re: Religion: Falun Gong, Cults and Persecution (Mike Bonnie, US)

Ying Rong wrote on 6 November:

I don’t truly have anything more to say to [Mike Bonnie] since [he] claims to be so well-informed about Falun Gong. May my compassion go all the way out to you. I silently wish that one day in the future your heart will wake up to the truth. I hope that you will have a chance to appreciate the truth soon.

Mike Bonnie responds:

Not so fast. Falun Gong does not have a monopoly on truth. Ms. Rong would like to personalize the discussion regarding the torture and abuse of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Very well; I’d like to share some personal insights of which, being younger than me, she may not be aware. I’m certain more than a few WAISers older than 60 can chime in with their own views.

I was raised attending a Roman Catholic school and adjoining church. At that time it was standard practice in the “hidden curriculum” that all boys were raised to be priests. All girls were raised to be nuns. Writing script with the right hand was required. I had a particular disadvantage because I was born a natural left-hander. I recall being whacked on the hand numerous times in the presence of my classmates, and being told the “devil” was inside me causing me to make the Sign of the Cross with my left hand.

Probably the most difficult day of the school week for me was Monday. That was the day the list came out from the church announcing the names of families, in order of size of donation, who put how much in the Sunday donation basket.

My abuse went on for 7-1/2 years until one day, while running on the playground, I fell and hit my head. Unbeknownst to me at the time I suffered a concussion. All I knew what that I hurt, I was throwing up on the floor and the nun in the classroom refused to let me call home. I left the tutelage of Roman Catholicism never to return.

The abuse I suffered was nothing compared to that I’ve since seen and heard testified and graphically demonstrated by others. I’ve forgiven the nuns in the school and priests who idly stood by. I’ve forgiven the members of the religious cult that tore my family apart for well over 20 years and still holds sway. I’ve forgiven but haven’t forgotten. I don’t need or require lectures on the right or wrong of abuse and forgiveness, cults or religions. I prefer that people do not silently wish anything for me. We may not be wishing the same things.

When you say “Falun Gong practitioners believe in ‘Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance,’ Doing good deeds will be rewarded; doing bad deeds will be punished,” what is Falun Gong (the U.S. corporation) doing to the people of China (those who do not want to be liberated–those who are happy as is)? How is Falun Gong, Inc. any different from any other religion that has attempted to back the colonization China?

On 11/05/2009 JE commented: If a “good cult” has transparency and integrity, and creates provisions for challenging its leadership openly, how many governments or large organizations can we classify as “good”–cult or otherwise?

Mike Bonnie replies: I can’t address the list of governments and organizations that exist or existed that could be classified as “good” cult or otherwise. I can address the number of Falun Gong/Falun Dafa organizations that exist in the U.S. operating as tax-exempt 501(c)(3), B99 (Education N.E.C. ), Q70 (International Human Rights), or X99 (Religious Related, Spiritual Development N.E.C. ) corporations.

Here’s the list from Guidestar.com http://www2.guidestar.org/

Friends Of Falun Gong
Tenafly, NJ 07670

Global Mission To Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners
West Roxbury, MA 02132

Coalition To Investigate The Persecution Of Falun Gong In China
Washington, DC 20024

Washington DC Area Falun Dafa Practitioners Assoc.
Silver Spring, MD

Mid-USA Falun Dafa Association
Chicago, IL

Falun Dafa Information Center
New York, NY

Southern USA Falun Dafa Association
Richmond, TX

Falun Dafa Museum
Richardson, TX

Falun Dafa Association of New England
Lexington, MA

Wisconsin Falun Dafa Association
Madison, WI

US Southwestern Falun Dafa Association
West Covina, CA

Arizona Falun Dafa Association
Tuscon, AZ

Indiana Falun Dafa Association Incorporated
Indianapolis, IN

North Carolina Falun Dafa Association
Duluth, GA

North Carolina Falun Dafa Association
Cary, NC

Western US Falun Dafa Association
San Jose, CA

Eastern US Buddahs Study Falun Dafa Association
Woodside, NY

I’ll close with a quote from the past: American President Ronald Reagan once famously said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

JE comments: The Falun Gong discussion is getting very personal. I think it would be best to move on to other topics for awhile.

It’s been said that natural lefties in the old days were often abused in parochial schools, but Mike Bonnie’s tale is the first time I’ve heard from one of the victims. What absurdity to persecute the leftists among us, to call them “sinister,” “gauche” and the like! (Left-handedness came up on WAIS about 18 months ago, and I recall that we have a high number of southpaws–far beyond the “normal” level of 10% or so. Do WAISers have the devil in them?)