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Originally Posted by seeking1
Jehovah's Witness, Mormon's, Getfakys (or whatever the heck) Assembly, countless brands of independent protestant churches, and yes, the Catholic Church. You cannot be serious? I mean, sheesh, this stuff is going on all over the place! Ambitious men building ministries, wanting the preeminence. Drive around Cleveland, OH and you'll see "XYZ" Church meeting in a: storefront, old catholic church, old protestant church, and the leader will straight up tell that this is their show, and their the sheriff in those parts. Sure, it's all good while your on the fringes, but you start coming regularly and you better get on board or else be ostracized. One church in a storefront that I visited, I thought that I was attending a bible study but it turned out to be a 90 minute ranting and raving session for the "pastor", it was actually longer but I got up and left after 90 minutes. I think that the "pastor" felt insulted that I was leaving because when I was walking out he let out a very cold and sarcastic "thanks for coming brother".
So, like I said, I agree that the there is a some serious abuse of authority going on in the LC's but we will have to agree to disagree on exactly where on the "Abuse of Authority Spectrum" witness lee falls.
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I didn't think we were talking about heretical groups. I thought we were talking about Christian groups. Anyway, yes there are many abusive groups. But when compared to the vast majority of people in healthy churches, the numbers of people affected are a drop in the bucket. My family is Catholic so the comparisons of the LCM with Catholicism are superficial. By and large, people's souls don't get shredded when they leave the Catholic church. I meet with a men's group and several of the guys are former Catholics. They don't lay awake at night agonizing about whether God is going to judge them for leaving like LCMers do.
If I were to paint a graph, Lee would be way at the extreme on the scale. You have to measure it based on the effect the guy had brainwashing his followers into being filled with fear for going another way. Lee has to be near the top if not at the top. I speak from experience. But I'm an old-timer; things might be different with the current generation.
In general, however, saying abuse is "everywhere" is a bit misleading. It is but it effects relatively few. The vast majority of believers are in benign, unabusive situations.