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Originally posted by Skyfloating
Society does have a collection of beliefs they would never question. Such as: "It is inappropriate to show up nude at funerals".
Originally posted by Matrix1111
What I don't like about any organized religion or "cult" is the requirement of alligence. That creates an "us vs. them" mentality. If God is universal and infinite, why would he choose only one religion to promote? Also why is there the necessity of having to pay for the "truth?" Isn't the point of spreading God's love an effort to create a world of harmony and peace? Why hinder the process with monetary demands? It seems to me that all religions need to progress to higher level of social responsibility and egoless altruism.
Originally posted by dunwichwitch
In defense of Falun Gong.... just to give the perspectives of both worlds... it DOES praise quite a few other methods of "energy cultivation" and they say that their way is just different. Also, in re-reading some of the material, Li Hongzhi does mention that he refers to himself as the Master only because he founded the movement. He also mentions that everyone has the potential to become "Buddhas" and surpass him, and that resonates with me because I have also studied mystic Christianity and have had several mystic experiences, and have some mystic knowledge I gained about the way of the universe. When he refers to himself as the Master, in the context I am reading it, it sounds much more like he is just laying a foundation. What you do with it is up to you... but I'm sure people have taken these teachings to an extreme, as people always do when they are focused more on belief systems and salvation of their soul than on actual truth... and, as I have been saying, as Falun Gong says, as all mystic ways say... beliefs are founded in ignorance, and beliefs are dangerous. Only through experience can you gain knowledge. I think if I was to ascertain these facts from this so called "cult", I would say that this is a most upstanding cult, compared to others.
I personally like the idea of people learning more tolerance, truthfulness, and compassion. If Falun Gong is a cult, it is nowhere near as harmful of a cult as the establishment.
I wonder if this "cult" would have gained upwards of 100,000,000 practitioners if there was nothing to it but brainwashing and false beliefs.
This has been in existence for only less than two dozen years, and there are alread 1/10 of a billion followers and climbing. I'm amazed by that. I'll bet you Christianity, if Jesus were around today and had started his teachings here and now instead of in the 1st century, it would take 100 years or more to get as many followers as Falun Gong has today in just a short period of time.
Skyfloating, have you looked into Falun Gong before? If so, what is your opinion? If not, look into it and get back to me about it. Maybe it doesn't make sense to a lot of Westerners, but a lot of the things he is teaching, especially the teachings on character, seem very true to me. Odd as I might be, I don't fall for things of this nature very easily. This one has me stuck, though. Do I practice it and risk brainwashing, or do I ignore it and always wonder what it is I missed? That's the allure of cults, I guess. People are lured in because they are afraid of missing some secret truth... and then before ya know it, they're bald headed and handing out pamphlets on the side of the road, chanting "Hare Krishna!"
Originally posted by dunwichwitch
In the end, what do I need a path for? I'm already on a path, and I already have a lot of these qualities that Falun Gong is teaching. Why limit myself?
Am I afraid of finding out something I don't wanna know and would secretly rather prefer a limited viewpoint that is controlled by someone else's way?
This seems like another good point I would like to bring up. In the cult of society, are people secretly afraid of not having someone or some thing controlling their minds? Is this why they always react as if they are 100 percent confident, and as if there is nothing outside of that? Is this why we cling to materialism and traditional thinking so much? Because we are afraid of what change might show us about ourselves? What if our minds wandered too far? What if we realized something that our true consciousness has been trying to forget for eons of incarnations? I'm sometimes afraid that the ultimate truth would destroy meaning.
Originally posted by Skyfloating
Originally posted by Matrix1111
What I don't like about any organized religion or "cult" is the requirement of alligence. That creates an "us vs. them" mentality. If God is universal and infinite, why would he choose only one religion to promote? Also why is there the necessity of having to pay for the "truth?" Isn't the point of spreading God's love an effort to create a world of harmony and peace? Why hinder the process with monetary demands? It seems to me that all religions need to progress to higher level of social responsibility and egoless altruism.
The mind-split duality of "us vs. them" is a strange thing. But I´d say its becoming more and more outdated, with less and less people falling for it.
I cant imagine you can still sell to the younger generation with "this is the only path".
Its worked for thousands of years, but we´re getting tired of it. We know that every viewpoint is another eye of infinity.
I think exaggerated seriousness is the hallmark of every cult.
You can detect them, smell them, rat them out with humor. If there is no response to that type of lightness, they have something to hide.