Funny, I was thinking about Marjoe Gortner yesterday morning. I get what you're saying, sporatica. Years ago, I worked for an accounting firm; after tax season was over, all of the partners took a vacation. One of the other underlings, knowing that I enjoyed cooking, suggested I make a pasta lunch. I sent him off to the grocery store with a list, and when he returned I began cooking. As I
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

At this point, I see cults or potential cults all around - whether you're talking evangelical Christians, jews for jesus, robots for ikeda, dahn yoga . . . it just all seems like the same brain-sucking deal to me. Whether it's a church full of people praising the lord or a roomful of them chanting, it just seems the same - hand over your ability to think at the door, and don't worr
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Ezopen - I did find the Billy Connolly piece on youtube . . . freaking hilarious. Been a big fan of his since the '70's since the days of the jobbie-wheeker.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I'd add to corboy's fact-checking suggestion to check those facts with multiple sources. For every sgi-is-a-cult posting, there are tens of others that will pooh-pooh that. I go back to my original contact with sgi in '02 or '03; there was a reason I was creeped out when I heard all that chanting going on; I just had another memory pop in my head, too. This occurred after I st
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hitch, seriously . . . until Baris went up to Senseless and they started swapping spit, I swear to god, I thought it was some kind of fake vid. Was Baris' cause of death embarrassment? I was actually waiting for lard-butt to break into his signature fan dance . . . I couldn't watch but a few minutes of the FNCC crap; I have some kind of weird issue where I really have a lot of troubl
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

quote: I felt as though I was the only sober person in a room full of drunks. That is a perfect analogy, corboy. And I think if you were one of those "drunks," when you suddenly become sober it's even more visible. I'd be interested in the stats on how many cult members (any cult) have a history of addiction - drug, alcohol, food . . . whatever. It was easy to see
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote: At the time, I thought that President Ikeda would be terribly disappointed that his "followers" were such drones, completely lacking initiative, but from what I realize now about the cult, that MD district leader was actually doin it rite That's what struck me and, in part, why I felt comfortable speaking out. What I was seeing happen before my eyes was so out of sync
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Re: Cake . . . we have a large Asian grocery store here, and believe me - the cakes there are more punishment and reward. My district my not miss me for my wit and intelligence, but they damn-skippy will miss me for my home-made baked goods and candy! Ha! The toso issue was most definitely about control. While other members had been free to contact me to let people know about tosos being sche
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

All the double-speak . . . you're encouraged to chant to improve your own life but when that doesn't work, you're told you're being selfish and you should be chanting for others. Those idiots don't even hear what comes out of their mouths any more. I think everybody's decision point is different - it's always a personal holy-shit-moment. I'll repeat the
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

My heart goes out to genuinely good people who are mired in the organization; they really and truly are blind to what's going on. I can't even imagine being raised in this stuff - my experience with mis-fortune babies is that they either are more committed than their parents or that they run off screaming in the opposite direction as soon as they can . . . I haven't seen much middl
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I tried to find a literal Japanese-to-English translation of taiten, but the couple of online dictionaries Í tried didn't recognize it. A former friend (the one that I got an ugly letter from) once told me that it meant "sleeping member"; I suspect that's an sgi-originated definition, from which I could make all kinds of unseemly jokes. Taiten = eyes and ears open, mouth c
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

