---------------------Beginning of Quote, from Byron Katie Thread, posted by "Stoic."------------------------------------------------------------ George Orwell nailed it, as he did with so much of how totalitarianism works, in his novel '1984'. It's about pretending to accept the lie. Most totalitarian types do not expect the ordinary person to believe the lie, the or
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteRothausHi Tsukimoto, you just mentioned the mansion in California/Hawaii, certainly most on this board write from an American perspective. The ting is that even here in Europe most national HQ builidings will have a suite reserved for Ikeda...and its never ever being used. I know for a fact that the one in Villa Sachsen in Germany even has a Japanese style bathroom. ( As some of you might
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Anticult, I copied the account of Ikeda's house at the Malibu Training Center from the Cult Awareness and Information Centre website. The CAIC website has several articles about SGI and Ikeda. The article I copied is on page 47 of this thread, midpage. I posted it on September 18, 2009. In it, Steve Gore, the caretaker at Malibu and SGI member, discusses the care and expense
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteRothausHi Tsukimoto, I actually witnessed the “demonizing process” of the reassessment group in the UK at the time. The development followed pretty much the same schedule. In the north of the UK (Scotland) there were even some groups who declared themselves independent from the district system. Looking back those who were members of those groups were decent people WITH faith in Nichiren
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-------Beginning Quote, from Nichiren's Coffeehouse Website-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRG's Official Response to SGI Dear Ms. Hall: We are writing as the Independent Reassessment Group (IRG). We know that you have received individual letters containing the personal views of several of us, but we felt it was important
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

SGI's Official Response to the IRG, Memo PLN-030, April 30, 2001 -------------Beginning of Quote, from Nichiren's Coffeehouse Website----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SGI-USA's Statement on the Independent Reassessment Group (IRG) Many SGI-USA members have been asking about the activities of the Independent Reassessme
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

-- January 8, 1999, Fred Zaitsu, then Director of SGI-USA, sends a memo to IRG, thanking them for writing to him. He tells the IRG that the four issues they brought up will be discussed by the SGI's Central Executive Committee (CEC) at their next meeting. --April 21, 1999, The CEC responds with a polite memo that blows off the IRG's concerns -- everything is fine in SGI, the member
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I thought I would copy and post some info about the Internal Reassessment Group (IRG), a group of former SGI members who asked SGI-USA to make some changes in the late 1990's -- while we wait to find out about Von's trip to Seattle! I have previously referred to the IRG as the Internal Reform Group, and I was incorrect. Sorry! They're the Internal Reassessment Group. -----
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Von, you tease! Here we are, holding our breath waiting to hear what happened in Seattle, and you are leaving us hanging? Please, please, please!
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Quotequiet oneQuoteYzak Hey, that's a good point. I never thought of it in that way. I never have been able to understand why some religions didn't believe in the theory of evolution when there is overwhelming evidence to support it. SGI members always act smug about other religions not going along with science. But SGI is the same way with Psychology and Psychiatry! It rem
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For example, this: ---------Beginning of Quote, Cult Information and Awareness Website--------------------------------------------------------------- Soka Gakkai Defrauds Japanese Government Evades Taxes In Insurance Scam of more than U.S. $10 Million According to the Weekly Post of 11/25/94, Soka Gakkai has committed insurance fraud in forty-two documented cases (Twenty-two in Tokyo; e
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Yzak, the cult of Scientology doesn't "believe in" psychotherapy or anti-depression medication either. It's very sad that people have to suffer unnecessarily, when there are medications that could help them. I know some Japanese too, and SGI has a very bad reputation in Japan. Many Japanese see them as very aggressive, dishonest, and overly concerned with taking peop
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Von, welcome to the thread. I too would love to hear more of your experiences with SGI. I've found the sharing here so helpful. It's hard to discuss my SGI experiences with people who have not been in SGI. I sometimes wonder if they think I'm making things up! Yzak, good to hear from you again also! Glad that things are going well for you. Sorry, though, to hear a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The Malibu Training Center in California -- President Ikeda's private house there. (Testimony of former SGI leaders and members.) -----------------Begin Quote, Cult Awareness and Information Centre website------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Local Leaders In Particular Are Not Allowed Near It Even the caretaker first entered the Iked
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

