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Falun Gong is a cult — the Moonies with Chinese characteristics. The fact that the author of this article and its associated book doesn't acknowledge this tells

Falun Gong is a cult — the Moonies with Chinese characteristics. The fact that the author of this article and its associated book doesn't acknowledge this tells you all you need to know about this analysis. Hitler planned for conquest of Europe. Xi is seeking to gain the territories disputed with its neighbors due to treaties signed with KMT officials instead of with CCP officials. The threat to liberal democracies is not remotely the same.

brutusborn 4y ago
Out of interest what makes Falun Gong more of a cult than say, Catholicism? I’m not suggesting it’s not, but all I seem to find is meditation, tai chi and some inconsistent philosophy; very similar to other religions.
- lern_too_spel 4y ago
  Biden, a Catholic, is allowed to have beliefs different from the Pope's. Members of Falun Gong believe that the leader is a supernatural being who can read their minds. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-21/inside-falun-gong-master-li-hongzhi-the-mountain-dragon-springs/12442518 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-21/inside-falun-gong-mas...
  - oneoff786 4y ago
    I’m not sure where Biden comes into this. But plenty a preacher will tell you what you must believe in Catholicism.
    - lern_too_spel 4y ago
      Biden comes into this because he is Catholic and clearly does not have to do what the Pope tells him to do, nor does the Pope try to tell him what to do. This is not possible in Falun Gong, the Unification Church, and other cults.
      - oneoff786 4y ago
        But… why bring in a political leader when he is not unique in regards to this aspect of the faith whatsoever? That just seems distracting
        lern_too_spel 4y ago
        Is there a better example of a Catholic that everybody knows? The only two I can be sure that everyone knows are Biden and the Pope.
        oneoff786 4y ago
        Identifying a specific Catholic doesn’t help the point you are trying to make. It just makes things more distracting.
        lern_too_spel 4y ago
        You seem to be the only person who is distracted. Presumably, everybody else found it helpful to have an example that they knew.
  - brutusborn 4y ago
    That sounds basically equivalent to Papal Infallibility (besides the mind reading). Seems like typical misguided religion rather than a cult. I’m not saying it’s good, but I would reserve the term ‘cult’ for Scientology and the like.
helloworld11 4y ago
>Falun Gong is a cult — the Moonies with Chinese characteristics. The fact that the author of this article and its associated book doesn't acknowledge this tells you all you need to know about this analysis. First, one piece of opinion in a larger body of text doesn't tell you "all you need to know" about the rest of it. Much of the other arguments might be very good even if a few are wrong. What a silly notion to say otherwise. Secondly, whether Falun Gong was cult-like or not doesn't change the fact that China brutally repressed a religious movement of tens of millions of members that didn't engage in terrorism, violence or forcibly integrate new members. This repression coupled with so many of China's other repressions of different groups and minorities makes it absurd to blame a religious group for being crushed ruthlessly, instead of the obvious giant state and police apparatus doing the crushing.
- lern_too_spel 4y ago
  > First, one piece of opinion in a larger body of text doesn't tell you "all you need to know" about the rest of it. It certainly does when Falun Gong and the Moonies are purveyors of far right propaganda, which the author subscribes to. > Secondly, whether Falun Gong was cult-like or not doesn't change the fact that China brutally repressed a religious movement of tens of millions of members that didn't engage in terrorism, violence or forcibly integrate new members. As far as China's repression of Falun Gong, I wholeheartedly disagree with its methods, but as Falun Gong was and remains an anti-CCP entity, the repression of that organization is entirely understandable.
  - divergentnote 4y ago
    [flagged]
meltyness 4y ago
There is clear effort here to complicate things, regardless of the author's stated bias. More verbs and ajectives don't reduce the significance of "internment."

brutusborn 4y ago

Out of interest what makes Falun Gong more of a cult than say, Catholicism? I’m not suggesting it’s not, but all I seem to find is meditation, tai chi and some inconsistent philosophy; very similar to other religions.

lern_too_spel 4y ago
Biden, a Catholic, is allowed to have beliefs different from the Pope's. Members of Falun Gong believe that the leader is a supernatural being who can read their minds. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-21/inside-falun-gong-master-li-hongzhi-the-mountain-dragon-springs/12442518 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-21/inside-falun-gong-mas...
- oneoff786 4y ago
  I’m not sure where Biden comes into this. But plenty a preacher will tell you what you must believe in Catholicism.
  - lern_too_spel 4y ago
    Biden comes into this because he is Catholic and clearly does not have to do what the Pope tells him to do, nor does the Pope try to tell him what to do. This is not possible in Falun Gong, the Unification Church, and other cults.
    - oneoff786 4y ago
      But… why bring in a political leader when he is not unique in regards to this aspect of the faith whatsoever? That just seems distracting
      - lern_too_spel 4y ago
        Is there a better example of a Catholic that everybody knows? The only two I can be sure that everyone knows are Biden and the Pope.
        oneoff786 4y ago
        Identifying a specific Catholic doesn’t help the point you are trying to make. It just makes things more distracting.
        lern_too_spel 4y ago
        You seem to be the only person who is distracted. Presumably, everybody else found it helpful to have an example that they knew.
- brutusborn 4y ago
  That sounds basically equivalent to Papal Infallibility (besides the mind reading). Seems like typical misguided religion rather than a cult. I’m not saying it’s good, but I would reserve the term ‘cult’ for Scientology and the like.

helloworld11 4y ago

>Falun Gong is a cult — the Moonies with Chinese characteristics. The fact that the author of this article and its associated book doesn't acknowledge this tells you all you need to know about this analysis. First, one piece of opinion in a larger body of text doesn't tell you "all you need to know" about the rest of it. Much of the other arguments might be very good even if a few are wrong. What a silly notion to say otherwise. Secondly, whether Falun Gong was cult-like or not doesn't change the fact that China brutally repressed a religious movement of tens of millions of members that didn't engage in terrorism, violence or forcibly integrate new members. This repression coupled with so many of China's other repressions of different groups and minorities makes it absurd to blame a religious group for being crushed ruthlessly, instead of the obvious giant state and police apparatus doing the crushing.

lern_too_spel 4y ago
> First, one piece of opinion in a larger body of text doesn't tell you "all you need to know" about the rest of it. It certainly does when Falun Gong and the Moonies are purveyors of far right propaganda, which the author subscribes to. > Secondly, whether Falun Gong was cult-like or not doesn't change the fact that China brutally repressed a religious movement of tens of millions of members that didn't engage in terrorism, violence or forcibly integrate new members. As far as China's repression of Falun Gong, I wholeheartedly disagree with its methods, but as Falun Gong was and remains an anti-CCP entity, the repression of that organization is entirely understandable.
- divergentnote 4y ago
  [flagged]

meltyness 4y ago

There is clear effort here to complicate things, regardless of the author's stated bias. More verbs and ajectives don't reduce the significance of "internment."