QuoteopendoorJust saw a post on facebook from a "friend" who is still a member that SGI has launched an online magazine called Create (Createmag.org). It is a Buddhist (seriously???) take on the news and culture, etc. Interesting. Direct quote: "It Only Takes One… January 30, 2013 by Rosa Luisi in Education · 1 Comment Did you know that the Universe as we know it exist
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteShavoy As for SGI centers needing toilet paper---really?? It's just going to the Big Till to multiply some more. I heard the same spiel at my local kaikan, something about keeping the lights on, rent and paying to keep the community center stocked with the things needed to run it, etc.. It never persuaded me either, that's for sure. I've heard this stuff so many times
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Typical $GI CULT Mtg. hit up for May Contribution($) Month: "Right now, we want to talk a little bit about financial contribution$. Here is our Vice-area WD leader .... to give us some encouragement." "You guys are going to see, shortly, a DVD, on the May Contribution. The May Contribution is coming up next month. We're going to show it today and then we are all going
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

After watching the cult org. general director dance with men's division members in drag, ... Sponsor leans over to guest and says, "It really is about 'World Peace' and 'buddhism', trust me." Then, the financial hit up portion of the meeting starts (see next post, below).
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hold on to your seats, you are not going to believe this one ... The gakkai cult org. wishes everyone a "Happy Easter!" The Easter Bunny makes an appearance at the 1:19 minute mark and, believe it or not, so does the $GI USA General Cult Org. Director, Nagashima. Nagashima, The Easter Bunny, and Men's Division Members in DRAG, all dance for Cousin Rufus. I ask again
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

"You're pathetic." "Do you know what you need?" "What?" "Shakubuku." "You wanna tell me what that means?" "It's a swift spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever." "Oooh, that'd be good." .... "I think ....." Cue in evil smile. **** HAHA! One of the most
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The whole concept of "spies" just makes me laugh. The gakkai was spying back on the temple members, in much more evil and dishonest ways. Pot meet kettle. If I had to make a judgement, I'd say the gakkai was much more paranoid and insecure about the whole thing. They certainly were the only ones going berserk about it, that's for sure. What are they going to do to temp
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteSpartacus QuoteHitchThe celebration at a "grand reopening" of a $GI CULT pseudo-buddhist community center . Now, I ask you, where exactly is the "buddhism"?? All I see is bizarre cult-like behavior. I never saw anything like this when I was in the gakkai cult org.. This is completely unrecognizable to me. It just keeps getting weirder and weirder. - Hitch Thi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

$GI CULT informercial, made voluntarily (?) by a cult member eager to do "shakubuku", save other people and change his own karma. It reminds me of those con-men self-motivation speakers who promise to deliver all the secrets of "hope, courage, confidence, & unshakeable happiness" to you, for "free." "It won't cost you a dime, not one penny." Onl
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The larger venue U.S. east coast "YOUTH!" $oka Gakkai Cult Org. mtg. continues (previous 5 parts posted earlier) - Part VI Nauseating, creepy introduction to a song, performed by "Angels Of Peace." 11:28 minutes. Part VII Another creepy performance introduction. "We're all in the ship together, let's cross the sea." Typical cult regressing ritua
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotesleepy skunk Hitch, It looks like he's been studying American televangelists as well. I have never seen this "poem" until now. In my mind I had a minister emotionally laying on the hellfire and damnation on his sheeple. It would have been funny to imagine if not for the fact this isn't a funny thing to read at all. It's no wonder it's well hidden. It would sc
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Please forgive this long post. Reproducing here for posterity, as evidence of $GI Cult Leader Daisaku Ikeda's questionable mental state: **** SGI PRESIDENT IKEDA’S POEM THE VICTORIOUS FUTURE OF MENTOR AND DISCIPLE Commemorating the 70thanniversary of the Soka Gakkai’s founding. "I have a mentor: Josei Toda. I have given my whole life To my mentor! To carrying out his inst
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The gakkai cult org. has always had elements of fascism related to it, both when I was in it, and now. "One Europe With SENSEI!!" Beethoven's 9th symphony for The Dear Leader starts in at the 3:55 min. mark, following a propaganda video shown to a stadium of cult org. members. "Be embraced, you millions! This kiss for the whole world! Brothers, beyond the star-canop
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotesleepy skunk Now you are seeing more of my own experiences. When I hear of the NSA days I think way more culty than this, though. It's funny how our experiences all were in the negative no matter which expereicne we were enduring. I have to say the gifting part isn't the same. The fake affection however seems to be universal. Unfortunately I have no idea what the purpose of this is
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quoteholly_golightly Have you checked out this one? Oh my. They are also playing a gongyo recitation during that "healing" session. Dawkins' blinking reaction during the 4:15 minute mark conversation with her says it all. He simply can't believe what he is hearing, and then some. I had a similar reaction when reading "Space & Eternal Life", a dia
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quoterattyboy . There's a woman at 3:58 not clapping and not looking amused. What are you supposed to do, sit there and watch people dance and hope that maybe the next meeting you'll have the 'ichinen' to get up and be silly cuz that shows a high life condition? Exactly. I would have been gone in a heartbeat if this kind of stuff happened at a meeting I was ever at.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

