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Monday, September 4, 2017

Remember when Soka Gakkai top leaders were boasting "three hundred thousand" [or more] American SGI members?

The following were 1996 and 1997 total paid and/or requested World Tribune circulation figures -- actual number of single issues published nearest to filing date: 

1996 -- 38,430* WT 11/1/96, p. 2
1997 -- 24,500* WT 10/24/97, p. 2

This was the most accurate reflection of active and semi-active SGI members and in this one year alone, nearly 14,000 WT subscribers either left the Gakkai or become so disaffected that they no longer subscribed to its principal publication. Things were never as rosy in the Gakkai as their spinmeisters led us to believe. Can we believe anything they report? 

* The numbers are actually smaller because many leaders and members receive more than one 
subscription [sometimes up to five], at the urging of their leaders.

9 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. What does one expect from a autocratic organization?

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  3. the nasa/sgi has always inflated numbers...they don't call it lying, they call it encouragement. total sand castle. once a liar...always a liar.

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  4. There's more..."We find that the overwhelming use of our building is done by a large number of small groups," said Aiken. "The average user group for our activities is 10-15 people." BTW, I practiced with SGI in 5 different locations, and the 10-15 group size is what I observed (although closer to 7-10 members at discussion meetings). SGI inflates *everything*...

    Regarding a proposed purchase of a building in Teaneck, NJ: According to Aiken, the center expects to have seating for 250 members and they do not expect more than 10 percent of the membership present at the center on any given day. (Nov. 13, 2014)

    Aiken states that the Northern NJ area has 5,000 members; 10% would be 500. But they expect seating for 250 to be MORE than adequate. Where's the miscalculation here? We need to go with 2500 rather than 5000, and keep in mind those "10-15 members per activity". So only between 4% and 6% of the members on the books are coming out for activities, and in my and many others' experience, it's the same people coming out for every activity. This fits precisely with our calculations that 95%-99% of everybody who tries SGI quits.

    Recently, SGI-USA.org posted this: "SGI-USA is made up of approximately 3,000 neighborhood discussion groups across America." Simply multiply Aiken's "10-15 members per activity" by 3,000 districts, and there's your active membership: 30,000 to 45,000 members - out of a population of over 320 *million* people.

    SGI-USA may well be in the lead for "fastest-shrinking cult"!

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  5. Sorry, forgot to identify clearly: "Aiken" is Bill Aiken, a national leader and director of public affairs for SGI-USA. So no small cheese.

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  6. In a Nov. 11, 1999, article in the Miami New Times article, "The Buddha Brotherhood", by Bob Whitby, Bill Aiken also admitted that SGI-USA had attracted an average of about 1000 new members per year for the past eight years. Those were the initial excommunication years (1991-1998 inclusive) and did NOT include defections/resignations.

    Remember: That's out of a population of 320 *MILLION*.

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  7. Are you all aware that the Soka Gakkai in Japan owns *all* the overseas property? Yep, that's right. SGI members who ask are told that their area doesn't donate enough to cover local operating expenses, so all donations are forwarded to the national HQ, which cuts the checks to keep the lights on. Also, members will be told things like, "This new center is a gift from the members in Japan" or "This is a gift from President Ikeda". Investing in overseas real estate is a fine form of money laundering.

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