Quote:
Originally Posted by NeitherFirstnorLast
Lee's strong use of Scripture has often led Christians to overlook areas of his word that seem unclear or questionable but not blatantly wrong.
. . . .
Plowing through volumes of Witness Lee's materials... one sees many debatable points. Ambiguities begin to take on a recognizable pattern, assuming proportions that constitute definite aberrations. Few people outside the LC are likely to examine that copious literature with care. Christians who glance at Lee's teachings may conclude that he zealously communicates biblical truth, whereas intense scrutiny would reveal some systematic fallacies of his doctrines.
|
So Duddy, despite allegedly shoddy scholarship, sees what a 14-plus year member (former member) now sees in the teachings of Lee. A strong use of scripture, but not actually supporting his many patterns of unclear, questionable, ambiguous, etc., points and teachings.
And when Duddy admits that Lee's points do not seem "blatantly wrong" he is not saying that they are not wrong . . . just that they do not stand out as obviously wrong. If they were that obvious, then Christians who first see Lee's teachings would be wary and never get "caught" by "the ministry." They wouldn't become so accepting of the lack of support if it were obvious.
The teachings and ways of the LRC are subtle. They are not declaring that Jehovah is the savior but Jesus is not Jehovah. They are not declaring that the angel Moroni (is that "moron" with an "i" on the end?) delivered this message to the prophet Joseph Smith and that Jesus is now the brother of Lucifer.
No. They have taken as somewhat mainstream approach to Evangelical Christianity, complete with a mostly Calvinist view of salvation and methodically excised the bulk of the Evangelicals from it through a redefined emphasis supported by an altered lexicon of terminology.
They do assert that they have a "legitimate" equivalent of Joseph Smith to give them words from God that God did not give others because it is not simply in the scripture. But they are careful not to make that assertion to the Christian community at large. They just walk around with their secret handshake and coded phrases so they can speak what the rest of us consider normal Christian words and phrases, but with them condemn everyone else in secret.
Duddy got it right.