Wakatta1: "BTW, anybody interested in buying a bridge?" Would this be the bridge to the land of Cousin Rufus? Right by the yellow brick road?
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Interesting article, especially for those of you who were in NSA.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Rothaus: "When I left (though the backdoor I must admit) I for months now and again messages even form the national SGI leader on my answering machine saying he welcomes critical minds." Welcomes critical minds? Since when? What about the IRG that was excommunicated in total for daring to work for changes in how the cult operated? Just a blatant, out and out lie. I left through
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hitch: "Citizens in Japan know the score and keep in mind, this is the one place on Earth where Cousin Rufus is supposed to reside and all should be bliss. Does it look like it?" EXCELLENT! Thanks for digging these little gems out of YouTube.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hitch: "I had also forgotten about gohonzon birthdays. You jarred my memory. They were always going on about this, especially with "new" members. Another manufactured opportunity for everyone to say "CONGRATULATIONS!" Gohonzon birthdays were not celebrated when I was in cult NSA. I was shortchanged!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed: "Right, and wage war on Cults which rely on mind control and brainwashing." Back in the 1970's, NSA had a "Don Quixote" theme for cultural festivals, your comment reminded me of this. To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe, for cousin rufus, that is. By the way, for those of you who may not know, there is history behind the terms cousin r
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Anticult: Many people would argue that classical Buddhism is "atheist"! But most would agree that this thread is mainly about SGI and the problems with SGI. Getting into technical and philosophical sidebars about "God" and all that stuff is cleary off-topic, right?" In my last word about atheism, Anticult is correct, there is technically no supreme being in Buddh
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Rothaus: "What truely would be helpful to have a page in the internet that lists documented facts on SGI at this point its only of marginal interest to what is going on even with the media." Something like this?
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed: "Rather than side within a battle system of opponents, I think its better to just stay independent of the mess and forgo the need to wage war on others, instead taking that energy to forge a healthy mind, free from the excesses of emotional disturbance." I totally agree. The only thing I am willing to wage war on is hate.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed: "Our responsibility here is to widen the public's understanding, so that we can help shape public opinion about the SGI cult. This is how the cult will be demolished. " If another post is never added, there is enough ammo on this board to smash any illusions about cult SGI. It is here that the evidence of the org's billions and personal enrichment of the dear lead
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

A handslap of my own...calling other people's remarks "catty" is rude and disrespectful.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The moderator will correct those that stray too far, otherwise it is an open board. Participate (or not) in a manner that helps you adjust to life after the cult. There are many posts I do not comment about because what they are talking about at that moment doesn't interest me, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't talk about whatever it is they are talking about. This message boa
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteTibbsI must have stumbled onto the wrong forum. I thought we were here to take about the SGI. Not to make catty remarks about "atheists" and their "dogmas". Tibbs, it may be somewhat of a rabbit trail (which is OK), but the discussion of atheism was in the context of the potential impact of harshly criticizing SGI and chanting upon current SGI members who read this boar
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Wakatta1:"As someone who has spent more than a few nights at the "atheist hotel" I can relate to your point somewhat, however, like Buddhism or any other belief system, there are differing shades of atheism." There are even sects within atheism! Google "atheist +, or atheist plus". Some atheists apparently feel that there is even a right way to "do"
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The following post is long, but makes for interesting reading that is relevant to recent discussions. "Taskmasters for the Gods: On Religious Terrorism September 18, 2012 at 5:54 pm By Naima Washington When I’m seeking clear political analysis, I don’t depend on others (particularly politicians and/or celebrities) to help me to understand what is going on, but recently I listened wi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

There was a time when conventional wisdom dictated both politics and religion to be taboo subjects for open discussion, because of the passion most people feel about their views on each. However, feel free to ridicule my current beliefs (non-churchgoing, skeptical Christian) all you want, it won't bother me at all. Maybe it is because of my age or life experience, but "to each his own&
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed: I think that we are all here to focus on the SGI cult and expose the organization for what it is..." Yes! That, and to deal with the damage left by cult indoctrination. Many years after leaving my last discussion meeting, the cult continued to appear regularly in my dreams, and not in a good way. This MB has been invaluable in helping me rid my psyche of cultic programming,
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed: "Atheism has been pushed on this thread. How do I know? Because I took up the mantle of defending the practice so that I could be a representation for those who may continue to hold belief in the practice while having suspicions and difficulties remaining in the SGI cult. Those individuals should be free to post their thoughts and experiences in a post-sgi world and be able to util
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

"Rattyboy: " I use this board to detoxify also and have tried to be funny at times just to allow us all to release, if we want to, this load of baggage. But, also... This is serious to me. I don't expect that I, alone, can make these distinctions between cult/religion, reason/ magical thinking, right attitude/ wrong attitude toward SGI. What has helped me recently are the opinion
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed, whether it's thirty years ago or yesterday that you left the org, there is no hierarchy here. Recency doesn't make you more relevant. The more you learn about cults in general, the more you understand how long-lasting the damage, much of which is subconscious, can be.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hitch: "No easy answers and not an easy road, especially if you consider how hard it was for yourself to make the journey out. I can only speak for myself, but I had no pre-planned roadmap out, it just happened. It was only able to happen because there was some part inside me that was never satisfied with the artificial brain sugar that they were constantly trying to sell. The dysfunctional
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed, I am not playing games, be it of the one-upmanship type or any other. I EXPRESSED MY THOUGHTS, that's all. I ask you try not to condescend because you do not agree. Please address your comments to the issues and not me as a person since you do not know me.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteUpgrayedThanks for the lecture. I am a former member, which is why I am here. Secondly, I am not here for one upmanship games, or who can write the cutest, smartest post.... I am here to expose the SGI and find further understanding regarding my time in the organization, which wasn't 30 years ago, but just yesterday, in terms of recent connection with the monster. Atheism has bee
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Rattyboy: "Anyway, I'm wondering if some of those individuals posting about the chanting working for them feel alienated by some of the criticisms even if they agree that these many questionable aspects of SGI should be brought to light." In my opinion, this MB is not an appropriate place for people to extol the purported benefits of chanting or for people who just want to criti
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed: "If we lose focus on the SGI cult due to pushing atheism, we might be losing a large segment of people who might otherwise join into the discussion." I have read every post on this MB and see a spectrum of current beliefs, from atheist to SGI-lite. Can't say I've seen anybody "pushing" atheism. While it would be a collateral benefit for people to read t
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I just don't get the need to proselytize, whether Christian or Buddhist or anything else. Everyone is free to choose their own spiritual path, and to each his own.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I would like to get all the hardcore longtime members in a room together, confront them with evidence of Ikea's and SGI's riches, and ask them to explain what this has to with cousin rufus. Why the org misrepresents itself. Why none of it bothers them. I am genuinely interested in the answers, because I find it incredulous that people can be true believers despite mountains of evidence
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Upgrayed: "SGI cult deals with currency of the ego." EXCELLENT! Currency of the ego results in REAL currency for Ikea and company (as Hitch notates: $oka Gakkai). Some would say (and many members do) that SGI-USA is not a cult, no one is forced to live in a compound, or isolated from their family, starved, or prevented from leaving. But these ARE NOT the only markers of a cult. Th
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

"Disgruntled former members"=those who have progressed from ignorance to knowledge.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

"...So, is SGI in North America a cult? I think there is strong evidence to point that it was, and to some extent, certainly continues to exhibit some of the same strong arm tactics of its past. There are indeed several members who disagree, and argue SGI has been the target of various disgruntled former members and religious rivals. The answer here really is which side of the story you ulti
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families