Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
The "orthodoxy" idea is even skewed by this. What principles do we focus on, as we scan the text(s)? Is every church being "absolutely identical" an orthodox idea, or rather a cultural gloss superimposed on the text? How much of the LSM oevre is really orthodox, and how much human (historical reactivism, cultural, and personal) interpretation? Somehow Lee's incessant, frantic search for conformity, and uniformity, doesn't seem like "freedom of the Spirit" to me. But maybe that is my rough-tough American cowboy individualism surfacing here.
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Late 1984, as Lee was finishing the NT Life-Study, he repeatedly stated that, "
we have recovered life, we have recovered the truth, and we now must recover the proper way." It all sounded so good! And Lee was then off to Taipei to work in his "laboratory" to recover the proper way.
Each of these stages deteriorated the LC's. Each of these stages brought new deceptions and controls from Anaheim. Each of those stages supposedly addressed inherent "problems" in the recovery. The 1st stage of "life," (~'65 to '77) took a genuine move of the Spirit during the 60's, where Lee was one of many ministers, and set him up in glory as the sole reason for all of God's blessing.
The 2nd stage, (~'77 to '84) in the aftermath of the so-called "Max rebellion," turned our attention from the experience of Christ as our life and center to an obsession with "truth," which was actually all of Lee's systematic theology. Lee became the sole arbitrator of all Christian doctrine. No one, neither within nor without, had any say in the recovery concerning the ministry of the NT. Lee's teachings, trainings, and books alone would be available to all the LC's for their daily consumption. His publications gradually replaced the scriptures themselves in the hearts of the faithful.
The 3rd stage (~'85 to '90) elevated Lee and LSM to dominance. Whether it was Lee or his profligate son Phillip, LSM was given complete liberty to lord it over the churches of God. He wielded more power than the Pope. Local elders were told to like it or leave ... quietly as a "gentleman." Every LC was now forced to follow every wind and wave of teaching from Lee, whether or not they needed it, wanted it, liked it, or believed it was even from the Lord or His word.
I have always said that Lee's
orthopraxy was actually more damaging to the LC's, but it had to be preceded by a takeover by Leeite
orthodoxy. The latter was the groundwork for the former. Bad teachings set the stage for destructive practices.