Let me just state this clearly. When we reduce those who spent time in a cult as merely being "stupid" we take out the fact that cults prey on people. If you want to abuse people who were taken advantage of by cults, you turn into an apologist for those that craft these manipulative systems.

You want to puff up and say, "I didn't have a choice whether to be in a cult, but you did so you are stupid". I don't think that this thread needs to be abusive towards people who have been victimized by cults.

I am crafting my posts to resonate as much personal experience within the SGI Cult as a means to help others understand what SGI is.....a cult.

So, Hitch, let's keep on the issue. The only reason I originally responded to your increasingly judgemental posts was so that I could offer a constrasting view to balance out the subject matter of this thread, the balance being not one of stamping "stupid" on anyone who ever walked into SGI cult.


I truly think that our efforts would be better served if we focused on what the thread is actually about, SGI CULT.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2012 06:04AM by Upgrayed.

Upgrayed, your "reductionist" view is a fallacious misrepresentation of my position. And on that note, ...

Quote
Upgrayed
You want to puff up and say, "I didn't have a choice whether to be in a cult, but you did so you are stupid". I don't think that this thread needs to be abusive towards people who have been victimized by cults.

I definitely had a choice, and that's why I got out.

Quote
Upgrayed
I truly think that our efforts would be better served if we focused on what the thread is actually about, SGI CULT.

So do I.

I apologize if I misrepresented you.

In fact, I have always enjoyed your posts as they cut right to the heart of the matter. Plus, your SGI Cult knowledge is deep. You are definitely on the right side of history.




On that note, here is a video that made me vomit in my mouth.

Youtube



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2012 06:36AM by Upgrayed.

Upgrayed, and my apologies if my posts sometimes come across as harsh (it certainly wouldn't be the first time for me). I'm glad you are here to share your story, as well.

********

Regarding that "I Seek Sensei" clip: This kind of stuff is one reason the cult cultivates the culture and arts dept./division. To create feel good propaganda for the membership and give them something to do (learn it, practice it, perform it, spread it around, gain new recruits, etc.). IMO it's like food for the cult mind virus that enables it to grow larger and become stronger in all of the members and spread to others. It's also way to isolate the "YOUTH!" into their own insular little world and give them the illusion of participating in a "shared" struggle experience (attending practices, gongyos, tosos, guidance meetings to support the campaign, etc.) that they ultimately bond over (some of these things are grueling physical ordeals that people will likely remember for their entire life).

In the motherland, they have the brass band (ymd) and kotekitai (ywd) [www.youtube.com] (notice the cult flag colors) go out and participate in prefectural public parades and take part in official professional nationwide competitions for awards [www.youtube.com] (when they win, it is held up as actual proof of a "victorious" practice). There is also a higher level semi-professional "min-on" [www.min-on.org] / [www.min-on.or.jp] group that does the same (I believe the Princeton scholar Levi McLaughlin participated in some of these types of "concerts" - again, some under the radar cult manipulation going on).


PS - I forgot to add, there are other clips of the Japan brass band & kotekitai performing in public parades, where the common (non-gakkai member) citizens filming it can be overheard saying things like, "omg!, this is the soka gakkai cult, how creepy .....", etc..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2012 07:47AM by Hitch.

"In the motherland, they have the brass band (ymd) and kotekitai (ywd) [www.youtube.com] (notice the cult flag colors) go out and participate in prefectural public parades...."

During my cult time here in Chicago, we were always preparing to be in some parade or another, even traveling to the Kentucky Derby to march for cousin rufus. I wrote earlier in the MB about practicing in the scary old national guard armory, hours and hours of making costumes and props, staying up at the community center until all hours of the night, with school and work the next day! All this mindless activity is part of the cult indoctrination process, you just are too tired to resist the manipulation! One of the best things about getting out was having unencumbered free time, without feeling like I "should" be chanting, doing home visits or recruitment. Just time to enjoy life as a normal young person.

