Quote Originally Posted by Staurm
Really? So who is kidnapping these people and torturing them, the Falun Gong or the Chinese Government, or is that their propaganda?

I've been to INdia so I learned to form a judgement on these things, I know the difference between Omkareshwar and Pune. The Chinese people I've seen leafletting seem harmless, as did the ones in the buddhist restaurant I used to eat in several years ago.

I don't think society likes odd behaviour anymore.
For the most part the followers of the Falun Gong are harmless. But so are the followers of most cults. I think that, in most cases, "victims" might be a better desecription than "followers". Just good hearted people that become brainwashed. These people honestly believe what their "religion" teaches no matter how outlandish it may be. I really can't fault them for anything more than being weak minded. It's the leaders of these cults that are to blame.

As for the perscution of Falun Gong members, some is true and some is propoganda. China's stance on religion is that it is fine as long as it is a normally recognized religion, i.e a branch of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, whatever. They do not tolerate cults, however. They do not want their own version of Jonestown or Waco. So, they tend to crack down on these types of cults.

Being a member of the Falun Gong is a crime. So, what the Falon Gong folks will call "kidnapping", the Chinese call "being arrested". Unfortunately this does often get out of hand. China is a big place with a pretty shaky infrastructure. Their are a lot of corrupt politicians, especially in the less developed provinces, who are power crazed "Boss Hog" types. Kind of like the sherriff if the first Rambo movie. Most of the more brutal prosecution of the Falun Gong happens at the hands of these guys. The Falun Gong has done an incredible job at publicizing these incidents but it is not as widespread as they would want you to believe. The entire time my Mother-in-law was mixed up with them she was never given any grief by the local authorities, nor was anyone else she knew.

In any case, harmless or not, the Falun Gong is definitely a cult. Personally, after seeing what has resulted from certain cults here in the U.S., I'm not so sure that making them illegal, like China does, is such a bad idea.