[Toledo]

Originally Posted by Thankful Jane

If the broad brush doesn’t apply, it doesn’t apply. I still don't see anything wrong with broad brush observations, definitions, or applications. If people’s deeds cause them to fit under the picture that brush paints, then they apply to them. If they don’t fit, then they don’t apply.

So it's okay to make a general slur and insult on a wide group of people, then claim it doesn't apply to some of the individuals you included...? I'm sure you didn't mean this as ungraciously as it sounds.

Originally Posted by Thankful Jane

I am assuming from what you say that you never submitted to any demands made by Witness Lee, but only appreciated his teachings. Am I correct about this?

To be fair, I was very much a young brother while WL was still alive. I had very few dealings directly with him. Except for keeping the rules of his various trainings, I cannot say that he ever made any particular demands on me.

And, yes, I appreciated his teachings, even as I appreciated the teachings of Lewis Sperry Chafer that were remarkably similar.

Originally Posted by Thankful Jane

Toledo, if a believer willingly submits to and obeys the demands of someone who tells them to do something that is against God’s word, isn’t such serving of someone else other than God an act of idolatry?

You make two points here. I shall try to answer both:

1) I cannot recall ever being asked to do anything against God's word. However, I realize that time is both a balm and an anesthetic -- maybe I have forgotten or have hidden away some lapse of conscience. Do you, perhaps, have an example that may refresh my memory. I am not at all sure of what you mean.

2) "{I}sn’t such serving of someone else other than God an act of idolatry?"

Idolatry has to do with the worship of idols. The "such serving" to which you refer would seem to be more of an act of disobedience. Eve ate an apple (whatever...), submitting to the serpent against God's word, yet the bible never calls her an idolater.

I'm not saying that you haven't put your finger on some very serious offenses in the local churches. Rather that calling it idolatry is forcing a definition that simply does not fit. As much as Cinderella's step-sisters tried, they could not get their feet into Prince Charming's glass slipper.

At the beginning of this thread djohnson kept referring to "Leeaholisim", a made up term, and Matt corrected him -- there is no such thing as "Leeaholism". Unfortunately, calling the problem idolatry doesn't fit any better (then insisting that everyone who ever met with the local churches bought into idolatry fits even less).