Cult News

Falun Gong staged what seemed like a carefully coordinated public event for “master” Li Hongzhi, reports the Orange County Register.

Hongzhi’s devotees have become adept at creating media and photo ops for their vaunted spiritual leader.

The man who says he can “levitate,” “become invisible” and knows the “top secret of the Universe” made a personal public appearance in the Anaheim Convention Center before 1,500 of his followers.

Though his disciples claimed they didn’t know if Li would come, it appears more than likely that this event was carefully planned and members knew in advance that Hongzhi would arrive.

One devotee said, “Everyone had a ticket. Everyone knew each other.”

A seemingly transfixed disciple observed, “He spent four hours answering questions and didn’t even open a water bottle. He didn’t need a break. He didn’t need to stop and think to answer. His compassion never changed. For us to see him was amazing.”

Doesn’t this sound a bit like Unification Church members at a mass wedding rhapsodizing about their “master” Rev. Moon?

In a somewhat cryptic statement an ardent follower said, “This was a very special occurrence, and we know Orange County will benefit from his presence.”

Falun Gong members believe Li Hongzhi actually has a personal impact on the stability of the universe. Not unlike many groups called “cults,” Falun Gong appears to be defined and driven by its leader’s persona.

What the Orange County Register failed to report about is Li Hongzhi’s racist writings and bigoted public rants. This certainly would not have gone down well in politically correct Disneyland.

Moreover, the Falun Gong leader has made sensational supernatural claims about himself and his supposed superhuman powers that easily define him as either a megalomaniac, a charlatan or both.

According to Hongzhi he can “personally install” falun (a wheel of law) in his followers abdomens, which in turn provides for their good health.

This would be a neat trick for a stage show in Las Vegas. And maybe Vegas would be the best venue for a man like Hongzhi in the United States.

David Copperfield move over, and make room for the real “Master” of “Grand Illusion”!