[zeek]

Originally Posted by Eph

"Lau Ba Ba" (Old Pa Pa), among a small circle, we called brother Lee that. That was when I was young and befriended his youngest son Mun-Su. Mun-Su was very nice to me. I met brother Lee a couple of times. For me, it'd never occur to me that I would find this forum my sanctury.

Aron started this thread for a reason and I hope that we will look into it further. Many practices might truly be derived from cultrual and ethnic upgrowings. Is it the "emperoric" mindset of ruling over his people but he is not aware of? In modern Japan, Japanese is worshiping their emperor as a god. The concept of mixing "emperor" and "god" together is prevailing in Japan.

"Hand Pick" and "Father to Son" practice is no doubt an Asian one. Why did brother Lee pick the "blended brothers"? Who are these brothers and their background? Did he pick them to balance among their cultural backgrounds? Does financial play a part during the process? Why is it his sencond oldest son in charge of the LSM, not the others?

In order to be blended together, we need to confess the sin of individualism and individuality. Our individualism is a kind of principle, a kind of policy, with us. Every one of us has his own policy, his own human logic. Our individualism becomes our logic. The educational system in America educates the young people to be individuals. The logic of being an individual, or the logic of individualism, is a sin in the eyes of God. We need to condemn individualism and individuality. In our church life we may be full of individuality. We may not care for others but may care only for ourselves. Even though we may love others, we may not care for others. In loving others we may still care for ourselves. This is individuality. We need to confess this sin. As long as such germs remain within us, we cannot be one and we cannot be blended. [Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups by Witness Lee]

I emboldened several phrases to show that Witness Lee condemned not only individualism which is a kind of philosophy but individuality. Actually, his definition of individuality is mistaken. Individuality is more basic that caring for yourself. Individuality is synonymous with selfhood. It is the state or quality of being a separate person with a particular point of view. I don't believe the Bible ever characterizes individuality as a sin. In fact, the Bible teaches that God created us as individuals. So where does Lee's notion that individuality is a sin come from? Are there precedents for such condemnation in the "Asian mind"?

Yes, it turns out there are. As Joseph Campbell points out in Oriental Mythology, in the Orient the ideal...

"...is the quenching, not development, of ego. That is the formula turned this way and that, up and down the line, throughout the literature : a systematic, steady, continually drumming devaluation of the "I" principle, the reality function— which has remained, consequently, undeveloped, and so, wide open to the seizures of completely uncritical mythic identifications." [Joseph Campbell. Oriental Mythology (Kindle Locations 385-387). Joseph Campbell Foundation.]