Thank you, redrose, for posting those emails. The mindset in which they’re written is so warped and creepy. They act as if being given a photograph shot by Ikeda is some priceless treasure that will transform their lives. They’re also soooo appreciative that the big leaders are spending their valuable time talking to them. Isn’t that what they’re supposed to be doing anyway? What did they tr
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hitch, those videos… Wow! I can’t believe that guy on the beach saying, “I want to hear his voice, watch his interaction with members, and make funny jokes” (I guess there are folks who enjoy watching Ikeda ridicule others). And I don’t care how many slow motion effects you put on footage of the Soka Group, they’re not ever going to look cool. Ever. To anyone. BTW, just took a glimpse a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

4/19/12: Hitch, I absolutely agree. If you no longer want to be a part of the SGI, you have to be extremely blunt with those folks. And if you’re lucky, maybe they’ll leave you alone. I’ve seen these people go to the houses of people who no longer attend meetings and they'll even go around to their backyards if there’s no answer at the front door! Sirmrtony, the SGI-ers must’ve been a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoterattyboyThose videos had explanations at the beginning about ikeda's sense of humour and how we should understand it and explanations of the Nazi style salute of affirmation in tight unison from the rank and file white shirts in the audience. Yeah, I always loved those disclaimers: "Please ignore the cultish way that everyone kowtows to President Ikeda in this video. Enjoy!&quo
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QuoteHitchQuoteSGBye In a post a long while back, I wrote about how I couldn't stand the way he always treated Vice President Wada in particular. He would always command him to read things on-stage and then act very condescending towards him. Of course, Wada would always meekly oblige and come across as the most spineless man in the universe. Ikeda also seems to enjoy poking fun at portly
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Awesome observation, holly_golightly! Every year when the theme was announced, I always thought, "Wasn't this last year's theme?!" I'm sure many in the SGI asked themselves the same question but you're conditioned to just keep your mouth shut, don't question or criticize anything, and go with the flow.
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Don't forget how much they love to say "fundamental darkness" and "devilish functions," i.e. "anything that stops the flow of money from you to us."
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I always used to hear about how the districts needed to "raise capable people," i.e. robots programmed well enough to recruit other robots. Or how about "Never give up!," as in "Don't you dare ever give up your practice... because we need your publication money." And talk about over-use of the word "victory." You'd think the writers of the
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Both of my parents know that I left the organization, quit practicing, and ceased having any religious beliefs. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that in the back of their minds they are convinced that I will return to the SGI someday. I’ve heard many SGI leaders say that people who have left the organization will always come back because “a seed has been planted in them.” How arrogant is that?
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Hitch, so true about “whacked out members are basically the same, everywhere.” Several pages back you posted a Youtube link of a female member giving an experience. When I started watching it, I could’ve sworn I personally knew that person. I quickly realized that it was her presentation, mannerisms and use of certain words that I was so familiar with. BTW, I didn’t make it to the end of that
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I, too, have seen a lot of members whose situations don't seem to change for the better, yet they stay in the organization year after year. I knew one lady who was in the organization from at least the 1970's. She lived in government-assisted housing, her disabled husband passed away (and he wasn't even that old), and then, a little while later, she got cancer. I moved away from
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hitch, I definitely see a lot of similarities in our experiences. "Stark raving nuts gakkai kamikaze soldier"? I knew many of those! It seems that you had a rebellious streak in you and I was the same. I would go along with the SGI shenanigans, but I'd be rolling my eyes at the same time and thinking, "Are these people for real?" But children are taught to listen to their
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Hitch, your “hopelessly ignorant and brainwashed” comment reminded me of something. One time, a visiting YMD member from California came to my house for a meeting. This guy had just returned from a trip to FNCC (which was obvious because he was proudly carrying around an “FNCC Mentor-Disciple Conference” folder with him) and - this is no exaggeration - he mentioned that Ikeda was his mentor ever
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

When I was a child, my mother would make contributions in my name so that I would “receive good fortune.” Ugh. Later, when I had jobs like a paper route, I’d be encouraged to give my own money. I never gave much, but even $10 is precious when you’re a teen! Nowadays, leaders at meetings make it a point to say “Contribute from the heart, without expecting anything in return.” Then next up
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I had gotten access to the latest issue of the World Tribune today. Since next month is their all-important May contribution campaign, it was full of reminders about how the members should feel appreciation towards the organization (hint, hint). Most disgusting was the propaganda aimed towards children. Following a 2-page comic strip about giving a contribution was a “How To Make a World Peace
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Oops, my apologies to Nichijew. I gave thanks to the wrong person regarding the posting of the 2030 video. Sorry about that!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hitch, thanks for the 2030 video link. I guess they had to move onto something else before their Rock The Era high totally dissipated. Like yourself, I grew up in the SGI and can relate to many of the things you’ve posted. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, May 3rd 2001 was the magical date that we were all gung-ho about. Looking back now, the only thing I remember about that date was being fed some
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