If the $GI pseudo-buddhist cult org. had a female dear leader, it would probably look like this . Female version of The Dear Leader's Cult Fan Dance. The cult marches (dances) on. - Hitch
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

More unrecognizable $GI CULT meeting antics . Multi-colored cult bead necklaces, plastic cult queen crowns and lots of cult love-bombing hugs for everyone. I ask again, where is the "buddhism"? Stranger and stranger. Perhaps someday, they will also give out Ikeda Dear Leader cult pins (similar to this ). - Hitch
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The celebration at a "grand reopening" of a $GI CULT pseudo-buddhist community center . Now, I ask you, where exactly is the "buddhism"?? All I see is bizarre cult-like behavior. I never saw anything like this when I was in the gakkai cult org.. This is completely unrecognizable to me. It just keeps getting weirder and weirder. - Hitch
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteSpartacus But now these wooden boxes no longer hold any facination or awe for me, and the same goes with the paper scroll that is treated like a living god. It is sick and disgusting to see culties having all this reverence for an object while treating real live human beings so badly. Spartacus This is so true! More gakkai cult org. hypocrisy. They routinely browbeat, play mind gam
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteSpartacus I want to share two videos about the true nature of religion and cults. These videos “The Root of All Evil” and “Viruses of the Mind” are primarily about Christianity, but the same principles easily apply to any religion or cult, and their methods and techniques operate alike as well. The comparision of religion to a virus is spot on. Judge for yourself. At 22:50 in the f
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quoteholly_golightly If these people from outside who view the SGI as a peaceful, positive organisation, really knew how much fear and psychological manipulation takes place they would have a very different perspective. However, the experiences that we ex-members have described on this forum are not easily expressed in a few slick catchphrases and platitudes, such as the methods used by the SGI
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotecorboy Were you just on the point of quitting when the smiles and affirmations were turned back on? I always instinctively knew that the smiles and so-called "friendliness" were all fake, so it didn't really have any influence in my case. When I started stepping back and away from the practice, long absences from "activities", no more taking "leader"
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteSpartacus Both of these statements hit home for me. IDENTITY CRISIS. After the first time I escaped from NSAcult, I use to say, "I had an identity crisis that forced me to leave", It always sounded so strange and unreal to hear myself say it aloud, but I knew in my heart it that it was the truth. I had not yet come to understand the nature of the SGcult, but now I understan
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteTaitenAndProud And inside!! You're gonna give gakkai cult members a heart attack, leaving your mandala all dusty and closed up all alone in a dark cold corner of your garage. They might even chant for something bad to happen to you, so that they can rescue your gohonzon from your heathen dungeon. HA! - Hitch
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteSpartacus When I was growing up, I had a lot of Pentecostals in my family. Imagine a marriage beween an SGcult buddhist and a culty Pentecostal (ever heard of one like that? whoa!). Can you imaging growing up in a family like that? Double trouble! ;D Yikes! I'm always acutely aware that no matter how bad I think I had things, I know that there are others out there (like you) who
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

5 clips showing a very recent $GI Cult Mtg.. March 16th = Cousin Rufus Day. YOUTH!" cult festival for Northeastern U.S.. Part I Introductions (gongyo portion on stage is cut out). Typical gakkai cult-speak laden speeches. "Thank You SOOOOO Much!!!" Horrible band playing gakkai songs, follows. Beginning recommended for cult-speak examples. 10 minutes. Part II Cult ski
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotesleepy skunkQuoteHitchthose who resisted the practice from their early years, but encountered some significant life event(s) stressor (like we all do inevitably) and turn to the cult org. in desperation and for easy answers. They join up to become hardcore, lifelong devotees. This latter group (2), I've seen a lot of. They've essentially been softened up for years by under the rada
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotetsukimoto From a child's viewpoint, does it matter if the parents neglect him because they are out saving souls...or because they're out trying to score some crack? Neglect is neglect! Perhaps I may be able to speak a little bit to this. For a long time, I had much anger and resentment about it all. Let's just say that growing up as a (mis)fortune baby and with a har
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

People join cults when their "normal" mode of functioning breaks down or life throws on to them, an overwhelming stressor event that triggers irrational or desperate ways of coping. The cult is one escape option, but really a trap sitting in wait for people. It proffers easy solutions to complex problems. People who specifically join the gakkai cult org. do so either because a) the
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families