[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Drake

Melton's expertise in the field was a stake in the heart to that shoddy work. Tragically, not before believers were arrested and murdered because of it.

Wow, I guess nobody wants to give up on this vampire theme no matter what.

Drake, I'm not sure who's more washed up here, you or the long-ago-discredited J. Gordon Melton. Of course the truth about Witness Lee/Local Church defenders is like water off a duck's back....but here goes anyway.

Nobody was arrested, much less murdered because some Christian apologist exposed Witness Lee as a false teacher and criticized some of the most questionable teachings and practices of the religious sect he invented. This was a myth perpetrated by the Local Church lackeys to draw attention away from the fact that groups like "The Shouters" were a direct result of the extreme teachings and practices established by Witness Lee and his followers.

Getting back to Melton - He has been exposed time and time again to be nothing more then a gun-for-hire by any and all aberrational/unorthodox/cultic groups who have the cash to line his pockets. Although these groups hold him up to be some world class theologian/apologist, he doesn't even make this claim for himself. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact:

Here's an applicable quote from Melton himself:

"And I have, not being a theologian -- and I make no claim to be one --
a difficult task in sorting through doctrinal questions to do
an adequate theological analysis of most groups' beliefs.
I'm a church historian with most of my theological work in historical theology, not systematics.
That's part of where I'm coming from. I also have another problem...
I have a problem as to where to draw the line --
what's heresy and what's evangelically kosher.
What is acceptable doctrinal deviation?"

(all emphasis mine)

Why Cults Succeed: Where the Church Fails

No wonder the Local Church of Witness Lee picked this fellow as their main defender - Witness Lee was no theologian, had an obvious problem with sorting through doctrinal questions, was decidedly lacking in theological analysis, and was virtually clueless on where to draw the line between what's heresy and what is not. This guy was a dream come true for the Local Church...and well worth the money! (Hank Hanegraaff may have topped Melton)
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