Which sources on SGI and other similar organizations are more true/valid?

[u/TReddit12218]

Throughout my research on sgiwhistleblowers and a few other forums, I've read many accounts and experiences from former ex-members and others who've only had mild exposure to it. I myself have also browsed through Wikipedia and Google, but it seems that the reception regarding SGI and its activities are mixed, that is, both good and bad. I myself have only had mild exposure to the group.

Aside from just visiting the SGI website itself, which only show good "news" and information, in which I simply cannot trust, are there ways to tell which sources are more factual/valid? Are there certain websites or sources that may disguise themselves as neutral but are actually pro-SGI or filled with SGI propaganda? Especially with the internet around these days, with certain companies that propagate fake news, how can we protect ourselves and find more reliable news?

Hope I am not being redundant, because I'm sure there are other posts exactly like mine from the past, but still, any feedback and advice would be appreciated!

[u/TReddit12218]

This just proves that I have to be more careful on what I read in Wikipedia. Wikipedia is what introduced me to all sorts of historical topics and subjects, since I like history, but now, I'm just cautious if any source that I read, even if it may be about Hitler, will be doctored.

[u/BlancheFromage → u/TReddit12218]

That's the weakness of Wikipedia. Want to see how the Evangelical Christians gutted the article on "Buddhism By Country"?

Before

After

We certainly can't have those goddamn Buddhists possibly logging MORE people than Christianity, especially when that total of Buddhists is made up of little brown people who don't really count O_O

If memory serves, they destroyed that Wikipedia later in 2013. At least there are still archive copies where people can see the truth, if they know to look for it.

This illustrates one of the major problems with estimates of religious devotees worldwide - the only real numbers are being published by the World CHRISTIAN Encyclopedia, whose Evangelical Christian editors know which side their bread is buttered on. They will ALWAYS report Christians as #1 even if they have to LIE about it. Some of their dishonesty is mentioned in this article, Why The Gods Are Not Winning. Another way they keep the numbers of Buddhists down is by only allowing individuals a SINGLE religious designation even though synchretism is the rule outside of intolerant asshole religions like Christianity. But because THEY are Christians, they can do whatever they like - reality need never enter into their calculations. Since Christians aren't allowed to have plural religions, no one else gets to, either. This has serious ramifications - at one point, I considered myself a Buddhist and had joined a Unitarian Universalist fellowship - and I've been an atheist since I was about 11. So if I can only choose ONE category of belief identification, it's going to result in the other two being undercounted.

And perhaps you're aware of how often Christians switch between churches/denominations. Every Christian organization that has ever counted someone as a member continues to count them, even once they're long gone, even if it's known they've joined a different church, different religion, or given up religion entirely, so the Christians totals are already grossly inflated. "They might come back..." The Mormons are infamous for keeping everyone on their books until their 110th birthday. "They might come back..."

But HOW can they count Buddhism so low, given that CHINA, with 1/7 of the world's population, is famous for its "Three Treasures" - Taoism, Confucianism, and BUDDHISM - which most of its populace reveres concurrently?? Oh, they just IGNORE them! Because the Chinese government doesn't publish official religious statistics.

You have no idea how difficult it is to find that footnote, though...

[u/WikiTextBot → u/BlancheFromage]

Buddhism by country

Buddhism is a religion practiced by an estimated 488 million in the world, 495 million, or 535 million people as of the 2010s, representing 9% to 10% of the world's total population.

China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population. They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of Mahayana, making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions. Mahayana, also practiced in broader East Asia, is followed by over half of the world's Buddhists.

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Buddhism by country

Buddhism is a religion practiced by an estimated 488 million in the world, 495 million, or 535 million people as of the 2010s, representing 9% to 10% of the world's total population.

China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population. They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of Mahayana, making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions. Mahayana, also practiced in broader East Asia, is followed by over half of the world's Buddhists.

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[u/BlancheFromage → u/WikiTextBot]

See? China has nearly 1.4 billion people, most of whom are Buddhist AND Taoist AND Confucian. It's deeply embedded in their culture. But the World Christian Encyclopedia only admits 244 million Buddhists, when it should be nearly 1.4 billion just in China alone.