I was only 16 when I joined, so I forgive myself for being part of a cult. No one says "I guess I'll join a cult today", people get ensnared because they want to work for "world peace", or some other admirable goal, or maybe just to have a sense of community. Skepticism of religious organizations is always a good thing, in my humble opinion. I have no use for any of them now, all are manipulative.

UU (universalist unitarian) may not be a manipulative org, but some would argue that it is not really a religion.

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Freeheartandmind
During my cult time here in Chicago, we were always preparing to be in some parade or another, even traveling to the Kentucky Derby to march for cousin rufus. I wrote earlier in the MB about practicing in the scary old national guard armory, hours and hours of making costumes and props, staying up at the community center until all hours of the night, with school and work the next day! All this mindless activity is part of the cult indoctrination process, you just are too tired to resist the manipulation! One of the best things about getting out was having unencumbered free time, without feeling like I "should" be chanting, doing home visits or recruitment. Just time to enjoy life as a normal young person.

I've walked the same path, freeheartandmind, the same cult path and the same parade paths, just in another city and another place. The cult will literally steal your youthful years from you, if you let them. They took a number of mine, before I started to say, enough was enough. Believe me, it was a very hard exit ramp and I had to go thru hell in the process.

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Freeheartandmind
I was only 16 when I joined, so I forgive myself for being part of a cult. No one says "I guess I'll join a cult today", people get ensnared because they want to work for "world peace", or some other admirable goal, or maybe just to have a sense of community. Skepticism of religious organizations is always a good thing, in my humble opinion. I have no use for any of them now, all are manipulative.

Same goes for me, too.

*******

Continuing on the theme of the cult using parades to manipulate and gain new recruits:

1. Here are the ultra-fake cult plastic smiles/masks (say "cheese" for the Seikyo Shimbun/SGI Graphic cult propaganda publication photographers) on display [www.youtube.com].

2. Here the cult is performing for the new Sky Tree celebrations in Tokyo [en.wikipedia.org], the dear leader's song "Forever Sensei", followed by "The Human Revolution" song (all hardcore gakkai cult members are familiar with these cult tunes). [www.youtube.com]

3. This one is especially for SGBye, another Sky Tree performance, this time with the special cult colored clown uniforms, sporting a huge red emblazoned "V" on the their left breast area (V = Victory, of course!) [www.youtube.com]

4. And one more for freeheartandmind, featuring the Yokohama ywd marching group, kotekitai and cheerleaders [www.youtube.com].

Keep in mind, there are months & months of intense preparation and practices leading up to these kinds of events. It is drilled into you that "sensei" is watching and counting on you to give a perfect performance and not let him, the cult org. or Cousin Rufus down. To do so will invite the wrath of your psycho leaders, who will push and push you until you are able to mindlessly perform on automatic pilot flawlessly in service of the dear leader. Then, when you are done and successful, you might get a can of coca-cola and a congratulatory speech by some some "senior leader." Rest maybe a day or two, then the replay button get pressed again for the next campaign, and the next, and the next ....

Give us your naive and impressionable "YOUTH!" MARCH for Cousin Rufus!!


******

Quote
Freeheartandmind
UU (universalist unitarian) may not be a manipulative org, but some would argue that it is not really a religion.

I don't know anything about the UU, but the name itself is enough to make me skeptical.

In fact, one thing that always bothered me about the gakkai cult was their very name. The "Soka Gakkai" = "Value Creation Society." What a meaninglessly nebulous label (can mean anything you are they want it to mean). The very first sign of manipulation is in glaring lights right on the marquee, before you enter. It always set my skeptical alarm bells going off, until I finally decided to heed the warning, listen to them, investigate, think for myself and get the hell out. I hope others wise up and do the same.

Does anybody know what happened to the "Taiten" group on Yahoo?

Remember how when somebody went taiten, it was whispered like they had a dread disease or something. Certainly they would be hit by a freight train! Chant for them! What absolute silliness.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2012 08:47PM by Freeheartandmind.

Hitch, back in NSA days we were never told what Soka Gaikkai meant, it was rarely talked about. Full disclosure was not (and apparently is not) the norm.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2012 08:46PM by Freeheartandmind.