Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
How I received what Igzy was saying "taken captive by Lee's authority doctrines" equates to fearing man more than fearing God. "What the brothers say" bears more weight than the Word or our human spirit.
When the term "get right with the brothers" is used, that implies whether one is a brother or sister, they cannot communicate with the one out of favor until that brother or sister "gets right with the brothers".
Ever take time to read Hear the Cases article? A clear indication what happens to be taken captive by the deputy authority doctrine. If a co-worker (James Lee) says something, it must be true. Thus there became a couple not welcome to meet with the Church in Vista.
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Aside from the lack of scriptural support for the teaching of Deputy Authority, it seems like those who are in support of it really don’t understand the inevitable problems it creates. I’m not out to be dismissive of what people say they have or haven’t experienced, but at least speaking from my own experience, I don’t think the authoritarianism always manifests itself overtly.
When you look at the LCM environment, you see people who are often afraid to voice concerns. There are people who feel it is better to just drop issues instead of trying to resolve the issue. People get told to not worry about something. All of these things are evidence of authoritarianism and the fearing of man.
I had a situation where a ‘responsible’ brother approached me and gave me a talk about dating. The essence of that his talk was to let me know that if I knew what was good for me, I would discuss anything related to dating with the brothers. And he wanted me to consult with him specifically.
Even before the conversation was over, I was enraged that he had dared to approach me in that way. However, because it all was done suggestively or in a way that he purposely portrayed as being “optional fellowship,” there was nothing I could do about it, without making myself look bad in front of bystanders. Consider if I had reacted strongly to what he said and let him know it was inappropriate. I might have been told to “drop the issue” or to “not worry about it.” When I later expressed my disgust with what happened to someone else, this person asked me why I didn’t stand up to the 'responsible' brother. Well it’s nice to think it would be so easy to do that, but the reality is completely different. Especially when the person who is approaching someone else directs that person to not object to what has been spoken.