[intopieces]

I'm somewhat familiar with Falun Gong. But I'm not sure I understand why it constitutes a "cult" -- this term seems unnecessarily loaded. The fact that your friend's grandmother was able to "swiftly depart” increases this suspicion for me.

There are lots of religions in the world with weird practices, including some Christian sects that don't permit blood transfusions and some new-age groups that shun modern medicine.

[pwinnski]

The only Christian sect I know of that prohibits blood transfusions--Jehovah's Witnesses--are considered a cult, too.

I share your concern about labeling as a distancing or othering tactic, though.

[sezna]

These conversations frequently devolve into semantic debates over what a cult is. Some Christian groups are definitely cults. There are some signs of a cult that usually involve heavy recruiting and PR, a difficulty leaving, a rigid power structure, etc.

I use the term lightly because I rarely talk to people who aren’t already familiar with Falun and don’t think they’re a cult. That is my bad, feel free to disregard that categorization. It isn’t pivotal to the anecdote I was relaying.

[seanmcdirmid]

I wouldn’t give those Christian sects a pass on not being cults. Falun gong has some weird beliefs, some of them very self destructive. Of course, the Chinese government doesn’t do itself any favors in their typical heavy handed approaches to information supremacy, making them an unreliable source, but that doesn’t mean they are wrong.

[resters]

There's not really any practical distinction between religions, cults, and political parties.

[beisner]

As the old saying goes, cult + time = religion.