Saturday, September 19, 2009
Free Writing Commentary on Falun gong
With the reading you have done last week and the new assignments for the coming week I would like you to attempt to describe your sense of Falun gong. Knowing what you do about the sociology of religion and the dialectical relationship between magic and religion, as well as the interpretation of religion and politics as distinct symbol systems consisting of key words and expected practices, see if you can explain the phenomenon of Falun gong. Its founder Li Hongzhi has steadfastly maintained that Falun gong is NOT a religion (zongjiao) and yet one cannot help but recognize as religious certain aspects of the practice, and the behavior of practitioners. The government, of course, has denounced Falun gong as an "evil cult"(xiejiao), yet it is not entirely clear that the movement is a cult at all. Schechter offers a different take altogether by removing himself from these partisan debates and focusing on the "human rights" dimension of the government's persecution of followers of the movement. Well by now you know enough about cults, religion, government policy on religion, and Falun gong to say something about what it adds up to so far. Just write down what you think and see if you can employ the theory we have learned to explain what Falun gong means to you four weeks into the semester.
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One thing that has always surprised me is the extent that the Chinese government persecutes falun gong. Even if falun gong is an "evil cult" as the Chinese government has labeled it, I don't see how this label would be such a major threat to the stability of the Chinese government. If some marginal cult in a small village in China suddenly took to worshipping Satan, I don't see how this cult's evil practices would pose any threat to the Chinese government. It is clear that it is not the "evil" practices of falun gong are what is a threat to the Chinese government, but some other aspect of falun gong. My theory is that the Chinese government, during the rise of falun gong, predicted falun gong would almost completely overcome China. If the vast majority of China were to adhere to falun gong, the Chinese government would have difficulty controlling the hoi polloi. Because there seemed to be no end to falun gong's growth in the 90's, the Chinese government took action, even when doing so meant taking the risk of a massive popular uprising.
ReplyDeleteThe question also arises concerning why falun gong was such a massive success among the Chinese in the 90's. I believe the answer to falun gong's success can be traced to the late 1970's, when the de facto ruler of China, Deng Xiaoping, implemented a number of economic reforms aimed at making China economically more laissez-faire, although China wholly remained an oppressive dictatorial state. Following these reforms, China essentially became a capitalist country, albeit a capitalist country tightly controlled by the government. Because China could no longer live up to the lofty ideals of achieving communism as it had done in its Maoist-era past, China began to fall into a period of ideological scarcity. People could no longer believe in the government's promise of communism because the government had clearly scrapped Marxism for the efficiency of capitalism, so people no longer knew what to believe in. Some took to the cities and took on capitalism and money making their ideology. Others, especially, those in rural areas, were left with nothing to believe in, and therefore took religious and cult practices as their new ideology. Falun gong, appearing as a spiritual movement in the 90's, did what the Chinese government had failed at doing long ago, providing all Chinese with longevity, happiness, and a system of beliefs they could trust.
Li Hongzhi argues that Falun gong is not a religion, this we know. But at the same time, the Chinese government is not arguing that it is a relgion either, but a cult. From various artilces, Danny Schechter's book, and first hand accounts, we know that the practicioners of Falun gong were not forced into following Master Li, nor required to give up money or possesions to him. As Schechter explains, "There is no organization to join. There are no rituals or worship services...Falun Gong cannot be compared to most cults." The question, I believe, is not how Falun Gong fits into existing categories, but how an indefinable movement such as this can begin a new classification of social structures for the future. In the past, cults such as the White Lotus society and other extreme millinarian sects inspired by religion have caused real problems for the country of China. Not knowing how to react to such a large, peaceful, spiritual group such as Falun Gong, the Chinese government treated it similarly to problematic cults in the past. Whether threatened financially (practicioners not buying into the medical practices or other such institutions run by the state), or by its magnitude, the CCP simply does not tolerate any type of group that believes in a power higher than itself. In Falun Gong's case, it is not Master Li that inspires them, like many claim, but nature.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not Falun Gong could be recognized as a "normal religion" I think is irrelevant. The Chinese Communist Party could circumvent any law to suppress whatever they feels is becoming too powerful. But again, Falun gong does not use money or political influence to gain supporters and power. In fact, Master Li does not even desire such things. As long as the athiest Chinese Communist Party is in control, and Chinese citizens continue to remain strong devotees to their faith, strong and severe conflicts between the two will never be out of the question.
