Thanks for the advice, corboy. I did finish my letter to her but have decided not to mail it - it would be pretty pointless, since she's much more of a company zombie than I realized. I'm just going to return hers. I want her to know that I received it and sending it back to her will be a statement on its own; that's important to me, because I want her to understand that I won'
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I agree, tsukimoto - I think that very little in that whole farce wasn't highly choreographed at some level. According to the article on toride.org, a total of 47.5 billion yen (only 35.5 of which sgi will admit to) was collected from members, yet the shohondo cost about 17 billion yen to build. I haven't heard anything about members getting any refunds. Hah! Well, the first serious
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Great youtube videos! When my kids were little, I would try to explain to them why something they had done was wrong . . . this was often a lengthy process, and my son would occasionally ask me to just beat him instead of going through these interminable monologues. I'm not saying that how I disciplined them was right or wrong, but I hoped I would eventually explain in a way that they wo
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

It's one of those things that no one but the original perpetrators of whatever will ever know, and they're probably recreated it so much in their heads that they don't even remember how the whole thing happened. It could be that practicality sort of forced ns's hand, but they spun it as they did and, of course senseless spun it his way. So convenient for both of them.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Once again, I have to praise these mb's for the information provided. This particular topic has so many pages that it's almost impossible to read every posting, but stumbling across random conversations always offers much food for thought. Waaaay back, around page 305, are some comments about a website called The Victims of Soka Gakkai Organization (toride.org). Doing a google search
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Whoa, corboy . . . you've hit some major nails on their heads, and explained something very clearly to me. My friend in WA state does not work outside the house, it's been decades since she's done so. I'm not condemning that in any manner shape or form (I wouldn't mind that myself). What I am saying, though, is that sgi is the focus of her universe. She and her husband
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

These recent conversations remind me of a posting by TaitenandProud, on page 8 of this thread - it's about missing the self we became when we were in the clutches of the Evil Empire. I don't think a day has passed since reading that when I haven't thought "That self can go fuck itself." When you have handed your own personal power over as most of us here have, bit by
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Yet another glaring difference between Gandhi, King and the Wiz . . . of the three, the latter is the only one who is willing to whore himself out to avoid pissing people off. Say what you will about Gandhi and King, they stood by their principles and did the right things, despite the costs. Ooops! Silly moi! I forgot - fat-boy has no principles.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

holly_golightly, I understand exactly what you're saying! Once the dam breaks, it's hard to hold it back. Just a suggestion, but have you thought about writing it out, just for yourself? That sometimes helps me release some of the true venom. You can rant away there, and you don't need to worry about hurting someone's feelings (which seems important to you), you can organize y
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Holly_golightly, fortunately, the couple of friends I have that are still in the org are generally pretty respectful of my wish not to discuss the organization - it's the primary force driving their lives, though, and of course the topic comes up. When I first made the decision, they tried to talk me out of it, but when I made it clear that my decision was final they backed off on it. I do g
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

A perfect description of almost everyone I've ever seen during gongyo (and myself as well, I'm sure). And, as someone noted on this mb somewhere, perfect preparation for receptivity to further indoctrination. Sancho is perfect for breaking the trance . . . a perfect ending for the programming session. Go ye forth and spread the good word, my friends. At times, it's the utter sillin
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thanks for all of the information - yes, so much for pacifism unless it's financially expedient. I didn't think it was possible, but I have more contempt for this organization every day!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Spartacus, holly_golightly's suggestion is a good one. Some of this is unfamiliar territory, since I only joined in '07, and I'd like to get the dish. I'm also thinking that many of the leadership faces have changed . . . they now have Saints Danny Nagishima, Linda Johnson and Tariq Hassan (two out of three definitely not Japanese) - those are the high-level leaders that I
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

It was a dramatic shift for me when I moved from the southwest to the Philly area. ABQ and El Paso were very laid back; people were enthusiastic in their way, always applauding and encouraging, etc, but it wasn't until Philly that I saw such high energy and the frenzied version of chanting. Krg was highly interactive, almost a call-and-response format, people getting up in middle of someone&
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

