Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom
Now I want to explain what brought me here. I’m sure that those who grew up in the LC, aka “church kids”, have had some type of feeling of not fitting in with everyone else outside the LC. This type of feeling forced me to place my trust and friendships in the LC. Since I didn’t fit in anywhere else outside the LC, I in turn dedicated myself solely to LC activities.
During this time period I regularly attended the bi-annual LSM trainings. Ironically, due to attending these trainings, I began to hear the constant innuendos put forth about “negative” writings on the internet, “rebellions”, and so on. What really struck me about it is that here I was attending a training to hear the word of God, and instead they often would diverge into making these very broad statements about “rebellious ones” or “negative writings”, all of which was supposedly irrelevant to me. I could never see why they brought up such things in the first place. Eventually I had to ask myself, why did they bring up these things during every training, and why were they so adamant about not reading anything on the internet?
I always challenge myself to think critically, so I had to ask myself the question, what is it that they don’t want me to know about, and why? This resulted in me undertaking my own research, and I took the time to read all of the things that we aren’t supposed to know about. I read Steve Isitt’s writings, John Ingalls’ book, etc. After reading all of that, I really had to take a step back and consider everything I had learned.
At first it all seemed too farfetched to be true, that is, the idea that maybe the LC didn’t have the pristine image that I thought it did. Since no one in the LC discusses such things, I was on my own to make sense of what I had found out. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that, well of course these things are true, the bigger question is what I do with what I know.
What I eventually began to realize is that these writings expressed to a certain extent how I felt inside. I mentioned earlier that I was feeling like I was putting on an act as far as my involvement in the church life.
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Reading your post Freedom, I must say I didn't feel I fit in the world not did I fit the cookie cutter mold of the local churches. It took some time visiting non-LC assemblies did I find one at peace meeting with.
Since you have attended bi-annual trainings I would suggest looking up John Ingalls next time your in Anaheim. While brother John is still among us, you will find he's not the ambitious, rebellious brother LSM has portrayed him to be. Actually, he's not even negative of Lee's ministry.
There are brothers in the local churches who do discuss the history, but are guarded when discussing it. Previously on this forum I had mentioned being at a home meeting when I heard two brothers talking about Daystar.
Why were they so adamant about reading things on the internet? Or specifically on forums?
1. Many of the current well-respected blending brothers had roles in the late 80's turmoil. Whether you read John Ingalls'
Speaking the Truth in Love or David Wang's account on Rosemead .
2. Phillip Lee has been nullified by LSM as a historical LC figure. Yet if you read John So's account, Bill Mallon's letter to Witness Lee, or John Ingalls's book you'll see Phillip figured quite prominently in the 80's turmoil.
3. With most coins we have, there's two sides to a coin or in this instance two sides to a story. LSM doesn't want the other side of the story to be told. When it has been brought to the attention of elder(s), they tend to dismiss these accounts as perceived wrongdoings or imagined offenses.