"We can expect the Soka Gakkai to follow the typical road of "evangelical" religious organizations..." - from 1969

From James Allen Dator's book, "Soka Gakkai: Builders of the Third Civilization", pp. 83-84:

There are some signs that the Soka Gakkai is domesticating. Since 1964, for example, the Soka Gakkai media have been urging members to be more "socially responsible people" (shakai-teki ningen). It has specifically enjoined the members not to disturb others by chanting the Daimoku at inconvenient hours or in inconvenient places. It has also encouraged the use of shoju, a milder method of conversion than shakubuku.

Nichiren was adamant about refuting and attacking ALL other religions, and the three Soka Gakkai presidents, including Ikeda, did this as well O_O

This change may be due partly to the rising self-confidence of the Soka Gakkai and to their realization of their unnecessarily negative - and hence conversion-inhibiting - reputation.

It's only a negative reputation because that's what they've earned, of course.

On the other hand, and this is where it ties in with our data on why people joined the Soka Gakkai, it may in part be the result of the rise of the number of "natural" second-generation members in its midst, whose loyalty to and dependence on the Soka Gakkai may be no less intense than that of those who were first converted, but who may be less willing to use techniques of conversion which are as thoroughly "un-Japanese" as shakubuku.

This is the first explicit acknowledgment I have seen that shakubuku is structurally offensive to Japanese people. It makes sense, as Japanese culture is notoriously polite and deferential. No wonder the Soka Gakkai earned such a horrible reputation!

Indeed, on the basis of this admittedly fragmentary evidence, we can expect the Soka Gakkai to follow the typical road of "evangelical" religious organizations, and gradually soften its attacks on other religions and nonbelievers

Notice the increasing emphasis on "interfaith", something that would have the bigot Nichiren spinning in his grave O_O

But we've seen that, while they present themselves as engaging in "interfaith", it's just a manipulation, a deceit, to have their way with others

ewwwwwwww

increase its appeal to and proportion of membership among the upper-middle classes, and hence eventually alienate itself from the lower classes who were its first converts - necessitating, no doubt, another "reformation" in the future in order to serve the needs of the lower strata of Japanese society.

Nobody is interested in the lowest strata of society. The homeless and those trapped in ghettos are the targets of the most virulent attacks, rhetorical, social, political, and physical. Furthermore, having a bunch of those people in a room is a sure way to drive off potential converts! People seek out those who are either similar to themselves or better than themselves, as people typically aspire toward improvement in their circumstances. THIS is why I was promoted to YWD HQ leader over more qualified YWD - I was the one with the master's degree and the corporate career, not to mention the gentle, deft touch with encouraging others. The other candidates: The most faith-qualified had no more than a high school education, worked as a massage therapist (unlicensed), and lived at the poverty level. And she smoked O_O The other had prematurely gray hair (which she could have colored to look more her age - late 20s - but she wouldn't) and some sort of unskilled job - can't remember what it was. I was the most attractive, on paper and in real life (plus the tallest), the most wealthy, drove the best car - I had the best appearance. THAT's why I was promoted over these other leaders with far longer tenures, who'd done far more shakubuku, and who'd done far more for the SGI.

My experience with this has proved illuminating: When I was friends with people of lower socioeconomic strata, I got pretty much nothing by way of gifts. But that's okay - I wasn't in it for the gifts. I wanted to help them, and I did - providing child care, monetary assistance, etc. An example of a gift from one of these lower strata friends was the time she gave me two individual packets of hot cocoa mix from a multipack - "one for you and one for your husband." Never mind we've got 2 children as well. Compare that to a friend from a similar socioeconomic stratum, who gave me a garden fountain, a fire pit, and a hot tub! Not to mention that Ms. Cocoa had mental problems and was constantly asking for assistance with her panic attacks, relationship disasters, family discord, etc. etc. etc. So it was REALLY one-sided in that example!

Make of that what you will O_O