantic.
* I think it was Atlantic. Not sure. *
Many believe it because of the Bloop in 1997.
* Google it if needed. In short, it is a strange ocean sound. Un-natural even. *
Pretty much, they do things to please Cthulhu and they usually say that Cthulhu will rise and destroy the earth, ending the lives of the Cthulhu followers quickly.

Problem is, their only source from where they got it from was a book written by the author HP Lovecraft. That's it.
Now, most of you reading this will think it is pretty insane.
Well...because it kinda is.


See, I just want to say this from my Atheist point.

Religions are usually beliefs in afterlifes/deities with atleast SOME sensible reason to believe in it. Some. Which is usual.

Cults don't have to believe in a afterlife or deities.
If your from the Cult of Scientology (Yeah, cult.), you have room to believe other beliefs. Scientology is like an add-on.

Like, if I said I believed in God but believed reptiles will rule the Earth because we stole the planet from them or some kind of crazy shiz.

I mean, cults COULD be sensible. Cults just mean it is usually rejected by most of the population.
Atheism could be a cult and it wouldn't make it any less right or wrong.

The terms just all depend on the meaning and just variables all together.