TaP - I agree, the letter was only from their subs office. Of course, nobody knows how many systems they have our information in? We can only verify so far, and we can only take their word that they've done it at all. Wish I had hacker skills! You mention five locations - do you happen to know what they are? I know the member box is one, the subscriptions report . . . in my experience this i
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Okay, so I see being able to laugh at ourselves as being critical to maintaining our sanity. Here's a humorous but accurate look at how we were programmed to be good little sgi-robots. Warning: This article does contain adult language, content and little partial nudity. Oh, and it's from "Cracked," so there's also a large element of tastelessness. Truly, we huma
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I sent my original letter in on 6/6; as I wrote, I checked online on 6/21 to see if I was still getting the pubs and, when I saw that I was, I sent the following letter: To Whom It May Concern: Please see paragraph one of my letter of June 6, 2013 (copy enclosed); I thought I made it quite clear that all of my personal information should be removed from SGI records and that my subscriptions
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Oh, TaP, so sorry to hear about your leprosy and plague! I just received a diagnosis of cooties and athletes' foot. Fatty McFatFat . . . I have tears running down my face. Just think of how hard you would've had to scrub your lips - ouch! Four weeks and a day since I made my departure from the clutches of das org - other than the cooties and athletes' foot, I haven't
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Kind of an off-topic question, but after freaking out over the past couple of days over the forums being temporarily shut down, I have to wonder what will happen when the culteducation.com domain name gets sold. I would think that depends upon who winds up buying it, but I can't imagine that if any of the cults under discussion purchase it that they'll be keeping it up and running. I do
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Right now, I'm embracing my inner lazy self! I think all the chanting and frenzied activity produced an artificial sense of movement without any real action. As you point out, eyzopen, it's summertime and the livin' is easy. I think there is a large element of emotional exhaustion as well, that's been built up during the years of practice - we haven't been able to acknowl
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Use a gohonzon to line the bottom of a bird cage? It's too flimsy and short to stack a useful amount of toilet paper on! I have one of the small wooden butsudans, so while I could use it to store items which I will not speak of here, I'm liking the idea of a spice cabinet. I cook a lot and could use the annex storage. One of the things I'm enjoying most, in terms of play and
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Welcome, eyzopen and sporadica! I'm in my fourth week on this message board and recovery from sgi; being here has made it so much easier to leave the org. If I ever question my decision or feel a bit wobbly, I can come to the mb and find something that gives me a boost. Eyzopen, Í suggest that you be kind and forgiving with yourself . . . you are not stupid for having fallen for the moras
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thanks for posting, simplify. The only way to make sure of the vice-Chancellor's affiliation might be to sneak into his wardrobe and see if he has an untoward number of cheap white polyester shirts in there. I found it interesting that Buckingham U. purports itself as a "non-sectarian" institution. I wonder how closely any university looks into partnerships if generous donations ar
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thanks, simplify - I do remember reading that posting; I was curious as to what came from where. I did start from the beginning but did get daunted . . . even going through random pages, though, it has been enlightening indeed. I really have found the postings invaluable! The number of postings is remarkable, and it certainly reinforces the idea that sgi is a full-blown cult rather than just
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Ok, so I was curious as to exactly where Senseless had received his degrees and found a list (viva la internet!): I know absolutely nothing about any of the schools outside the US, but don't see any in that grouping that I'd brag about my kid going to. I'm not saying that they are bad schools, but I don't see Harvard, Yale, Princeton, George Washington or any other univ
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

What I found most stunning about that woman's performance was the absolute conviction she had that nothing she said would be questioned or analyzed; she figured the whole gig out within a couple of years of joining sgi. I admit to a level of naivety, and the idea that someone could stand in front of a room of 150 or so people and so blatantly lie really shocked me. If I were to spout off suc
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The key to any abusive relationship is to be able to normalize it in the victim's mind. Children who are abused don't start figuring out that something isn't quite right until (and IF) they start comparing notes with other kids or being able to observe somehow that their lives aren't like other kids'. Another incident that really strained my credibility was a YWD membe
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Seriously, Spartacus, there's something in your "rant" that reminds me of the "non, merci" speech from Cyrano. It's important to all of us, I think, to hear our own thoughts, opinions, experiences and emotional turmoil expressed as eloquently as I've seen posted on these mb's. This is a complicated situation that we find ourselves in. There aren't m
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I do have a couple of well-considered tats (and discreet), but I don't think I have an expanse of skin that would provide enough area for your great posting. None of them are sgi-related - otherwise, I might actually have the offending body part removed. Based on the location of the guy's extra eyes, I think that 90% of his dating failures would have stemmed from just being too weird .
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Wait, this is permanent? But the fat little Japanese guy in the white shirt that did it for me told me that it would disappear if I recited the magical incantation he gave to me! Say it ain't so!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Beautifully put and absolutely every aspect covered. Poster, hell - I'm getting a tattoo.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

OMG - that's funny CB! At least it wasn't a durian!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Great analogy! The state of sweetness and light can't hold forever; whether I agree with her or not, her response came from a place of shock and disappointment. Whether we can remain friends is doubtful, but one never knows. I'd certainly be happy to support her leaving the org. Does anyone actually leave after 40+ years? I have to wonder if the programming isn't so absorbed on a c
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families