After all that we have discovered about Falun Gong since the beginning of the semester, I do not see Falun Gong originating as either a cult or a religion. From the beginning, I have seen it as more of a "faith healing" movement. I did see elements of some religions within Falun Gong, such as Daoism's focus on returning to a natural state and the "Way". I believe that this is a particularly revealing fact. As stated in our reading, the Chinese government has historically been hostile to religions, with the possible exception of the Confucian ideology, which was adopted by the state. Perhaps Falun Gong's similarities to Daoism and other religious beliefs explain the government's especially harsh reaction towards Falun Gong.
ReplyDeleteI also do not see Falun Gong as a cult. Falun Gong is a voluntary movement. There is no organized infrastructure that members join. Practitioners may come and go as they please. In fact, Falun Gong was just one of many qigong movements that arose during the 1990s. Until Falun Gong represented possible opposition to the CCP, it was registered with the government and even had practitioners among the CCP. Only after the demonstration in front of the Party housing development was Falun Gong labelled a cult.
The Chinese government has exacerbated the situation with Falun Gong through their harsh reaction, and drawn criticism from the international community. As our reading states, many movements "when subject to government suppression, became increasingly militant and millenarian in defense of their existence and of their unique conception of collective faith." If the Chinese government considers Falun Gong a cult, then they only have themselves to blame.
From what we have learned of Falun Gong so far, I would not classify it as an evil cult, however it certainly toes the line with religion. To first address the issue of Falun Gong as a cult, we must examine its growth and the manner in which it spread. Certainly the speed with which it overtook a population seems cultish, however can this aspect of it be seen as that much different than a new fad diet book saturating the market and spreading from person to person (this analogy, of course, only addresses the fast growth). Word of mouth and curiosity combined with people seeing real results in their lives, and one success story inspired another. Through all of this, one can keep alive the notion of "cult", however "evil" never comes to my mind. Insofar as Falun Gong was able to spread quickly throughout the population and captivated its practitioners, it could be considered a threat to the government, but it was never actively engaged in any attempts to marginalize party control. It was purely through the action of the government, as we see in Schechter and Zeng, that Falun Gong became political in nature. Any altercations with the government were a direct cause of government persecution. Schechter claims the Chinese government "has hit hard while attempting to avoid any conspicuous show of force that might trigger international sanctions". If they were merely suppressing an evil cult, why would they need be worried about international sanctions? Yes Falun Gong exhibits cultish behavior at times, but it is certainly not an evil cult, and arguably not even a cult.
ReplyDeleteWhere then, do we drawn the lines between what Schechter calls a "spiritual movement", (a label the class usually sees fitting to place on Falun Gong), and a cult or religion. Falun Gong does not fit the vernacular, western definition of religion, however if we take into account what we have studied so far, we begin to see some overlap. First and foremost, magic is extremely prevalent in Falun Gong. We read this in Zeng, as her ailments are magically cured through the exercise and meditation of Falun Gong. This magical element of this is exactly what allows it to spread, but magic alone does not make a religion. Also contributing to this label are a central text and a leader/prophet of sorts. While perhaps not millenarian, and Li Hongzhi claiming to simply be a teacher of spiritual exercises and ideas, the practice of Falun Gong mirrors religion in many ways. Schechter calls Falun Gong a, "traditional Chinese qigong exercise system with Buddhist and Taoist ideas". Perhaps the central component is "exercise system" but one can't ignore the spiritual teachings. In theory Falun Gong was not intended to be a religion, but in its practice, aided by the solidarity inspired by government persecution, Falun Gong can be seen as a "religion" in a very broad sense of the word.
