Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
The root of the problem was the authoritarian mindset passed down from WL.... In the mind of TC, (or WL, or BP) his actions were no different than a judge who sentenced a convicted murderer to death. Would the judge repent for his actions? Absolutely not! He was only meeting out just judgment, and protecting society from evil. He was just doing his job. He was protecting the church, the Recovery, and God's testimony....His faith and Christian service had become inextricably intertwined with WL. BP had only done what WL had done. Remember the slogan, "What Would Witness Do?" For BP to repent to Jane A. would set in motion a chain of events that would question everything about WL. And that was not going to happen.
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Amen to what you wrote, Ohio. I like your comparison of Benson's behavior to that of a judge matter-of-factly sentencing someone. That is spot on.
Two Different Persons
I'd like to give some of my thoughts about this. Benson's behavior (and that of other LC leaders such as Titus) is the result of a strong belief system, primarily concerning deputy authority.
In Benson's way of thinking, his actions as a deputy authority are completely separate from his actions as a person or a brother in Christ. This means that in his view what he did to me was a result of carrying out his God-given responsibility as an authority of God, and it was not anything personal. (I've heard this excuse given for this kind of authoritarian behavior.) Therefore, he thinks that since he (Benson, the man, the Christian brother) did not do this, but he (Benson, the acting deputy authority of God) did this, he has nothing for which to repent. In fact, in his thought, if he were to repent it would be the same as repenting for being obedient to God. That's not going to happen without some major truth earthquakes in his mind that dislodge his delusion.
A brother who was very close to Benson in the early years said to me about him (paraphrased): "Benson is one of the nicest, most likeable people you will ever meet--that is, as long as you do not 'touch' the church. If you 'touch' the church, he turns into a completely different person." Having known Benson myself, I find this statement to be true. The brother indicated that he found the ‘different person’ change to be very disturbing. (I heard this statement from this brother before Benson had ascended up the LSM ladder.)
The Power of a Belief System
Benson's behavior over these many years shows the power of a wrong belief system. Satan knows, far better than we do, that whatever we believe controls us. He knows that if he can control our beliefs, he can control us; therefore, he works to gain a foothold in what we believe. One method of doing this is by delivering subtly deceptive teachings to us through Christian teachers that he has previously deluded (I Tim 4:1).
Benson was taught that God needed people to act in God's place as "authorities" on the earth. He believed this. He was taught that God always has one man in any age who is leading His up-to-date move and who is God's current oracle. He also believed this. By the time Witness Lee, the man whom Benson recognized as God's oracle, had recognized Benson as a deputy authority, the enemy had succeeded in fully ensnaring him.
Delusion is a powerful weapon of the enemy. I make it a point to pray that my family is delivered from all delusions and that no more new ones ever take hold.
Delusion in simplest terms is believing and acting wholeheartedly according to something that is not true. Delusion is like a leash by which the enemy leads us around by and causes us to do whatever he wants done. Jesus told us to take heed that we would not be deceived. As believers, we will bear responsibility and be without excuse for becoming deceived because we have been given access to truth (the written word of God), the Truth himself (Jesus Christ) and the Spirit of truth (the one whose guides us into all truth).
Benson’s Conscience and God’s Light
Only God knows how much Benson's conscience has worked in the case concerning John and me. I personally believe he has had very few, if any, twinges of conscience. When we raised the subject fourteen years after the fact of his 1977 action, he may have had a few twinges because some others were hearing about his past actions for the first time; however, I suspect that he was able to subdue any twinges by reaffirming to himself his deputy authority beliefs. In other words, he could easily reason away any blip of his conscience as being a twinge of weakness or a temptation from the devil to fail in his responsibility to God as a deputy authority.
The only thing that can rescue Benson is truth that penetrates his darkness. I believe he will need a dose of truth-delivering light directly from Jesus with a magnitude close to that of what Saul needed to open his eyes. I continue to pray this will happen to him in this life.
Paul told Timothy,
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves that peradventure God may give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (2Tim 2:25).
In this verse, I think that Paul may have been referring to his own experience--knowing that it was God Himself who had given him repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and knowing that his past religious zeal, to the point of killing others, was a result of his being a captive of the devil. (This verse also shows that those who see that someone is deluded have a role to play by meekly instructing the deluded.)
The Place of Prayer
I think that the reason I have been able to not be bitter towards Benson, to continue to pray for him all these years, and to seek several times to gain his ear, is because God showed me that Benson is a captive under a strong delusion from our common enemy. I also believe that by showing me this, God put me in a place of responsibility to pray for Benson. If those who see that someone has become deluded do not pray for the deluded, who will?
I have to admit that after so many years, it is hard to believe that Benson will come to his senses in this life, but I haven't allowed myself to forget that we have a God of impossibilities and One who promised to answer when two or three agree on earth concerning anything.
Thankful Jane