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Be Wary of Shen Yun


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What I thought was just an Orientalist yet okay show from the TV commercials, turns out to be much worse.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/stepping-into-the-uncanny-unsettling-world-of-shen-yun

A grand act of propaganda for a Chinese... arguably cult called Falun Dafa/Gong. Which lies about the state of traditional Chinese arts in China for its own benefit and narrative. Which refuses the slightest journalistic inquiry. Which is homophobic, racist, anti-science, and believes in aliens.

 

I regret ever having thought of going to one of the shows. Thank humanity I saw this. Let the author live a long and happy life, and The New Yorker flourish for including this.

 

Falun Gong is apparently peaceful and not coercive, and it likely wouldn't do any of this were it not for the Chinese government being the oppressive thing it is. But nonetheless, if any of the beliefs are true, and the show's description also true, this isn't something one would want to associate too closely with (and certainly not buy an overpriced ticket).

 

Just felt like spreading the message of this. As you might be able to tell, it's because the allure had a little pull over me and I feel guilt for it.

Edited by Interdimensional Observer
Toned this down.
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Where are you getting your demonizing info on Falun Gong? Because I'm no expert, but it looks like for all intents and purposes it's just another form of Yoga the Chinese government illegalized so they could increase their number of convicts to harvest organs from. Not saying they aren't Chinese Scientology (because I honestly don't know), but when there's a massively powerful government with a strong propaganda arm actively oppressing a group, hearing said group being referred to as racist homophobic antiscience alien worshipers, makes me a bit skeptical.

Edited by Jotari
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6 hours ago, Jotari said:

Where are you getting your demonizing info on Falun Gong? Because I'm no expert, but it looks like for all intents and purposes it's just another form of Yoga the Chinese government legalized so they could increase their number of convicts to harvest organs from. Not saying they aren't Chinese Scientology (because I honestly don't know), but when there's a massively powerful government with a strong propaganda arm actively oppressing a group, hearing said group being referred to as racist homophobic antiscience alien worshipers, makes me a bit skeptical.

Admittedly I did not independently turn to other sources to fact check that article. Was I wrong to think The New Yorker was a credible source of journalistic merit? It doesn't sound like it'd be a PRC mouthpiece.

The article did not outright say it was a cult, only arguably, saying it has no shown a record of violence or coercion so far.

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Ran into a bunch of Falun Gong practicioners last time I was in Taiwan.

So far as I can tell: Its a New Age Spiritualist movement that preaches betterment through meditation and awareness-of-the-self and all that fun stuff.  Its an eclectic mix of old Buddhist practices and post-modern humanism. 

Its a religion. It doesn't seem like a particularly dangerous or extreme religion. 

Some would call it a "cult." (Real Talk:  All Religions are or at one point were "cults." A religion is just a cult that stuck around long enough and gained enough followers to go mainstream) 

The religion is banned and its practitioners are brutalized + portrayed as dangerous kooks in mainland China, which is probably responsible for most of the negative statements and imagery about Falun Gong that have reached The West.

Authoritarian Communist Governments don't like movements that preach individualism and self-empowerment...go figure....  
_________

Take anything you're hearing about them from the Chinese Government or people getting their information from the Chinese Government with an ocean's worth of salt, because that's literally like getting your information on Judaism from Goebbels. 

Edited by Shoblongoo
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30 minutes ago, Shoblongoo said:

Ran into a bunch of Falun Gong practicioners last time I was in Taiwan.

So far as I can tell: Its a New Age Spiritualist movement that preaches betterment through meditation and awareness-of-the-self and all that fun stuff.  Its an eclectic mix of old Buddhist practices and post-modern humanism. 

Its a religion. It doesn't seem like a particularly dangerous or extreme religion. 

Some would call it a "cult." (Real Talk:  All Religions are or at one point were "cults." A religion is just a cult that stuck around long enough and gained enough followers to go mainstream) 

The religion is banned and its practitioners are brutalized + portrayed as dangerous kooks in mainland China, which is probably responsible for most of the negative statements and imagery about Falun Gong that have reached The West.

Authoritarian Communist Governments don't like movements that preach individualism and self-empowerment...go figure....  
_________

Take anything you're hearing about them from the Chinese Government or people getting their information from the Chinese Government with an ocean's worth of salt, because that's literally like getting your information on Judaism from Goebbels. 

I read somewhere that's a cult is when the leader is still alive, and it becomes religion after the founder dies.

Falun Gong was banned in China, since then they started their hatred toward the Communist Government.

I don't think Falun Gong can brain wash foreigner/westerners as much effective as they try to brain wash local Asian people due to the cultural differences.

Anyway, you can practice Falun Gong, it is good for health, just don't listen to their propaganda, it is bad for your brain and relationship with people around you.

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34 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

...

Should I just ask for this topic to locked then? My terrible stupidity? (And was my source reputable?)

I admittedly didn't read the full article beyond a few paragraphs, because it's like super long, but from what I did see read more like a blog. I wouldn't want to say the New Yorker is a bad source, but like everything else their intention is to sell copies or in some other way make money. So sensationalism is the name of the game.

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