In order to keep the focus of this thread on what Witness Lee called
"Poor Christianity", here are some brief excerpts from "The Intrinsic Problem in the Lord's Recovery Today and Its Scriptural Remedy" by Witness Lee which addresses the issue directly.
"In his withdrawal from the eldership of the church in Anaheim on March 19, 1989, Brother John Ingalls charged us with a number of accusations concerning our present situation. Hence, I have the burden to present to the saints in the Lord’s recovery some truths that will blow away the cloud that has dimmed the clear vision of the Lord’s recovery among us and will bring back to us a clear sky with a clear view in the recovery. These practical truths are versus some of John’s dissenting accusations."
John Ingalls had written “Our attitude toward other Christians is one of belittling them and thinking we’re superior to them. I don’t know how many times we’ve heard this expression,
‘Poor Christianity!’ We say that we’re speaking only of the system, not of the people, but our attitude has definitely spilled over to the people.”
Witness Lee's response:
"Concerning John’s accusation in this item, we must distinguish Christianity from the Christians and the genuine church that is according to the divine revelation of the New Testament. In Matthew 13 the Lord Jesus showed us clearly in His parables:
- the difference between the wheat (the real Christians) and the tares (the nominal Christians);
- the difference between meal (fine flour—Christ as food to God and men) and leaven (evil things such as heresies, false teachings, and evil practices);
- the difference between the mustard seed (Christ as the seed of life) and a big tree (the abnormal development of the church—Christianity); and
- the difference between the tares, leaven, and the abnormally developed tree, and the treasure hidden in the field (the kingdom of the heavens) and the pearl of great value (the genuine church).
The nominal Christians, the heresies, the evil practices, and the abnormal development have transmuted the church, which is composed of the genuine Christians and Christ as the seed of life and the spiritual food to be the precious pearl and the hidden treasure, into
Christianity, which is not acceptable to God. Today, for the Lord’s recovery, we must realize the difference between the genuine church, composed of the real Christians, and the abnormal Christianity.
When we say
“Poor Christianity!” we refer to the abnormal Christianity, with no intention of belittling or despising any real Christian. We do recognize real Christians as our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ and respect those among them who are seeking the Lord and His kingdom.
However, we cannot justify the very Christianity of which they are members and for which they work. Hence, in the Lord’s recovery, quite often in teaching the saints we must present the truth concerning the genuine church of the Lord as His organic Body by pointing out the poor situation of today’s Christianity. We prefer to speak about others in a positive way, but in today’s abnormal situation we simply cannot avoid pointing out the abnormality that exists among Christians."