[UntoHim]

"Oneness" is actually not quite the priority to God that we were lead to believe by Witness Lee.

There are many, many things that should NEVER be sacrificed for spiritual (much less religious) oneness.

Let's start with the first man to be "called" by God - Abraham (known as Abram back in the day). God called him OUT of the "oneness" he had - "Go from your country, your kindred and your fathers house.." As humans, what higher and deeper oneness do we experience then our kindred and our fathers house? Yet God called him out of this oneness.

Fast forward to the children of Israel in Egypt. They certainly had a kind of "oneness" with the Egyptians - so much so that when they first escaped (right after the miracle of the passover) they still complained to Moses that they would be better off back in Egypt. Again, God was calling some person(s) away from the familiarly and comfort of oneness.

Then, just taking a cursory look at the gospels and the book of Acts, God was again calling his people away from the familiarity, comfort, and yes even oneness, of their religion (albeit a religion composed of God's chosen people) It does not take a biblical scholar to see that the Pharisees, Sadducee et al had a certain spiritual, religious (and to them biblical) oneness. Yet they opposed God to His face (literally), and even were instrumental in seeing that the Messiah that came to save them was put to death. Now if any of you think that the Pharisees and Sadducees did not have as strong a oneness as Local Churchers then I think you are highly mistaken.

Now, what about us? Do we get "a pass" where all the others called by God down through the centuries did not? Do we get to sacrifice the truth for the sake of oneness? Do we get to sacrifice His holy Word for the sake of oneness? Do we get to sacrifice our families, our hopes and dreams, our careers for the sake of oneness?

Just something to think about my brothers and sisters.

PS: Thanks to Terry and Igzy for this thread