After these four weeks. my conclusion of Falun Gong is that it began as a spiritual practice for personal improvement and self-cultivation. However, as it has spread and been repressed, Falun Gong has become a religion. Master Li himself has stated that Falun Gong is not a religion. It is a spiritual practice for the betterment of the individual. The exercises that one follows do not worship any deity. In fact, the quiquong practices they follow predate religion in China itself. This is an individual practice, in which one attempts to elevate themselves to spiritual elightenment.
ReplyDeleteHowever, with increasing numbers of followers and intense religious persecution, Falun Gong has morphed into what can loosely be defined as a religion, based upon the idea that religion is inherently social and, according to Feuchtwang, religion is resistance. In fighting back against the CCP, followers of Falun Gong have had to unite, broadening the social and political implications of the movement.
Many scholars believe that in order for something to be classified as religion, there needs to be, as Yu states, a “culturally postulated superhuman being”. Falun Gong does not fit this strict definition. However, in te broader sense, religion is any set of beliefs in which there is something to which all others are subordinated. In Falun Gong’s case, wants and needs are subordinated to the greater purpose of aligning one’s spiritual life with the law of the universe. As religion is also inherently a social, anthropological term, the social organization and outreach of Falun Gong can also be seen as religion – it offers a supportive, faithful community, at least since repression began. If we look at Anthony Yu’s article, religion signifies “ some form of social and cultural forces effective for binding together a community or society”. Falun Gong also fits this criteria, as since the CCP has persecuted followers, there has been a great movement towards unit y of followers. We can also see some elements of magic in Falun Gong, such as the magical cures that many of its followers feel after practicing the exercises. For these reasons, Falun Gong is religions, although not in the popular, western conception of the world.
Upon first reading of the Falun Gong, I had no idea why they were as repressed and persecuted as they were. I saw Falun Gong as a personal, spiritual movement focused on the improvement of one’s own health and spirituality. The basis of this improvement was a series of meditations. Although the Chinese government labeled the Falun Gong a religion and a cult, I see the Falun Gong, in and of itself, as neither. They are a peaceful group that is focused on the individual rather than political motives. However, I think that the government itself, through its repression, has transformed the Falun Gong into a religion of sorts, even though the Falun Gong practitioners themselves do not consider their following a religion.
ReplyDeleteThrough our studies in class, we have attempted to come to a definition of religion. Stephan Feuchtwang in his article “Religion as Resistance,” asserted that religion provides stability in an ever-changing world, that it allows for relief from the ravages of modernization. Overall, he asserts that religion is a form of compensatory defiance that creates a community outside of the political arena. This is why I believe the Falun Gong has become transformed into a religion. The CCP, through their repression and controlling actions and policies towards Falun Gong practitioners, has given the group solidarity. The group has been united in defense of their practice, solely because the government has forced them to defend it.
Furthermore, in Pittman B. Potter’s article, “Regulation of Religion,” he describes how the government’s desire for control of religion is an effort to protect regime legitimacy. After the ten hard years of economic hardship after the Cultural Revolution, the CCP lost legitimacy and a new legitimacy arose within groups such as the Falun Gong. Alternative communities provided people with identity, support, and engagement. These alternative communities I believe can be defined as religion in the sense that they offer meaning for the people and supply a promise and delivery on that promise. This article in particular led me to characterize Falun Gong as a religion created in opposition to the persecution from the CCP, and the article also provided an understanding of why the government responds so harshly to peaceful spiritual followings. Whereas before I did not understand why the government found the Falun Gong so threatening, I now see that it is difficult for the CCP to come to terms with its collapse of status and legitimacy and thus, any gain by religious groups is seen as their loss.
