 Falun Gong | |
|---|---|
| 法轮大法 | |
| Type | New Religous Movement Cult |
| Scripture | Zhuan Falun |
| Founder | Li Hongzhi |
| Number of followers | 70 million |
The Falun Gong is a reactionary cult centered around China and Chinese culture. It was founded in the early 1990s by Li Hongzhi, who is worshipped as a god by Falun Gong practitioners. The cult claims to be a simple spiritual movement to outsiders to gain legitimacy and also to help draw in victims. Once people become initiated into the cult they are first indoctrinated into the cult, and then later put to work for its various enterprises. The Falun Gong and its fronts are financed by the CIA.
In the USA, the Falun Gong owns a newspaper called The Epoch Times, which saw a major increase in funding and subsequently membership during Trump's presidency as they were one of his major supporters. More generally, they hold entertainment shows throughout the world which feature songs, dancing and circus acts under the name of Shen Yun. The lyrics to these prominent songs blaring throughout the performance mirror the beliefs of the Falun Gong cult, such as their anti-LGBT stance or their goal to dismantle the People's Republic of China.
Status in China
Falun Gong was banned in the People's Republic of China in 1999 during the leadership of Jiang Zemin, who considers the movement to be a feudal superstition fundamentally incompatible with the materialist philosophies of Marxism and an 'absurd fallacy'[1].
The cult essentially works as a front to dismantle the PRC and its governing party the CPC (Communist Party of China) from within, but working from abroad following their ban in mainland China.
Beliefs
Falun Gong teachings are highly centralized around Li Hongzhi and is an idealist philosophy with moralistic themes that gives it a reactionary character. Falun Gong teaches its practitioners among other things to be free of material wants while practitioners are exploited for monetary gains. While Li asserts that Falun Gong is a nonpolitical movement, he also makes broad arguments against the efficacy of modern governments and praises ancient Chinese society which, in the context of the People's Republic of China, makes Falun Gong a counter-revolutionary movement.
Aliens
Li Hongzhi explained some of the Falun Gong's teachings on aliens in a 1999 TIME Magazine interview[2]. According to Li, aliens:
- have invaded the human mind.
- come from other planets and dimensions.
- introduced machinery such as computers and airplanes to humans.
- taught humans modern science.
- intend to replace humans.
- cause wars.
- want to take over human bodies because human bodies are the most perfect in the Universe.
Homosexuality
Falun Gong teaches that homosexuality is one of the greatest evils in the world today. They forbid any practitioners from engaging in homosexuality, and also spread propaganda claiming that homosexuality is part of a grand conspiracy to destroy traditional society.
Feminism
Falun Gong is completely opposed to feminism and to women's rights. They teach that women must always be subservient to men effectively meaning that Falun Gong believes in Traditional Gender Roles for Women.
Communism
Falun Gong teaches that communism is the greatest evil that exists. They even push the idea that announcing your opposition to communism verbally will help cure diseases.[3]
History
Activities
In spring 2024, a Chinese national by the name of Ling Huazhan living in France came to the Chinese embassy in Paris, claiming that he had been brainwashed by Falun Gong and that he now wanted to return to China after he had been served papers by French police to leave the country. After doing everything to connect the individual with help and return his passport to him (which he claimed he had burned), Ling was set to take a plane back to China on March 22 after his own brother bought him a plane ticket home. At the airport, as he was being accompanied to the security checkpoint by workers of the association which had fed and housed him to say their farewell, he suddenly flipped completely and ran away claiming that the humanitarian workers were "Chinese police" there to forcibly repatriate him. Instantly, five unidentified individuals came out of the crowd to record the event.[4] It is unclear at this time whether the individual actually has ties with Falun Gong or decided at the last minute to remain in France as an asylum seeker, but the course of events seem to indicate external influence.
Media institutions
- The Epoch Times, which generally promotes far-right politics
- China Uncensored
- New Tang Dynasty Television
- Shen Yun
References
- ↑ Jiang Zemin on the "Three Represents" (2002) pg. 164 [1]
- ↑ Dowell, William (May 10, 1999). "Interview with Li Hongzhi". Time Magazine.
- ↑ Dafa Hao Swear: "Quit the party"
- ↑ Chinese Embassy in France (2024-05-02). "Déclaration de l’Ambassade de Chine en France"