Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
None of these Lampstands were even "absolutely identical." They were not cast from a common mold, rather they were hammer beaten from a solid talent of gold.
And then Drake uses this as justification for LSM forcing all the LC's being identical?
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This was my point: where does one see beaten gold work, especially with calyxes, pomegranites and lilies, looking absolutely identical? Or conversely, where does this get shown or even suggested in the scripture? No, Lee dreamed it up; rather his cultural conventions necessitated it.
Now, where's this cultural influence most clearly seen? Probably in the phrase, "not having any inividual distinctiveness". Meaning, anyone with distinctiveness is a threat to group leadership. Any outstanding or "gifted ones" get regular beat-downs, sorry, perfecting and training, to keep them in line.
By contrast, look at the stars. They differ in glory (have distinctiveness) yet they all shine light for the same glorification. I covered this already (see my post #105). Same purpose but differentiated expression, and with no problem but rather glory. The archangels Michael and Gabriel, the four living creatures - who is threatened by individual distinctiveness? LC leadership, that's who. And my point all along has been that Witness Lee was NOT a monster but rather a sinner like the rest, trying to make his way home, but misled by his native (gentile) culture, which happened to be Chinese. Lee could see a splinter in others but missed the beam in his own eye.
In my time in the LC I noticed how Cleveland, Brasil, New York, and Austin had individual distinctiveness, or "local flavor"; the rest were bland ministry stations, as local as a McDonalds franchise. Two of the four groups survived the LC acculturation system and two didn't. Not a great track record.
And it's worth noting that if you don't understand what words like "absolutely identical" mean on the ground, some ministry enforcer like Ray Graver will come along and make it oh so plain. Suddenly spiritual niceties are set aside and "practical oneness" appears: "Here, we do what we are told". As one brother put it to me, "You are in the [Chinese] army now."