Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003, Page 203
that his practitioners‘ illnesses will be cured directly by him16. Since illness and suffering
are considered opportunities to repay the debt of karma, seeking medical help denies a
practitioner this opportunity. He writes: ―taking medication during practice implies that you
do not believe in the disease curing effects of the practice. If you believed in it, why would
you take medication?‖17 Due to this teaching my stepfather suffered unnecessarily during
previous attacks of gout and flu.
Worrying about my parent‘s health and trying to protect them from this cult, I started to
question Li‘s teachings long before my stepfather‘s stroke. In so doing, I sadly discovered
how greatly their world view had changed. In stating their belief that Li has supernatural
power, that the world is coming to an end, that sickness is caused by bad deeds, and that
demons are everywhere, I realized that they had been brainwashed. Our discussion soon
turned into debate and then argument. To my shock my mother called me evil.
After our second argument I moved out. Living at home with my parents had become
painful and uneasy. It hurts me to see them hurting themselves and I can‘t do a thing
about it. I have even started to feel anxiety, anger, and sadness.
When my stepfather had a stroke in January my mother, sister and I were traveling in
China. He went without medical treatment for approximately five days. While he was alone
in the house two friends came to visit him and offered to take him to the hospital. Although
the right side of his body was paralyzed he was able to open the door for his friends. He
could have gone to the hospital at that time, but he refused due to his belief in Li‘s
teachings. Days later my sister returned home and found him sick. She had to beg and cry
for him to go to the hospital. When he finally got to the hospital, the doctor pointed out
that he could have died if he hadn‘t been treated for another two days. He was in the
hospital for a month.
Today, Falun Gong practitioners can be seen everywhere. They have set up at least fifty
permanent exercise sites throughout the Bay area, seven of them in San Francisco, one in
front of City Hall. Throughout the U.S., they have hundreds of practice sites, about seventy
web sites, radio shows, TV broadcasts, and their own newspaper. The Falun Gong group has
perhaps become the fastest growing quasi-religious cult in the U.S.
Beneath Li‘s superficial teachings of ―truthfulness, compassion and forbearance‖ are
teachings that are intolerant of dissent and homophobic, that discourage sick people from
seeking needed medical treatment and that manipulate followers to blindly follow Li‘s
absolute authority. Unfortunately while the media has focused only on the human rights
issues in China, it has failed to educate Americans about how deceptive and harmful the
Falun Gong can be in our own country.
Endnotes
1 .Li Hongzhi, ―Eye of the Storm‖ Interview in New York Times Magazine (August 8, 1999), p.19.
Excerpts from the interview:
Question: Is Falun Gong a religion? Does it require faith?
Li: It is a practice that can remove illnesses, keep people fit and make one live longer. Like Tai Chi,
it‘s a morning exercise. People practicing Falun Gong are expected to follow the principles of
truthfulness, compassion and forbearance.
Question: Falun Gong has been described as a cult. Is that description fair?
Li: A cult advocates end-of-the world theories and leads people to do many bad things. I am only
teaching people the practice for healing and fitness.
2 Li Hongzhi, ―What is Cultivation Practice?‖ (September 6, 1996) Essentials for Further
Advancement, English Version
that his practitioners‘ illnesses will be cured directly by him16. Since illness and suffering
are considered opportunities to repay the debt of karma, seeking medical help denies a
practitioner this opportunity. He writes: ―taking medication during practice implies that you
do not believe in the disease curing effects of the practice. If you believed in it, why would
you take medication?‖17 Due to this teaching my stepfather suffered unnecessarily during
previous attacks of gout and flu.
Worrying about my parent‘s health and trying to protect them from this cult, I started to
question Li‘s teachings long before my stepfather‘s stroke. In so doing, I sadly discovered
how greatly their world view had changed. In stating their belief that Li has supernatural
power, that the world is coming to an end, that sickness is caused by bad deeds, and that
demons are everywhere, I realized that they had been brainwashed. Our discussion soon
turned into debate and then argument. To my shock my mother called me evil.
After our second argument I moved out. Living at home with my parents had become
painful and uneasy. It hurts me to see them hurting themselves and I can‘t do a thing
about it. I have even started to feel anxiety, anger, and sadness.
When my stepfather had a stroke in January my mother, sister and I were traveling in
China. He went without medical treatment for approximately five days. While he was alone
in the house two friends came to visit him and offered to take him to the hospital. Although
the right side of his body was paralyzed he was able to open the door for his friends. He
could have gone to the hospital at that time, but he refused due to his belief in Li‘s
teachings. Days later my sister returned home and found him sick. She had to beg and cry
for him to go to the hospital. When he finally got to the hospital, the doctor pointed out
that he could have died if he hadn‘t been treated for another two days. He was in the
hospital for a month.
Today, Falun Gong practitioners can be seen everywhere. They have set up at least fifty
permanent exercise sites throughout the Bay area, seven of them in San Francisco, one in
front of City Hall. Throughout the U.S., they have hundreds of practice sites, about seventy
web sites, radio shows, TV broadcasts, and their own newspaper. The Falun Gong group has
perhaps become the fastest growing quasi-religious cult in the U.S.
Beneath Li‘s superficial teachings of ―truthfulness, compassion and forbearance‖ are
teachings that are intolerant of dissent and homophobic, that discourage sick people from
seeking needed medical treatment and that manipulate followers to blindly follow Li‘s
absolute authority. Unfortunately while the media has focused only on the human rights
issues in China, it has failed to educate Americans about how deceptive and harmful the
Falun Gong can be in our own country.
Endnotes
1 .Li Hongzhi, ―Eye of the Storm‖ Interview in New York Times Magazine (August 8, 1999), p.19.
Excerpts from the interview:
Question: Is Falun Gong a religion? Does it require faith?
Li: It is a practice that can remove illnesses, keep people fit and make one live longer. Like Tai Chi,
it‘s a morning exercise. People practicing Falun Gong are expected to follow the principles of
truthfulness, compassion and forbearance.
Question: Falun Gong has been described as a cult. Is that description fair?
Li: A cult advocates end-of-the world theories and leads people to do many bad things. I am only
teaching people the practice for healing and fitness.
2 Li Hongzhi, ―What is Cultivation Practice?‖ (September 6, 1996) Essentials for Further
Advancement, English Version
