August 14, 2002

It is more accurate to use such terms as "meditation practice" or "spiritual group" to describe Falun Gong, rather than the shorthand "sect" ("Sect sees Hong Kong trials as test of 'two systems' rule," Nation, Monday). Falun Gong does not fit into the dictionary definitions of "sect," nor do the negative connotations of the word help the reader understand it.

The connotations of the word "sect" often serve to put psychological distance between the reader and a group so designated. The word marginalizes or trivializes a group. If a sect is not outright odd or weird, it's at least on the fringes of society, not quite respectable or to be taken seriously.

When asked to define Falun Gong, Ian Johnson of the Wall Street Journal, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on Falun Gong in China, said, "I think a sect is usually considered a splinter group of an existing religion. But Falun Gong is not that."

Falun Gong is, indeed, not an offshoot or subdivision of any religion. It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992. It does spring from traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from Chinese religions such as Buddhism and Taoism. Some terminology is shared with these religions, but Falun Gong developed independently of them.

Falun Gong is practiced by millions in more than 50 countries. A Chinese government survey estimated that more than 70 million people practiced Falun Gong in early 1999, a number larger than the Communist Party membership. Falun Gong was not a fringe movement in China then, nor is it a fringe movement -- i.e., sect -- now in the international arena.

http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20020814-48374450.htm