Rebuttle

I was looking over some of my old posts for comments today and I found the following comment from a person who chose to remain anonymous. I read the comment with an open mind, but something about it compelled me share it with everyone. The person clearly didn’t read any of my other posts and clearly does not know that I was a member of Sukyo Mahikari pretty much my whole life and herego know probably just as much as them if not more about the organization.

Anonymous said...

Although much of the information you offer here reflects practices of the SM movement, there is so much that is untrue that it is overall not a fair evaluation of the organization. I don't have time to address all that is incorrect but I'll try to clarify what I can. First, no promises are made to anyone that they will be "saved" if they give and receive enough enough divine light. The emphasis is not on our own individual salvation but on serving God. We hope,of course, to be saved but it is always said that we don't know who will or won't be saved. Futher, people not in Mahikari will be saved as well but, again, we don't claim to know who will or won't be among them.

-I will be interrupting throughout this to put my two-cents in. Okay…maybe I’ll give you that SM does not promise that you will be saved, but they do say that if you give okiyome every day and receive okiyome every day, that you will be more spiritually cleansed and will therefore be more acceptable in the eyes of God. They might not come right out and say “you will be saved”, but they do VERY STRONGLY imply that the only way to be pure enough to possibly be saved is through divine light. Therefore, one must logically assume that to Kumite the only way to be saved is through Sukyo Mahikari; given the fact that they claim to be the only religion (besides Johrei and a few others, which they do not acknowledge) who offers okiyome.

There is within Mahikari an organizational structure and many decisions are made at higher levels. That is not to say that individuals may not make their own decisions about how to live their own lives.

-Organizational Structure? Well, given the fact that if you don’t follow the Organizational Structure you are frowned upon, considered disobiedient, or spiritually disturbed…what option do Kumite have? Read Lara’s blog to find out more about the Organizational Structure SM sets into motion. Kanbu sometimes make poor decisions and the results can be deadly when Kumite cannot stand up and say ‘no’. The right to say no and disagree is always there, but when the religion teaches that the people put in charge are connected strongly to Keishu who is connected to God…naturally they assume that the Kanbu members have some sort of divine knowledge that they do not possess.

Further, obedience to staff (kanbu) is neither suggested nor required.If individuals ask for guidance from staff, there is a belief that the guidance that is offered in this type of situation should be followed because it is divinely inspired. There is no requirement that anyone do so. Members are also encouraged to seek assistance from appropriate agencies, therapists and physicians when needed.

-This is 100% incorrect. Obidience is strongly encouraged. You are told to be like a child and pay Kanbu the respect that a child gives their parents. Which means that you look at them in awe and treat them as though they are the all-knowing ultimate source of truth; the way a baby does until they turn about two years old and start saying ‘no’ and ‘mine’.

Obedience to and dependence on staff is not encouraged.

-More non-sense. You are told that all big decisions need to be discussed with Kanbu. They will know the best solution out of the myriad of options. I once knew a man who received a promotion from work; the new salary he was going to be offered was almost double what he was receiving at the time. However, the job would have required him to move to Egypt; where he would stay for six years. The Kanbu members told him that because where he was moving was not near a center it would be spiritually crippling for him and his family to make the move.
Not only was there no center, but there would be limited people to receive and offer divine light from. By moving he would have possibly been standing in the way of the salvation of someone he was supposed to come in contact with. The man refused the position based on Kanbu’s assessment of the situation. Now, yes, he could have refused their answer and gone anyway, but he would have been discussed behind his back by members and frowned upon; not to mention the salvation of others rested in his hands alone.

I don't understand your point regarding the absence of independent thinking. I can't think of any church that encourages independent thinking regarding, for example, God's law or that encourages research. Research on what?

-Again incorrect. In Bible study class we are given a text to read over. For instance Phillipians 4. We read the text and select the verse in the text that stands out the most strongly to us. We then talk about why God has chosen to bring that verse to our attention, interpert it, and then apply it to our lives. The Bible is all about interpertation.

When I spoke of doing research I was speaking of knowing the truth about your religion. Researching it’s origin and knowing all the facts about it. Sukyo Mahikari does not encourage people to research the background of the organization; unless you research it through the organization where you will receive their version of events. You are told that the people who write against Sukyo Mahikari are spiritually disturbed and therefore cannot be trusted as a reliable source; thus you must rely on the organization for your answers. Christianity has nothing to hide; our history is out in the open for anyone to read about. Sukyo Mahikari tries to bury the truth and prevent members from coming in contact with oposition.