That video is actually kind of offensive - first of all, showing the headstones in the Jewish cemetery. Not sure how Gandhi or King had anything to do with that . . . as far as I know, neither of them spoke of the holocaust. And how ikeda has the cajones to equate himself with either of those two men is bewildering. G & K were both good men who endangered themselves on a regular basis (yes, I
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Most of us are taught early on that trusting our gut isn't reliable or dependable . . . trust the facts that are put before you. Facts (even the best of them) can be fuzzy and open to interpretation. And not nearly as factual as we'd like to think. Corboy, you changed the course of someone's life by following what you gut was telling you - no small thing. We need to develop more co
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Those signals are critical to our survival. We use/receive them in every day life . . . at work, in relationships, not jumping the queue, figuring out whether someone has good/bad intentions . . . and like everything else, some of us might just be more susceptible to them than others are - sort of a reverse-Asberger's. I forget how many subtle facial expressions form that "vocabulary,&q
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

At least we only had to take that dumb-ass exam every year . . . if I had to remember all that Mormon crap, I'd still be sitting on the curb.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotecorboy But as social animals we also have a capacity to adjust and that can lead to remaining so long in a deteriorating situation that eventually one becomes worn down and estranged from one's own gut instincts. You said a mouthful, amigo. Look at the seas of shiny happy faces, and you won't see a lick of any remaining instinct except for the herding one. I think that's w
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteHitch I was told this exact same thing when given a tour of the Ikeda room as a YMD. "If we work hard enough for Cousin Rufus, Sensei will feel our efforts, our daimoku will call him here and he will come visit our kaikan. It all depends on our pure faith, ichinen, and mission to respond to him. Work hard for our area to have Sensei come in person to give us guidance and encourage us
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Beautifully put, corboy. And I'd add that some people just don't see the cruelty, they are never subjected to it, they keep a low profile and they just don't question things. Because they're good little zombies and drink their kool-aide without question, leadership never feels the need to show them the true red-blue-and-yellow. They don't trust their instincts when so
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

TaP, another friend of mine was also required to get married to another member. He was closeted-gay, but I guess he didn't keep the door tightly closed all the time. I'm not sure if the divorce was sanctioned or not. Yes sad, but what's sadder is that someone would go along with it. I think that would've been the wtf-moment for me. Maybe. Who knows? I didn't even accep
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Spartacus - so cynical! Of course, they use the funds to promote Cousin Rufus to the unwashed masses throughout the world! You aren't suggesting that they're keeping any for themselves? The kaikan in Albuquerque was built (right before the nsa/sgi split) on org-owned property as well - it's a pretty big building; the main butsudan room has seating for maybe 300, there's a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The leader with the terrible English is a real example to me for the utter I-don't-know-whatness of this organization. She met her husband years ago (maybe the early 80's?); he was an American attending school in Japan and they met through their attendance with the nichirens. They were married for maybe 10-15 years when the split occurred; he stayed with the temple and she went with sgi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The center in El Paso is in a former Christian church and is similar to your description, Hitch . . . all the pews are still in there (admittedly, more comfortable than the typical folding chairs), and the main area has the walk-in butsudan where I suppose the altar was. It was weird, but the center in Philly is even weirder to me. It's in what would have been a suite of offices on the secon
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I double-checked and was wrong about the building in G'burg, MD - it does look like it's in a suburban office park. Sorry for the incorrect info! I tried to find out who owns the building in El Paso (a formerly right-wing Christian church), and was amused that sgi there promotes themselves as providing "individual/family services." I couldn't figure out who owns the bu
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Good point, and I'm not sure. I do know, though, that the ABQ community center (built in the 90's) is owned by sgi . . . it was purpose-built, with a lot of volunteer-time put in by the members. I heard long-time members discussing that pretty often. I don't know about the own/rent situation on the new culture center in MD, other than that's a new building. Maybe the sgi defin
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

TaP: "If all these high-level leaders (and their offspring) couldn't manage to overcome these obstacles, why should anyone think that this practice works in any sense that is not just random chance?" The thing about these jerkwads is that they spin this shit into more "opportunities" to overcome the obstacles of grief, anger, whatever. We've all done that; the bu
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

They recently opened a community center in Baltimore, too. I know the area it's in - very chi-chi restored historical area. There's also a liberal arts college mere blocks away, perfect hunting grounds. The building must've been very expensive, never mind the renovations necessary. They're certainly raising their public profile. When I first checked out sgi, I was living in Ba
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

As if Sherman wasn't enough for Atlanta? Oy.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families