--------------------------------------Beginning of Quote, Cult Awareness and Information Centre website www.caic.org-------------------------------- Former SGI-USA Leader Denounces Money Collecting Style TAWDRY FORMER SGI-USA LEADER DENOUNCES MONEY COLLECTING STYLE OF AMERICAN SOKA GAKKAI Shukan Shincho, 8/4/94 "The Soka Gakkai is the world's largest cult." Scathing flam
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My guess is that they would say, "It's for world peace, what else? You need to trust Sensei's greatness."
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So what does all this mean? I don't know! Possibly, very little. Maybe it's just people with similar areas of study collaborating. If you're an economics professor, you'll keep in touch with other economics professors throughout the world -- you want to know what they are learning, thinking, studying, teaching. Some economics professors might also keep up wi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

In reading the list of the Toda Institute's council, the Mideast connection was most interesting. Why does the Toda Institute have so many connections in Qatar, Jordan, and Iran? There can't be many (if any) SGI members in any of these countries. Why is a Japanese Buddhist organization interested in a professor in Iran, or a journalist in Qatar? Does President Ikeda beli
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteThe AnticultIts interesting the language used by George Wolfe. QUOTE: "helps sponsor the Toda institute". As mentioned, that is deliberately deceptive language. SGI-Ikeda created, owns, finances, and runs The Toda Institute to spread the SGI political ideology, which stems from a religion. He uses the word "helps sponsor" to make Toda sound independent, when it is
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I copied this post from a blog written by David Swindle, a classmate of Brett Mock's (the student who was dissatisfied with Professor George Wolfe's class. Are these really the students' names -- Swindle and Mock? Interesting. In this blog, George Wolfe is replying to claims that Brett Mock and David Horowitz are making about his class in Peace Studies at Ball University.) -
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

----Beginning of Quote: Mission Statement of the Toda Institute, Toda Institute's Website----------------------------------------------------------- The Toda Institute was established on 11 February 1996 by Toda’s main disciple Daisaku Ikeda (1928 -), the President of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a worldwide movement for peace, culture and education based on Buddhist Humanism. I
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Is Ikeda going to keep getting honorary degrees after his death? ---Begin Quote -- The Toda Institute for Peace Research's Connection With Indiana's Ball State University----------------------------------- Orwell 101 By: David Horowitz FrontPageMagazine.com | Friday, July 11, 2008 A couple of years ago, a student in a Peace Studies course at Ball State, taught by jazz saxo
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------Begin Quote: Milwaukee Magazine, January 1, 2008------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cult of Curiosity UWM crawls into bed with a notorious Buddhist leader.by Matt Hrodey Tuesday 1/1/2008 UW-Milwaukee chancellor Carlos Santiago’scourting of wealthy philanthropists took a bizarre turn last April when he flew to Tokyo t
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------Beginning of Quote -- Last Part of Watanabe's Speech, Cult Awareness and Information Center------------------------------------------------- As stated earlier, the only results the Tokyo Regional Tax Administration Agency produced was a revision of the tombstone sales at their cemetary enterprises and a revision which would include a portion of the Gakkai Headquarters utilities and
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------------------------Begin Quote, Cult Awareness and Information Center, Michio Watanabe's 1993 Speech Continued------------------------------------ (Proposed tax audit of Soka Gakkai Japan) The first time was conducted during the age of the Kakuei Tanaka cabinet, but Daisaku Ikeda and Kakuei were on intimate terms, and it is the accepted opinion among Gakkai observers that Kakuei put
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Rothaus, you make an interesting point. We have a lot of great information in this thread. Certainly, people looking online for information about SGI will find it ... but how to get it out to the general public? It's interesting how widely known the Soka Gakkai's tax evasion and influence on Japanese elections seems to be. It's been known for years. Michio Watanabe gave
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteThe Anticult SGI singles out wealthier SGI people, and gets them to sign onto monthly donations, automatic debit right from their bank account. Its good karma after all right? The more you give, the more you get? (as if, the more you give, the more SGI gets, and the less you have). The SGI global are financial (evil) geniuses. According to mombu.com, SGI has done this routinely in Japan
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QuoteThe Anticult Take the example of the woman who gave $100,000, and lost everything to SGI-USA. They sucked her dry. That is literally money-vampirism. The sad thing was, she was so proud and happy about what she had done, giving $100,000 to SGI. I just kept thinking, "What if she gets sick or injured, what if she loses her job and can't find another?" She will either
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-----------Begin Quote: Soka University Website------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class Profile Soka University seeks students of intelligence and commitment who will provide leadership in the promotion of peace and human rights. Soka is open to highly motivated students of all backgrounds and beliefs who have e
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----------------------------Tuition and Fees for Soka University, 2009 -- 2010 School Year-------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuition & Fees 2009-2010 Tuition and Fees Tuition $24,606 Room & Board $9,360 Health Insurance $766 2009-2010 Cost of Attendance / Budget Domestic Students Internationa
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