[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Igzy

I recall a movie where Dustin Hoffman played an out-of-work actor. He went to an audition. After his reading the conversation went something like this:

Director: "Thank you. But we're looking for someone shorter."
Hoffman: "I can be shorter. I'm wearing lifts!"
Director: "We're looking for someone younger."
Hoffman: "I can be younger!"
Director: "We're looking for someone else."

The way the LCM treats any group which happens to actually meet as the church in a city before the LCM got there is similar:

LCM: "You need to meet as the church in the city."
Church: "We do!"
LCM: "You can't have a name."
Church: "We don't!"
LCM: "You have to receive all believers."
Church: "We do!"
LCM: "You have to have fellowship with the other churches."
Church: "We are willing to fellowship with any church."
LCM: "No, we mean our churches. And by fellowship we mean come to all our conferences, teach only our doctrines, sell only our materials and obey our headquarters in California."
Church: "Uh, we don't think we should have to do that."
LCM: "Then you are not a genuine church. "

The LCM then feels free to set up its own "city church" in that city, and ignore and discredit the other group, calling it a sect, etc, etc. This kind of thing has happened so many times it would make you puke.

The LCM local ground doctrine is nothing but a means to discredit all other groups and set itself up as the one true manifestation of God in a city. It is a means of control, exclusion and division, not unity.

Right on Igzy. It's not about unity, but uniformity.