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wakatta1
Japanese men give their paychecks over to the women because it is "customary" and is expected of them. The women expect to be in control of the family expenses because they are expected to be the family's "anchor". Men on the other hand (esp. "Salary-man types") have spent their lives grooming for a position in business, and once they have done that they also have risen to the pinnacle of what Japanese society expects of them (Handing over the pay envelope keeps the women out of their hair). They bury themselves in their work and the women bury themselves in the family. The images of mom, dad and the kids are far less typical than here. Japanese husbands, besides commute times, work long hours, and often return from work to just eat, sleep and turn around and go back to work. Once the kids are old enough to go to school, the Japanese wife has nothing to do with herself besides watch soap operas "hiru gekijo" and have dinner waiting when hubby and family come back home. Kind of like living in an anthill.
Based on what I've seen, the women seem to hate the men for "holding them prisoner" or "robbing them of their youth", and the men hate the women for being controlling and "out of reach" emotionally and physically. There is very little in the way of "partnership" between women and men in japan, and they seem to prefer it that way given how society has arranged itself.
But Japanese people don't make waves! Despite outrageous situations they just "deal with it". Oriental patience plays a big part of it all, and so you see people buried in their outlets.
Men golf, go to the bars, fantasize about being samurai, read nasty manga and bury themselves in their work. Women shop, socialize, rat-hole their money until the day they can dump hubby and do various other "diversions". It is easy to see how a "religious" organization could win its way into the ladies' hearts. It also would provide them with a way to manage hubby as well - make him a Men's Division leader and you know where he is all of the time. MD and WD are segregated so you can even have an expectation that he won't be hitting on other women as well. Women exert a level of control over their "environment" which makes them feel more in control.
This is all pretty cynical I admit but that's how folks over there cope. (And to be fair, here in the US we have similar sorts of things going on too)
Wakatta1
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Findingmywaytoday
When I talk to people who have been in the organization for a long time, and still are in the organization, I feel their world is so colored and filtered through their practice. It is like they can't even consider another viewpoint.
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Findingmywaytoday
Incidentally, I also have gotten the message from the SGI that either I am for Ikeda as my mentor, and if I don't have him as my mentor, it means I haven't studied hard enough, or gone to enough meetings. This just makes my stomach turn. I find that assumption insulting.
I am wondering how all of you feel about the President Ikeda's lectures.
Subscriptions were mandatory, or part of the deal without question back in the late 80's until late '89 or early '90 when one Sunday it was announced that subscriptions would no longer be required. Why? Well, I suspect it was because of an incident a few nights before at one of the community centers in which a priest flew in from another city for a Gohonzon conferral and the only person receiving that night refused at the last second because he did not want to subscribe to the publications. He wanted to practice with the Gohonzon but figured since his housemate had the subscriptions he could borrow them. A leader made the argument that maybe the housemate/sponsor might take the publications with him to work and the publications wouldn't be available to read. (This might be just desperate sales talk rather than cult-like coercion... if there is a difference). It was something short of a shouting match. The new recruit saw through all the BS and did not receive the Gohonzon. The priest had come there for nothing. Anyone remember this? This might have been the last straw after other conflicts.Quote
Shavoy
Lotta great posts here the last few days, guys.....
In This week's WT...now it is MANDATORY for new members just getting their Gohonzon to take out subscriptions to the periodicals. No ifs, ands or buts.
Felt that familiar G-A-A-C-K-K yet again.
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tsukimotoQuote
Findingmywaytoday
When I talk to people who have been in the organization for a long time, and still are in the organization, I feel their world is so colored and filtered through their practice. It is like they can't even consider another viewpoint.
I've found this too. Now, we all have our own filters that we see the world through. You can't NOT have a filter. Race, nationality, age, experiences, political beliefs, religion, whatnot give all of us filters -- but I think that the filter that SGI members develop can be very damaging. The insistence that SGI is right, Ikeda is wonderful, and if you disagree, something is wrong with you -- that can really hurt a person, making them disbelieve their own common sense and judgement.
No organization, and no person, is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even the best people and groups have areas in which they could improve --- but for devout SGI members, the only legitimate opinion anyone can have of SGI must be glowingly positive.
