falun gong (Earth, paradise, tradition, reincarnate, beliefs)

[anders]

the extraordinary contribution made by Master Li Hong Zhi and Falun Dafa to people's mental and physical health.

How does it contribute to anybody's mental health that some nut claims that he can walk through closed doors?

[vandervalley]

I respect Falung gong 's contribution of spreading peace and well being to the society but the claim by your master Li that he is equal to Buddha is totally ridiculous to say the least.

[Hyperborean]

Falun Gong misappropriates Buddhist and Daoist principles and claims that it is an ancient teaching. In fact, I see it as being not to far from Scientology. Based on the premise of improving mental condition and health, they lure people in and then are able to convince them, for example, that when gravely ill, they are "unfaithful" if they seek medical help.

None of his biography about his training with supposed Daoist or Buddhist masters at an early age is verifiable. For example, he claims to have studied under "Quan Jue", but the only reference to him is in Li Hongzhi's own work. Li Hongzhi actually contradicts himself in many ways. Sometimes, he claims he's just an ordinary man. Yet at other times, he claims that he has supernatural abilities.

I suppose in attempting to properly place Falun Gong, it's not entirely fair to call it a cult. There is also a political aspect to it, as they are ferverently anti-communist. However while they do have legitimate points in criticizing the Chinese Communist Party, one does not need to be a Falun Gong member to be an anti-communist.