Johnhaydon:

You are not being specific here at all.

Please specifically detail what mistakes your friend attributes to SGI.

What mistakes (specifically in detail) has Ikeda made?

Again, how did he or she explain SGI's structure?

How is Ikeda not an "absolute authority"?

Is SGI democratic?

How is Ideda specifically accountable to the membership of SGI?

What provisons are thee for removing Ikeda and electing a new leader?

How does SGI make its finances transparent to members? Is there an independently audited annually published financial report that details all salaries, compensation and expenses of SGI in the US and Japan?

Did he or she indicate specifically how the US branch of SGI is somehow not accountable to Ikeda?

What did the US branch of SGI do that Ikeda didn't approve of specifically and what specific actions were taken by SGI that indicate this?

Since the US branch is under Ikeda's direct control wouldn't it be his responsibility?

Why does this person think that SGI members he or she knows left?

What were their stated specific reasons for leaving?

Does the person feel these reasons were valid?

What does he or she actually "understand"?

Why does your friend think SGI has received so much bad press, unlike other Buddhist groups?

I have not and don't attend SGI meetings.

I have communicated with many former members, current members, affected families and concerned friends. The complaints that I have received about SGI go back to the early 1980s and carry through to this year.

Bad press for SGI continues through 2005 and there is probably some I failed to archive from 2006.

Rick,

Thanks for your reply. However, the point of my original question was to clarify why you would classify the SGI as being a negative cult - not to discuss each point. I have been an SGI member for 17 years and have many, many friends (also members) who are highly creative, educated, free-thinking authentic people. The friend I am describing is a perfect example.

I have always made my assessments of people (and by extention the organization they belong to) by the kind of person they are - what kind of heart do they really have? I would imagine there are millions of SGI members like my friend and I would strongly encourage you to re-consider labeling the SGI as a cult. I undrestand that you had a bad experience with a cult yourself and therefore may be quick to judge - or to even change your mind about an organisation you once labeled as a cult.

You need to see the SGI as it exists today. People change and so the organizations change as well. Meet some current members, go to a meeting, read some recent works by Daisaku Ikeda. Please re-evaluate this group.

That's all for now.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

John

Johnhayden:

You don't want to "discuss each point" because such a discussion would point up and illustrate the "warning signs."

You are not a disinterested person with a "friend" either, but rather an SGI member here to defend the group.

Nothing has "changed" at SGI.

Ikeda remains an absolute authority figure without any meaningful accountability.

SGI has no meaningful financial transparency or democratic process to hold Ikeda accountable.

It is not necessary to "got to meeting" to know this.

Besides the history of the group, you yourself have made this apparent by your unwillingness to be open and respond specifically to the points.

Regular emails from other SGI members illustrate the same and continued complaints and bad press likewise cofirm the "warning signs."

Thanks.

Next time you pop onto a message board, start off by making it clear that you are a 17-year SGI member, rather than posing otherwise.

Rick,

I don't see the point is discussing your level of detail. You will have the perspective that the SGI-USA is a cult (because that's what you have decided) and anything I say will be seen as the viewpoint of someone brainwashed. I'd rather have a broader discussion on the possibility that healthy, free thinking people exist in the SGI and that this could be a sign that the SGI should not be labeled as a cult anymore on your web-site.

The SGI-USA has changed in a beautiful way - I've seen it.

John

I didn't meantion that I was an SGI member early in the discussion because I felt that this would color your honest, expert replies. This is not posing.

Johnhaydon:

Right.

You avoid the answers and attempt to blame your deception on someone else.

Avoiding answering simple specific questions about SGI is revealing.

Why not answer if there is nothing wrong?

Maybe it's time to take inventory on what you are involved in.

Rick,

Call me anytime.

John

There's no sensible reason to post your number on an open forum.

Unless of course it is some kind of ploy. :D

Are you still living at home? Do your guardians know you just did that- they would be very concerned.
Love
Kath

(the young man had posted his number which was thankfully removed.)

As a child brought up in Gakkai in Australia it's interesting to note the criticisms leveled at my practise. Honestly i have never heard of many of them before conducting my own research. I have to admit that If you were to follow the literal 'guidelines' then there is not much doubt that members of SGI display cult-like behaviour. Many members idolise Daisaku Ikeda or sensei (japanese for teacher), stressing heavily the perogative to attain a mentor/desciple status with him. The many meetings and chanting sessions are often weekly (at least in the youth division), and do tax heavily on one's time. And members seen to be lapsing in thier practise are often home visited by senior members to encourage them. But i fail to see, other than the idolisation of Ikeda, how this is any different from many "mainstream" faiths. I find that the idolisation of Ikeda to be disturbing. And quite simply i don't like it. Surprisingly ALL of the "senior members" i have spoken to about it tell me that it is my own choice. Personally i find it difficult to grasp the concept of having a man that you have never met nor conversed with to be a mentor, i think that many of the people who truly consider him as such a being (as opposed to a role model) can only say for certain that they believe in the 'virtues' he extolls and the percieved beliefs that they attribute to him. And fair enough. Those _perceived_ values are for peace and the development of humankind, i doubt that many would have a problem with that.
From what i have seen on the net it does disturb me about the things i have read about my religion. Especially the sensationalisation recieved by SGI overseas, particularly in Japan. Anyway the point i wanted to make was that from what i read/hear (points both negative and positive about the religion) the attitudes and practices followed by SGI members tend to align themselves to the society that they practise in. It may be a generalisation, but i can see that in Japan members can seem, even to me as a fellow member, almost fanatical. Here in Australia, members are generally more laid back and far less confrontational.

rrmoderator brought up several points in an earlier post, some which i have asked myself, and some that i have never considered.
Here, at least, when the bad press is brought up and criticism is brought up, responses vary depending on the issue and who you speak to. in regards to Ikeda's allegations of rape, it's an emphatic "no". With the issue of Gakkai's very extremist propagation techniques, they say that its old and that those are no longer followed (and here it certainly is not).
Most of the people i know who leave the organisation generally do so because they are too busy or do not make the effort to attend meetings and social events. So i cannot really comment on this. But they are neither slandered nor is it considered taboo to speak to or of them.
On Ikeda's authority on the group... this is a difficult one, many traditional Japanese members, i believe would follow most of what he says, but most non-japanese members would criticise any "dodgy" (a colloquialism for suspicious) comments or actions by him. Local SGI chapters are democratic, with a heirachy akin to businesses, small group leaders<chapter/area leaders<state<national. No one person has dominant authority and the process is sometimes painfully democratic as virtually everyone gets a say.
Locally SGI is registered as a business so i assume theat there is an auditor and financial manager. i have personally never seen the reports though i have seen a bank statement.

I realise that none of these answers for the behaviour of the organisation as a whole. And unfortunately i do not thak that anyone in the religion, including Ikeda can cover that one. The beliefs and ideology of people who practise this faith all over the world are far too varied and affected by thier environment. There seems to be only two things that are fundamentally "core", that people chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, and they believe in spreading peace in the world (which is another thing i'd like to go into but its far too late into the night here).
I hope this clears up some views of Gakkai, if not as a whole, then at least here downunder. mm.. i realise that the post is extremily long and very rambly.. but i blame all nighters.. i will try to post something more cohesive next time.