Falun Gong is a movement that is hard to define, obviously. Definitions for “religion” and “cult” are ambiguous and unclear. Be that as it may, I believe that it is unimportant to get caught up in assigning a name to the Falun Gong movement. It may be a cult, it may be a religion – all that’s important is it is certainly not an “evil cult”, as the Chinese government would have you believe.
ReplyDeleteReading up on Falun Gong, I have learned one thing: it is a movement concerned with its member’s spiritual and moral cultivation, and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. To prosecute Falun Gong members based on past incidences with cults, like the White Lotus, is unfair, and an excuse for the government’s cruelty. To me, the crimes against Falun Gong members is another mark against the validity of Communist rule. Anyone with a passing interest in the history of civilization will tell you – Communism doesn’t work. The situation in China is just another lesson for the world to learn.
I would say, first of all, that I believe it is a religion. Based on Jennifer Zeng’s account, Falun gong practitioners practice as a congregation and feel compelled to uphold their belief and support other members. Zeng described her morning trips to the park to practice with huge groups of other members and she felt incomplete practicing in her home. She described her home as a ‘jail’ when she was forced to practice there in secret. She also felt compelled to continue her practice in public. This was not solely because she was concerned for human rights (although she was), but was because she felt it was her duty to Falun gong and to other practitioners, to spread the truth about Falun gong. The people’s faith is also a religious aspect of Falun gong. Zeng, along with many others, were willing to risk practicing in public and making political appearances on behalf of their faith despite regulations forbidding such action. Further, Zeng donated her money to another practitioner in the jail who was in need. This is similar to how most churches operate as community aid organizations.
ReplyDeleteMauss defines magic as “any rite which does not play a part in organized cults.” It is hard to say that Falun gong practice is not magical based on a common definition. Zeng reported her otherwise incurable disease cured because of her Falun gong practice. On the other hand, Falun gong is too organized to be termed magic by Mauss’s standards. Thus Falun gong must be a religious cult to explain the effects of its practice as well as the conduct of its practitioners. Although Falun gong practitioners do not seem to be extremists and their belief seems to be justified, based on Zeng’s report. Zeng’s report leaves no room for interpreting Falun gong as ‘evil.’ Zeng only reported positive benefits. From Zeng’s report, the only conclusion I can draw about the government’s persecution is that it was based on the showing of April 25th of Falun gong practitioners. Zeng stated that the practitioners kept the area clean and this made them appear to be highly trained which incited fear of them as a political movement. I cannot understand what prompted the articles and reports that led to the April 25th event. Zeng said the articles and information were completely unfounded, but that can’t be true or they wouldn’t have been written. I would be interested in what the real bases of those reports were. Possibly the authors (or instigators) were confusing Falun gong with another practice. I don’t understand the political basis of such reports before the April 25th gathering.
I definitely feel that Falun Gong has adopted religious overtones. In Jennifer Zeng's book, she definitely describes a "conversion" type of experience. Furthermore, the attitude that the practitioners hold seems to be one of religious devotion. The elements of Falun Gong that are religious are seen in the devotional practices of its followers. However, the fact that Falun Gong seems to grow out of the Chinese interest in the supernatural and their scientific pursuit of the supernatural. Falun Gong also seems to lack the mythology that other religious gatherings have. The Chinese government's repression of Falun Gong seems to have added to it religious status as much as anything.
ReplyDeleteMuch has been in this blog covered about the Falun Gong so far. I have trouble calling it either a cult or a religion. In fact, the more I've learned about this practice, the more confused I've become. I'm not sure what to classify it as, and I find less rational reasons why the Chinese government would act against it. From what I've learned, it seems to a peaceful organization, almost to a fault. It would seem logical that a government should want an organization to exist that made it's citizens calmer and happier.
