What is Falun Dafa (aka Falun Gong) and why are they persecuted?

[Taverner]

From their website (http://www.falundafa.org) it appears it is just a meditation practice.

Why does the PRChina crack down on them so much?

[lvx35]

1. They are like the scientology of china.

They are a big powerful cult with a leader who claims to be God incarnate. It would be nothing in America, but communist states are not too fond of religous power.

edit: wikipedia has a good balanced article on them, including their "cult" status, wich is up for debate, that was just my opinion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falun_Gong

[Oversea Visitor]

3. Then they start sticking their nose in the goverment

telling them how thing should be run
"According to their beleif"
Hugh messy demostration .... remember China population 1.3 billion

If one check China do have all kind of religion
No trouble just go about your faith you chose
But dont trying sticking nose in where religion dont belong
What can one say
They end up with bloody nose

[KittyWampus]

9. thanks for a pragmatic view. Peace!

:)

[Rocket Surgeon]

6. Easy, the state doesn't like competition in the affections of the people.

When religon is allowed, people place their highest loyalties to an entity that is not the state. The Chinese also crack down on Christians who do not worship in their "state approved" churches.

[onehandle]

2. Because their practice is growing too rapidly.

Spooks them big time. They want to crack down before it becomes a nationwide movement.

Just like Republicans and corporations are cracking down on Democracy here in the US.

[Oversea Visitor]

4. You views are tainted

Maybe a better comparision would
be how some are trying to push belief into your goverment
Only different is US goverment under this President letting it run amok
In China good luck trying to do that

[marions ghost]

5. so you are saying

that Falun Gong is similar to Christian religious fundamentalism here? And that the Falun Gong are trying to make it the official religion of the country and influence government policy?

The picture of Falun Gong here in America is that they are persecuted just for trying to practice it in China at all.

[PassingFair]

11. I think he may mean...

that the Falun Gong members are religious AND
political.

The thin end of a revolutionary wedge.

[Oversea Visitor]

14. They been around longtime

No trouble
Check how trouble start
Some one thing he is GOD
All answer to GOD
Even goverment
cause GOD bigger

But man not GOD
Man claim to be GOD, 1.3 billion people
Lots of nutcase

What would you do
If you have 1.3 billion soul, many living in poverty surviving cause goverment provide food
What would you do map all red no healthy BLUE tint like US
Ever wonder why when riot in third world country happen people die
Ever wonder if riot go out of control and whole country in choas how many die

Big Picture hard to look at so many problems
Cant solve problems all by only looking at one
That way sure TOTAL CHOAS.

[Rocket Surgeon]

7. Foolish statement!

We are not a democracy. We are a representative republic. The only difference between the USA and China is that we have one more political party to choose from.

[philosophie_en_rose]

8. I don't support persecution, but it is a racist cult.

I admit my views are tainted, but hearing the leader of the movement disparage multiracial people (like me) as some sort of sad unfortunate phenomena does not endear the practice to me.

[marions ghost]

10. yes

disparaging groups or racial background should not be part of any religion. (duh)

If this is true I couldn't support it.

But what to do about the human rights issue that the Chinese govt should still not be oppressing, torturing them? How far do our defense of a group's human rights extend if we don't like the principles? (And yes I am thinking of how this applies to our situation in America today).

[philosophie_en_rose]

16. Torture's obviously not the answer.

:eyes:

I do not support Falun Gong as a philosophy. It does have a great deal of similarities to Scientology, which I also think is a homophobic, racist cult. However, I can oppose someone's ideas without resorting to torture or supporting those that do.

China and the Bush Administration are polar opposites that use similar tactics. Bush is attempting to create the type of theocracy that the Chinese Admins try to stamp out. China aims to eradicate the seeds of Bush-style theocracy, at the expense of religious liberty. Both extremes are vile.

[progressivebydesign]

13. I agree that disparaging multi-racial people is bad.

I honestly don't believe that matters a bit to the Chinese govt. They are just all about controlling and supressing religion. As.. the Chinese govt are human rights abusers to the max.

[progressivebydesign]

12. In general.. China, who holds the note for U.S., isn't keen on religion.

The Falun Gong people, I've heard the are a cult, but then.. we've heard that from the govt of China, mostly. So who are we to believe? I've read erie stories about 'reeducation camps' and 'prison sentences' for followers of that religion. Also, the country that we are most indebted to, and continue to enrich, allows religion in VERY limited ways! You can be a christian, however, you must only go to state-registered churches and do approved things. You are prosecuted if you have any type of worship in a house.. that is forbidden. Christians in china are having clandestine house churches now, hoping to not be arrested. It's govt controlled religion, and it just blows me AWAY that so many supposed god-fearin' republicans in power actually push policies that force America to be forever beholden to people that crack down on Christianity. Bush welcomes their prez to the white house? How does he square that with their total lack of religious freedom? How does Bill Gates have this guy in his own home for a big gala, when the country censors so much of what the Chinese people are allowed to see on the internet? It's like Americans have no sense at all anymore. They don't really need all that crap they're buying 24/7 that is made in China... just cuz you can get a pair of shoes for 6 bux doesn't mean you should... sorry.. I digress. The point is that NO religion is TRULY practices FREELY in China.. and yet our corporations and govt seem to think that it's all groovy as long as they keep lending us money to finance our govt and wars.

[marions ghost]

15. yep

it's all about bidness.

Thanks for the picture of religious oppression in China. I wasn't really up on it.