Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
ZNPaaneah, in all those quotes I cannot find anything which is out to denigrate the term religion.
Religion in this context means a system of beliefs and rituals. If you prefer to use the definition of religion in James, that is fine, but the majority of people in the world do not define religion in this way.
So when Lee speaks of religion he is not speaking about helping orphans and widows, but a system of man-made beliefs and rituals.
Lee is saying that a system of beliefs and rituals cannot give life.
This is what his first quote means
"“Anything that is scriptural and even spiritual, yet without life, becomes religion”
The fact that I found one quote where Lee spoke positively of religion, saying it is good, proves that he did not denigrate the term.
Yes, he said religion is against God. But it is. Hard for you to argue that Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, etc is not against God in as much as they reject Christ.
Lee was not against helping widows and orphans, he was saying that like Paul, it is not the focus of his ministry.
In short, his view is that religion is good from a human perspective, but cannot give life, only Christ can.
|
And where in the New Testament does any of the apostles say this?
Witness Lee's definition is not supported by the New Testament. The word "religion" is never used in the way he describes nor can it ever be defined in his way. He has confused the "Judaizers" with the Jewish religion.
In the church in Smyrna we learn of "the synagogue of Satan", people who say they are Jews and are not. You can't call them the Jewish religion, they aren't. Yes, the synagogue of Satan is accurately described by Witness Lee's definition, but he has incorrectly defined religion as being the synagogue of Satan and that is a mistake.
Witness Lee made a big deal of how the "sheep and goats" do not refer to the believers and unbelievers, but rather to two types of unbelievers. That definition is crucial for understanding eternal salvation.
Well, in the same way he has mashed up "the synagogue of Satan" with all religion. This is a mistake.
To equate pure religion with "the synagogue of Satan" is to denigrate pure religion.