It's simplistic to say that Mahikari says that doubts or questions are the result of spiritual disturbance. They may or may not result from some disturbance but in my experience, questions from members are taken seriously and addressed thoughtfully.

-Really…so if I were to ask about say…the Johrei and why SM claims to be an original religion when the SKK was founded almost 20 years before them and practice the same thing…would my questions be answered thoughtfully and enthusiastically? If I were to ask why in the Goseigen it states that Okada was apprehensive when he raised his hand for the first time when we have photos that prove he was a member of the SKK and therefore must have raised his hand before in order to practice their religion, would I again be answered? I don’t think so.

Your points regarding members being discouraged from taking vacations or enjoying time outside the center are simply untrue. Members are encouraged to live balanced lives and, in particular, to put their families first before the organization. Mahikari, as a rule, doesn't accept prospective members whose families object to their membership. The reason for this is that there is a desire not to cause dissension or disharmony within families.

- Really? Because SM has caused a lot of disharmony within my family. Not only do I disagree with it, but my grandparents are against it as well…being that they are strong Catholics. My grandmother and mother have fought about it constantly, but my mother has not been denied membership. My mother practically disowned me over my leaving the organization, in fact, Kanbu told her that maybe it was better for her to keep her distance because I could be disturbed. As for vacations, my family took vacations but always to locations where there was a center near by.

It is also untrue that the statue of Izonome is really meant to be Okada. I have never heard such a comment in over 10 years with this organization. Explanations are frequently given about who is who and where they came from and this is just not so. Okada's picture is displayed on certain occasions and he is clearly differentiated from Izunome.

-That’s your center. In my center the statue has been called Okada several times. My mother has always told me that was who the statue was. As for Okada…I remember leaving out alcohol and cigarettes on the shrine on his birthday. For someone who stressed not putting impurities in the body, he sure didn’t take his own advice.

Control over people and having some traditional or spirtual practices are not related. Catholics dip their hand in holy water and make the sign of the cross. That is no more to establish control over their popluation than Mahikari's washing of hands,taking off of shoes or greeting people when you arrive.

- That’s because Catholics (no offense) like Sukyo Mahikari put more emphasis on works and tradition. To them religion is about rituals, not a relationship with our Creator. God doesn’t care how you worship Him as long as you love Him. He doesn’t want robotic, repetative non-sense. If you want to go through the motions and rituals and traditions that is your preogative, but do not tell people that you do it because that is the way God wants you to do it.

Again, in my experience , questions are always encouraged at seminars. It is true that prospective members are encouraged to abandon pre-conceived ideas about God and religion when they take the course to become Mahikari members. That is because they will hear some information that will be different from what they have heard earlier in their religious lives and, if they wish to become members of this organization, it is good to be open minded about the information that you will receive. There is no obligation to do so or to believe anything in particular. What is true is true irrespective of who believes it.

-Yes, they do hear some new things when they take Kenshu and yes, they are told to dump out the old tea to make new. However, they are not told that the organization considers itself the only path to God. On the contrary they are told that it doesn’t matter what you believe; that okiyome is all that matters and that any religion can fit with Sukyo Mahikari…that it is universal and that it is not necessary to throw away your old beliefs entirely. That’s a lie, especially for Christians who join. When you take Secondary Kenshu you hear their distorted history of Jesus Christ. You hear that he was never cruxified, that his twin brother died on the cross in his place, that he lived to be 107, that he studied Shintoism, and that be is buried in Japan. Now, given the fact that the basis of all Christian beliefs is that we are saved from our sins because Jesus died on the cross for us…there’s bit of a problem.

All in all, the focus of Mahikari is to make the world a better place through giving divine light and by living by certain principles which make one a better person . I have partcipated in many religious organizations in my life and I've never seen another one in which the members make so much effort to become better human beings, to as well as to make their communities and the world a better place.

-How are you making the world a better place by sitting on your knees in dojo, and participating in absolutely zero humanitarian efforts? Sukyo Mahikari does not support acts of chairity because they say that you are interefering with the karma of others so how in the hell is Sukyo Mahikari doing anything to better the planet? They are peddling beliefs that may or may not be true. I pity Sukyo Mahikari members because one day when they come face to face with their Creator they will learn that it was all for nothing. If you speak in tongues of angels, but have not love you’re only a resounding noise. If you have the gift of knowledge and if your faith moves mountains high, but have not love you are nothing. God wants your hearts, not your fear and half-assed efforts to try and appease those fears.