ReplyDeleteThat being said Falun Gong seems to represent a backlash against the Chinese government. I don't believe it is, but this is how it may seem to the party in power. The party requires total devotion, this is why it frowns on religion. So, an organization with many followers, such as Falun Gong, poses a threat in the eyes of the party.
I feel that the Chinese government's mistreatment of Falun Gong is totally misplaced. I think that Falun Gong is a great thing because it provides peace and stability in people's lives. I don't see the downfall in such a thing, but clearly the party does.
While I was extremely skeptical about Falun Gong in general at the beginning of the semester, and I continue to be a skeptic with regards to its merits now, I absolutely believe it to be a religion at this point. Falun Gong's founder Li Hongzhi may be adamant that it is not a religion, but I do not believe it is his to decide. If one is to agree Jonathan Smith, then the outsider defines what constitutes a religion. Furthermore, while Li may contend that Falun Gong does not contain rituals or worship services, Jennifer Zeng's account paints a decidedly different picture. While indeed she was able to practice alone in her own home, she did imply that the group sessions were of greater value. Additionally, she describes a sort of hierarchy amongst those who practice Falun Gong, with only the assistants as those who possess the official banners. Finally, if Zeng's experience is representative of most Falun Gong practitioners, then there lies a trust in its magical properties amongst the believer -- both medicinal magic, and magic that brings about social change. As Rodney Needham concluded, "The system is truly in the actions." Falun Gong is a religion.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, though, I do not agree that Falun Gong is an "evil cult." I do not find the word "cult" to be objectionable. After all, as we discussed in class, many major religions (including Christianity) began as sects or sub-cults of other movements. I do not see Falun Gong as being to different in that regard. However, the "evil" label is mystifying. The Chinese Communist Party may use this word simply because it believes the Falun Gong practitioners think it is more legitimate than the government. Once again, if Jennifer Zeng's testimony is representative, this cannot be the case. She describes an incident in which her husband relates a piece of Communist propaganda to give her the courage to protest the government. Clearly, these people do not hate the government, and did not have plans to revolt. But rather than learn of the positions of Falun Gong's practitioners, the CCP fears the worst. Hence, the "evil" title.
-Michael Fremeau
Unlike Mitchell, I was less surprised at the extent of China’s persecution of Falun Gong. Semi-religious movements often attract negative attention in tightly controlled societies, and I think that China is aware of the crisis of legitimacy it is currently going through, and the fact that religions and cults are often the recipients of the people’s trust when they no longer have faith in their government.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with his assessment that the Chinese government is frightened by Falun Gong, but I don’t think the government’s ideology would ever allow them to entertain the idea that FG might overtake the entire country. I do think government officials feared FG would take hold quickly in the more uneducated citizens, but I think that China’s government has such disdain for “superstitious” and primitive behavior that they would be reluctant to ascribe that kind of power to Falun Gong, even when presented with evidence to the contrary.
(In summary: I think the PRC is at once afraid of the power of Falun Gong to win the hearts of the less educated, and reluctant to say (or think) that Falun Gong is a powerful force.)
I also agree with my classmates assessment that Falun Gong, though it has some religious aspects and a prominent (still-living) charismatic leader, does not fit the term “cult” IN THE WAY THE MEDIA WOULD LIKE US TO INTERPRET THE TERM.
This, I think is an important distinction. It is very difficult to say definitively, “Falun Gong is not a cult,” and it is impossible to do so without first clarifying what a cult is to the speaker.
The term "cult" actually has a myriad of definitions, and while some of these may fit Falun Gong (e.g: "a group of people who share extreme religious beliefs, especially beliefs regarded by others as misguided, unorthodox, extremist, or false") not all of them do, and most uses of the word "cult" carry negative connotations.
Such linguistic vagary makes me wonder about the actual Chinese terms used to describe Falun Gong, and how many words they might have that could be translated as “cult” (or whether the concept was introduced through interaction with other cultures, because the Chinese government certainly does not describe “ancestor worship” as a cult, despite the fact that it fits many English definitions of the word.)
