6/3     Soes anyone here have direct expierience or knowledge of
        Falun Gong?  i don't belive anyithing I read in the US press
        about China (since i know sow much of it is lies, and of
        course everything in the Chinese press is lies.)  I'm curious.
        Is this a Moonie-esqe cult, or just some harmless morning excersices?
        Why does it piss off the gov't so much?  I'm asking here beacause
        I know there are alot of chinese people who post to the motd.  If
        you have some opinion based on bullshit you read in the Times,
        please keep it to yourself.
        \_ Go to the China Consulate in SF and ask them yourself.
        \_ They protest outside the China consulate in SF. Go there and
           ask them yourself.
          \_ Falun Gong is a cult.  So was communism in China (and other
             countries that enforced communism as their state idealogy).
             However the old cult of communism was running out of steam
             and appeal, so Falun as well as scores of others emerge to
             fill the "spiritual" vacuum.  In fact Falun became popular
             and powerful in part because a LOT of retired communists,
             including powerful (ex-)officials, became believers.  Then
             conflicts ensued.  Li Hongzhi panicked and organized an
             unprecedented but peaceful protest outside the leadership
             compound (but in other instances they had tried to use violence
             and coercion to silenced their powerless civilian critique).
             Then Jiang Zemin panicked and ordered a complete crackdown.
             Falun started out as one of many breathing exercises that many of
             the senior government leaders endoresed and encouraged, but
             soon, like every scheme (and similar to communism) of this sort,
             become a mind controlling and deprogramming cult.  Fa Lun
             Da Fa, its official sutra, contains complete description of the
             cosmos, tales of alien life, diatribe against homosexuality,
             and most of all, answers for all the mysteries of life that many
             post-communism confused Chinese weary of all the spiritual
             search are dying for.  Of course their choice for answers,
             stupid or otherwise, is not a crime or a mistake that the
             government should force them to correct.  The NYT is right in
             spirit when reporting that they are being persecuted, though
             not in detail, and certainly not in painting Li as a benevolent
             teacher or victim.  Unfortunately, the U.S. has a bad record
             of calling in troops and masscaring cult victims, and has
             provided the Chinese government with free propaganda example.
             \_ I agree with this.  I have met members.  One had a big
                picture of the leader on the wall like a shrine.  This is
                definately a cult.
                \_ Uh-huh.  Then most martial arts schools and many restaurants
                   in the bay area are also cults.
                \_ but did they have Leader beans?
                   \_ Don't you mean Batman beans?
                      \_ nananananana Leader!  nanananananana Leader!