This news story immediately conjured up an image of you-know-who: Poet Maya Angelou says a recently unveiled monument to Martin Luther King Jr. is inscribed with a quote taken out of context that makes the preacher seem "arrogant." I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness, the inscription reads. "The quote makes Dr. King look like an arrogant twit,” said Angelou.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quite a few years back I was doing Gajokai duty at my local kaikan, answering the phones. One night the phone rang and it was George Williams. A “pioneer member” in our area had passed away and Mr. Williams was calling to get info about attending the funeral. So, I put him on hold and rang the office upstairs to tell them that Mr. Williams was on the line. None of the leaders wanted to talk t
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Doubtful, it's puzzling to me that you find it hard to accept that Ikeda demands all the credit that he gets. This man puts his name on everything associated with the SGI. The Ikeda/King/Gandhi exhibit wasn’t organized by the members out of their pure love for Ikeda , unbeknownst to him. It was an official SGI exhibit, so of course he commissioned it. And we’ve all seen the condescending
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

It should come as no surprise to anyone here that the SGI would declare RTE as anything less than successfull. Everything they do is "a complete success" and "victorious." If they're due to march in a parade where the rain stops before the parade begins, it's due to the power of their chanting. If it rains the entire time they are marching and then clears up after
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doubtful, You had a much different reaction to the YouTube videos than me & I can respect that. However, I highly doubt that Nichiren Daishonin would be happy about the central most important part of his buddhist practice - The Law of the Universe - being sung to the tune of a rock & roll song from the 50's. I grew up in the practice but nobody had to ever get me "excited&quo
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I have also been perusing YouTube for RTE-related videos, but a lot of them just stirred up feelings of anger inside of me. The one that upset me the most was a video of a RTE kick-off meeting. A bunch of young people are onstage dancing & singing the following lyrics: We're bringing Sensei back With our daimoku is how we attack He is our mentor and we got his back Double our y
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

With all the talk on here about Rock The Era I got really curious and checked out some official SGI websites. Holy cow. One of them has a running countdown to the meeting. As I write this, RTE is only 5 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes and 23 seconds away - hooray! Conveniently placed next to the clock is a link to the RTE Online Payment Site where you can download a credit card payment form. T
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

scaredtoleave, Reading your post stirred up a lot of anger in me towards the SGI (again). The actions of that "Buddhist" organization seem to do that quite a bit. But, really, what are you scared of? What are they going to do? Fire you? It's not like they're your employer or anything. The worst thing that can happen is that they'll start leaving you alone. Actuall
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hi everyone, I haven't posted in a long time but I've been reading and enjoying the discussion. doubtful, I enjoyed your post about the videos where Ikeda would ridicule the other leaders and how the SGI passes it off as "rapport." In a post a long while back, I wrote about how I couldn't stand the way he always treated Vice President Wada in particular. He would alwa
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotetsukimoto Yes! The World Tribune and Living Buddhism are like a closed loop, repeating themselves endlessly. So true! When I was an SGI member, I would read Ikeda's stuff and go, "Didn't he say this in the last issue?" To see if I was right, I started highlighting quotes. I can confidently say that they have the brainwashing thing down pat. Any practicing SGI mem
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Well, to be fair, Ikeda did go through some suffering, but it happened ages ago. I'm talking about the war, his tuberculosis, and how he helped his mentor Toda when his business was in financial ruin. It's been very easy for me to remember all of this because he only mentioned it in every single frickin' speech he ever gave in his life! And, here, I have the quotes to prove my p
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Wow, it seems like many of you are living in areas that are infested with SGI members. You all keep running into them left and right! Ithomas has a boss who's in the SGI that avoids certain meetings. Throughout my whole ordeal, I have been incredibly curious as to how many of the practicing SGI members are turned off by the whole "Mentor/Disciple" thing deep down inside their he
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoterattyboyAround the same time, I watched a group of young men's division members, (all of us dressed in our 'whites'), pressure a new member to shave his mustache before some big event the next day. He was not into that idea at all but they kept at him. And he kept arguing back. The next day, the mustache was gone just in time for the big event. I think I was beaming with a sm
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