Spiritual Society or Evil Cult?
Li's rambling dissertation, Zhuan Falun, has only added to accusations that Falun Gong is a cult. Li writes he can personally heal disease and that his followers can stop speeding cars using the powers of his teachings. He writes that the Falun Gong emblem exists in the bellies of practitioners, who can see through the celestial eyes in their foreheads. Li believes "humankind is degenerating and demons are everywhere"—extraterrestrials are everywhere, too—and that Africa boasts a 2-billion-year-old nuclear reactor. He also says he can fly.
Wacky, perhaps. But is Falun Gong a cult? Not necessarily, if classic characteristics of cults are taken into account. A reckoning:
| Typical Cult Techniques | Falun Gong's Record |
| • Exerts tremendous pressure on people to join | NO |
| • Fosters an us-versus-them approach to life | YES |
| • Believers remove themselves from society | NO |
| • Uses jargon that outsiders don't understand | YES |
| • Believers required to donate large sums of money | NO |
| • Led by a charismatic master | YES |
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