I quoted this post from another thread which got lost in the recent restructuring. The pending conference in Cleveland serves to highlight the discussing
Igzy and I were having about "vision" in the Recovery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
The "vision" factor is successfully used in the LC's to instill fear into all her members. They all want to believe that they have "it," and that their lives are ordered by "it." They dread the day one of their peers would ever question whether they have lost "it." Whenever members start missing meetings, we pray for them that "it" would be made clear. If a member speaks out against abuses, then he becomes an opposer, and the word gets out that he never had "it" to begin with.
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In order to properly assess the Recovery, we must examine this matter of "
vision," so crucial to her membership. It is a word of great import, used regularly by LRC leaders,
yet all their rhetoric does not match their practice. The rhetoric of vision always takes us back to "the ground of oneness," and what Christian out there will dare to say that "oneness" is not an important feature of our church and our personal walk in the Lord?
TC and senior elders in Cleveland, principally Paul Neider, are convinced that the region needs a huge dose of "vision" in order to keep the remaining faithful from wandering off the reservation. Hence the "burden" for their upcoming annual conference. They are promising
life-changing revelation to restore the saints to their original vision. Since the "ground of oneness" has so little scriptural support, they must dig deep to uncover types and patterns to prop up their message.
If they really cared for the "ground of oneness" in each locality, how could TC in Cleveland effectively excommunicate John Myer in Columbus for having minor views which don't match his own. Does not our
oneness trump all other superfluous teachings and practices? Did not Cleveland cry bloody murder when Anaheim passed similar condemnations on them for minor differences such as playing drums and printing books? The very term
locality places administrative boundaries around each church, supposedly preserving them from outside interferences. Yet neither Anaheim nor Cleveland has ever allowed that teaching of locality to hinder their external manipulations on victimized and unsuspecting LC's. Let's properly call this hypocrisy -- teaching oneness and practicing division.
This teaching, soon to be bannered during their spring conference, does more to expose the hypocrisy of their teachings and practice than to restore some long lost "
vision." Years ago we were taught that we were the only Christians on earth who longed to be
one, and all others besides us clung tenaciously to their denominational divisions. After a long sordid history of storms and quarantines and divisions, they are still teaching that "vision."
Have they no shame? Are they that disconnected from their actual practices? Are they still convinced that puffing up their members with outrageous claims of vision speciality is the best course of action?