Thanks, corboy, for that clarification. Right on, maaan!! With regard to this observation of yours:
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Timely access to licensed health care providers and transit to an emergency room in event of injury -- no cover up of injuries inflicted by abusive or neglectful behavior on part of group personnel
I remember one of my YWD back in MN telling me about the time she went on a road trip to the Jt Terr, which was Chicago. This was back when we still did the long morning gongyo - 5 recitations w/prayers. Anyhow, during the first recitation, she experienced excruciating abdominal pain - and the other YWD there would not allow her to leave the room! They told her it was "sansho shima" and she simply needed to "chant through it"! So she was screaming daimoku because she was in agony, and somehow, by the end, the pain had passed. This little anecdote alarmed me - here we have a young woman, in a strange place, before the advent of cell phones, who didn't know who to call, who probably didn't have health insurance, who was being told to NOT seek medical attention for severe pain! SOOO wrong!
I'm also thinking of the diaper incident(s) - like when the members take perverse pride in wearing diapers to an activity because there will not be any provision for bathroom breaks or when the Sokas don't get a chance to go to the restroom and must relieve themselves in the bushes. Soooo wrong and abusive!
Those incidents, rather than being cause for pride, should be reported to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Adminstration) or whatever and OSHA should have the authority to conduct investigations into religious corporations the same as other corporations and levy charges and fines for abuses.
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People free to refuse tasks they deem themselves untrained to do or too hazardous.
Oh ha ha ha. I remember while I was still in YWD that there was tremendous focus on the "No Matter What Spirit". That meant doing whatever you were told. No matter what. I'm sure I've mentioned before, but I'll mention again - when I was a brand new YWD, I decided I wanted to go on the Philadelphia 200th Anniversary of the Liberty Bell parade/bus trip. It was important to me because I was having trouble with my sponsor/boyfriend, and I had a feeling that, if I went, he would want to dump the woman he had started stepping out with and be with me again. It worked, BTW. I got him back. That was the problem - I got HIM back :D
Anyhow, we were driving down to Chicago every weekend or so to practice with the YWD there for playing/marching in the parade. Now, keep in mind - I came from a marching band background. I could play my instrument, and I had marching experience. In fact, they were considering me for drum majorette at one point, but ended up putting me on banner because I marched really well (and they wanted more experienced YWD in the majorette positions). Okay. So the week before our first practice in Chicago, I burned the inside of my elbow ironing a shirt. It was a blistery burn about 1.5 inches long. I went on the trip, and got all sweaty and sunscreeny, and by the time I got back, it was infected. So when we were supposed to go the next weekend, I said that, because my arm was infected, I wasn't going to go, because I didn't really need the practice in the first place, due to my ability to play the music already and my marching experience. So my YWD HQ leader sighed and said, "Maybe someday you'll develop the 'No Matter What Spirit'." I then told her I thought that was really insulting, as I stood to benefit very little from the trip, I'd already gone the weekend before, and I needed to take care of my health in order to be able to participate later (as getting a worse infection might sideline me). She then apologized and said she realized that sounded kind of snarky. At least she apologized O_O
And I remember another YWD telling me that this YWD from her previous HQ had turned down a promotion to Chapter because she wanted to prove she could say "No" to the SGI. I thought that was insane at the time, because I had believed it when I'd been told that the more leadership you take on, the more benefit you get, so being offered a promotion was sort of the equivalent of being offered a winning lottery ticket. I know - stupid, huh? But anyhow, that's what they told people, and that's why I never turned down the leadership offers. Plus, my on-again-off-again thang with my sponsor/boyfriend continued for a coupla years, and it got his interest when I got promoted above him ha ha ha. *eye roll* at my own gullibility and stupidity!
But the idea is that there is something wrong with your "faith" or your "commitment" if you refuse an assignment from the SGI. And that's abusive.