The Gohonzon is a sacred Object of Devotion for all save the fuji schools [Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu]

The Gohonzon, for Nichiren Buddhists, is a sacred Object of Devotion, yet the SGI gives them out like Las Vegas escort fliers. In the US, every Tom, Dick, and Yushi who wants a Gohonzon, has 12 dollars for one, and 36 dollars for subscriptions, gets one. Before, the Gohonzon was 5 dollars and you didn't even need to buy the subscriptions. If the new member couldn't afford it, the sponsors would buy it for them. They would push Gohonzon on people who didn't even want one or those chanting for only a day or two. 

It has been estimated that ~560,000 were "bestowed" and there are only 40,000 active members [according to World Tribune Circulation figures]. Nichiren never gave out Gohonzon to just anyone. He was very strict about who received a Gohonzon, omamaori or otherwise. Even after years, there was no guarantee that he would bestow a Gohonzon on a person. 

I remember the leaders would have long chains and something in their pockets. All the new members were curious about what the leaders had on the end of the chain [the omamori Gohonzon]. They would tell us that if we had strong faith, ie: we followed without ever questioning ["follow no matter what"] and believed completely in Sensei, we too could get one. Then, some years later, they changed it to whomever did a lot of traveling could get one. 

Also, in SGI, there are the various sized Gohonzon, the Okatagi, the Tokubetsu Okatagi, and the Joju Gohonzons which are bestowed on the various Ikedabot levels. In Nichiren's times, some of his strongest disciples revceived 48" tall Gohonzon and others received 18" tall Gohonzon, the size of the Gohonzons had absolutely nothing to do with the faith or stature [priest or layman] of the believer who merited one. It was all carrot and stick in the Gakkai. Let me ask them a question. why would a Buddhist seeking Supreme and Perfect Enlightenment or Buddhahood need a carrot and stick? Wouldn't the pure goal of boundless compassion and wisdom be enough to spur on an individual? They tell their members that everyone is already a Buddha but they behave just the opposite, that there are some Buddhas more worthy than others. Worse yet, there is god-man Ikeda Buddha who is more worthy than even Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin. Of course, this is left unsaid but every objective observer arrives at this very same conclusion.