[aron]

I'm still thinking about that sentence in the quote in post #385:

"Questioning someone’s ideas or opinion in a public setting would cause that person to lose face.”

In the USA, Senator Smith can publicly challenge President Jones over monetary or foriegn policy. In fact if Senator Smith is from the opposition party he would be expected to. That is his job. And questioning the Maximum Leader doesn't threaten the social coherence or the viability of governement; rather it is seen as a form of public discourse, and part of the deliberative process.

In contrast, in China if you publicly question Chairman Mao, even 40 years after his death, you will lose your job. Because by criticizing Mao you criticize the government, the society, and the people. Social coherence in this cultural milieu demands that the Maximum Leader's 'Face' be preserved.

In this vein, Top Brother WL could dismiss the writers and compilers of the scriptural record (e.g. Psalms, Proverbs, Job, James, Jude, Peter, etc) as having 'fallen opinions', while he had none; rather he was fueled by God's revelatory oracle.

In this vein, current Top Brother RK could say of WL, 'no self' could be seen in his ministry; not only when he was animatedly speaking in front of a group but 24/7; and this not only because of his personality but because of his position as Maximum Leader. In fact the coherence and identity of the group demanded this.

In this vein, WL could say (in Life-Study of John) that Jesus did things according to His will, when Jesus Himself in the same gospel said that He didn't do things according to His will but the will of the Father who sent Him. This NT gospel statement is fully in accord with the OT prophecy: "Behold I come to do Thy will" etc. Yet WL could blatantly overturn this in a public setting and not one dissenting or questioning voice would be raised because to do so would cause WL to lose face, and the viability of the Lord's recovery would then be threatened. Talk about a house built on sand!

In this vein, a Blended Brother could say, during one of the "storms" when the evil behaviors of the Maximum Leader's profligate son were exposed, that he was proud to be an ostrich with his head stuck in the sand. Sooner or later you get clear in the LC: to survive you must be an ostrich with your head stuck in the sand. If you do this you'll not only survive but prosper and flourish.

In this vein, Larry Chi said that when WL returned to Taiwan in 1970, he shamed and denigrated the elders of the church there for being old and out-dated and missing the move of the Holy Spirit. In so doing he was clearly establishing himself as unquestioned Maximum Leader. No mutuality would be permitted; absolute and explicit hierarchy must be delineated and enforced. I (WL) make you (elders) lose face; you can't make me lose face.

And anyone attending LC trainings or conferences sees this pattern of shaming and denigrating from the podium. Individual members, classes or groups are singled out and exposed; however any attempt to reciprocate is deemed rebellion. Taking public shame in the LC to "gain Christ" and to "be perfected", but questioning the Maximum Leader in any way is to "rebel against God's Deputy Authority".

In this vein, WL could teach that once per generation God raises up a special vessel to carry out His burden for the age. The apostle of the age and all that... MOTA -ministry of the age. There is one Maximum Leader allowed per generation. All others must "get in line" and "hand over" their material assets and their spiritual journeys. Everything and everyone must be under the aegis of God's Deputy Authority. Social coherence demands it.

I must repeat that Chinese culture isn't inferior to that of USA or Germany etc; all are fallen. But in assuming that no trace of worldly human culture tainted his ministry, and also WN's vaunted "Normal Christian Church" model, WL and the the current Leaders of the Lord's Recovery assumed that they could see where others (e.g. 'fallen Christianity') could not. In thinking that they alone could see, their blindness remained (cf John chap 9).