I think, honestly, that this kind of a mind game can confuse a person -- you're told that what you see, feel and know is not real. Humans are social animals; we want to fit in with those around us. I've always been fiercely independent, did well in school....I was so sure that I was not a person who could be manipulated. Since I've left SGI, I've been shocked to see how much of this SGI propaganda actually did sink into my brain...on an unconscious level. I began reading some websites that were critical of SGI, and suddenly began feeling a bit nervous and guilty. As if bad things would happen to me if I even questioned SGI, or as if I were a bad, disloyal person for even questioning. Whoa! WHEN did that notion even get into my head? I don't remember; I was not aware that I did have that belief, consciously or subconsciously. Yet, I did have that belief.
Have I had therapy? Very early in my practice, due to other problems I was having with depression and a broken engagement. My counselor had concerns about my involvement with SGI. I was not willing to listen. One of my friends was also in therapy; her therapist told her that SGI was encouraging magical thinking. My friend, like me, did not listen. My friend and I commiserated that therapists just didn't understand SGI!
I used to wish that I could join another Nichiren sect, but there are none near where I live. I think that part of my motivation was that I'd been so heavily involved in SGI. Even though SGI frustrated me a lot, there were some things that I'd liked about it. Quitting left a gap -- and I wanted another religion to fill the gap. It's like being in a bad relationship. Maybe you fight with him a lot, maybe you don't even love him anymore -- but you just can't imagine life without him.
Having become used to life without SGI -- I no longer feel a gap in my life, and I feel rather cynical about religion. They all say that they are the one true faith, and who really knows?
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rattyboySubscriptions were mandatory, or part of the deal without question back in the late 80's until late '89 or early '90 when one Sunday it was announced that subscriptions would no longer be required. Why? Well, I suspect it was because of an incident a few nights before at one of the community centers in which a priest flew in from another city for a Gohonzon conferral and the only person receiving that night refused at the last second because he did not want to subscribe to the publications. He wanted to practice with the Gohonzon but figured since his housemate had the subscriptions he could borrow them. A leader made the argument that maybe the housemate/sponsor might take the publications with him to work and the publications wouldn't be available to read. (This might be just desperate sales talk rather than cult-like coercion... if there is a difference). It was something short of a shouting match. The new recruit saw through all the BS and did not receive the Gohonzon. The priest had come there for nothing. Anyone remember this? This might have been the last straw after other conflicts.Quote
Shavoy
Lotta great posts here the last few days, guys.....
In This week's WT...now it is MANDATORY for new members just getting their Gohonzon to take out subscriptions to the periodicals. No ifs, ands or buts.
Felt that familiar G-A-A-C-K-K yet again.
There was quite some concern about upsetting the priesthood.
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Nichijew
If they did kill anyone, and I have no absolute proof that they do, I have read and heard that both the police and the media are in their pocket. Even in America, there are communities where people who are connected can get away with murder while, if you are not connected and get on the wrong side of the powers that be, you will either do time on trumped up charges, get killed, or disappear. It is not only often futile to go up against these powers [for example, the families of the murder victim against the constable, sheriff, or judge], it can be downright dangerous. Since, for example, in some of the communities in America of which I speak, I have neither absolute proof nor a horse in the race, it isn't worth it to me to make allegations and stir the pot when I could get jailed or killed. Regarding the SGI or one of my own family members, if I had any hard data, I would persue it in a heartbeat. I only know for a fact that there are those in Japan who are afraid of the Soka Gakkai and where there is smoke, there is fire.
Nichijew
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The Anticult
When a sect gets so rich, and is localized in an area, they can have massive influence over the local government and law enforcement.
Sai Baba [forum.culteducation.com] is an example of that. They have over 9 billion in wealth, and have all of the politicians, media, judges, police in their pocket. To the point where murders in the ashram were not investigated, and sexual abuse reports of children were not investigated.
Its obvious they even timed Sai Baba's recent death to happen on Easter Sunday, by pulling the plug, or announcing it on that day, as Sai Baba was in his own private hospital.
Japan is different than India certainly. But since SGI apparently has their own SGI "town" they can wield enormous influence using the wealth and other methods. It seems whenever a sect get big and rich, and then localizes itself in one area, then it comes extremely dangerous, as it can pretty much take over local law enforcement and local judges and politicians.
Something has to be done, as these groups are getting worse every year.
They are tax-free, like Sai Baba and SGI, so they just get richer and richer.
If the trend keeps up, these mega-sects are going to become some of the most powerful organizations in the world, using their wealth and power to do whatever they want, tax-free.
And using local influence peddling to avoid justice.