I do admit great skepticism concerning many of the beliefs of Falun Gong, and although I admire their stated peaceful intentions, I do worry that such extreme persecution might drive the group to violence. (In that case, things would get very ugly very quickly.) I do think that the Chinese government is right to be worried about their control over the populance of China, but I also believe that they are deliberately focusing on an enemy they can attempt to eradicate (Falun Gong) rather than a problem they can attempt to fix (corruption and the subsequent loss of legitimacy.)
One must admit, the former does sound easier than the latter.
Another note I wanted to make about Falun Gong was the way in which it reminded me of other religious responses to the mass-consumerism culture. Althoug it denies value in material acquisition, Falun GOng uses elements of modern mass-consumersim to attract followers.(Come one come all! Free exercise instruction! No need to pay for health care! Throw in a couple of self-help books, then stir…)
Falun Gong is certainly not that simple, butthe fact that there are certain elements of this mentality that seem to be present in Falun Gong, which –considering the theory that Falun Gong is partially a reaction AGAINST the PRCs discard of many of Mao’s pricples and its adoption of capitalism- is certainly food for thought.
aka Murphy
In response to stephped, I don't think China would be threatened by falun gong for financial reasons (the loss of people requesting medical care from the government). On the contrary, I think the Chinese government would see this as a major benefit because then it wouldn't be needing to spend as much money on taking care of its citizens and could devote more time and money to its own endeavors. If the Chinese government were a private organization functioning in the free market, then it would be upset about less clientele, but a dictatorial state such as China or the USSR would ideally spend as little money on its people as possible so as to devote more resources to military, space, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not you think Falun Gong is a religion varies based on your definition of religion. Personally, I draw the line between a religion and a cult based on its traditional practices and how long it has been around. Just as when Christianity began as a sub-cult of Judaism, so is Falun Gong a sub-cult of Daosim and Buddhism. It has only been around since 1992, so it's practices are still constantly evolving. Once these practices become cemented as ritual, and consequently some of the meaning behind the practices lost, then it would in my mind become a religion. The determining factor is time.
ReplyDeleteDoes Falun Gong pose a threat to the CCP? Definitely, but only because the Chinese government made it so. Technically, there is no leadership hierarchy in Falun Gong, and it's practiced on an individual basis, although communities have developed to reinforce their beliefs. That being said, it would be hard for Falun Gong to have mounted an organized offensive against the Chinese government without a leadership system, but by attacking Falun Gong, the CCP has forced these practitioners to organize into something that can fight back, garnering not only statewide but international attention. The government created a problem for itself rather than fixing one. I could understand if the government acted the way it did to protect its legitimacy, but Falun Gong wasn't challenging its legitimacy in the first place. And besides, the CCP rely on religions and like practices to provide the legitimacy that it can no longer maintain. The attack on Falun Gong was a misstep, fueled by political tensions and the CCP's misconceptions concerning Falun Gong.
Perhaps falun gong's lack of legitimacy in the eyes of the Chinese government stems merely from the Chinese government's not being accustomed to falun gong's existence. The Chinese government has not persecuted sects like Buddhism at all despite the fact that the number of adherents to Buddhism has risen considerably in past years in China. Buddhism is a long established religion in China, and, although it has its origins in India, is deeply embedded into the Chinese psyche as a part of Chinese culture. Thinking of China almost always conjures images in our minds of giant Buddha statues and Buddhist monks. Taking Buddhism away from the Chinese people would take away more from the Chinese people than freedom of religion; it would take away a part of their national identity. Falun gong, on the other hand, has only recently come into development, and is not a fundamental part of the Chinese ethos. Falun gong practitioners also practice their qigong exercises in public places with posters inviting others to join falun gong. Buddhists generally practice their religious rituals within the confines of their temples, which might not seem as threatening as practicing in public places like in city centers.
ReplyDelete