Quote:
Originally Posted by Trapped
The Bible and God are enough to wrestle with. There has to be a modicum of rationality.
I try to say these things to LCers sometimes and they are staunch defenders of Lee's view without the ability to even entertain anything else. I just got "you just don't see" as if I was short of the vision.
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I was trying to address this in my last post (#242) but was "enjoying a verse" from Psalm 119 and got side-tracked. So I'll tag an addendum.
It's a lot believing into God; then, we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day. We repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour. That alone makes us nuts in the eyes of the world.
But beyond that 'foolishness of faith' we reserve the right to think and take ownership of our thoughts. So a manifesto follows:
1. We should be able to critique Witness Lee even as he critiques others (e.g., "Affirmation and Critique"). And that goes for the Blendeds in Anaheim. They get an opinion just like everyone else. But it's an opinion, not "the present recovered truth".
2. We should be able to think aloud without being labeled "independent" or "rebellious" or "ambitious". Maybe we're wrong. Okay. But we can still think. Again, look at the invitation in 1 Corinthians 14. We can function in our mind and in our spirit. Period. Paul doesn't just give permission, but he encourages.
3. People should have the option of independent course of action, following the Voice of the Shepherd ("My sheep hear my voice") and not only expecting this Voice to come from HQ. What do you think this does to a younger generation, who are conditioned reflexively not to consider anything without "fellowship"? Or if they see something wrong they can't speak up because then they are "negative"?
Basically the younger ones are forced to make a choice: either become a ministry drone or go "into the world". Surprise, surprise, they're leaving... I know of a "locality" that has about 5% of the children that were there 30 years ago. Some have "migrated" and are meeting elsewhere in the LC, some are "serving the ministry" on the front lines of recruiting and indoctrination, but many have left, either indifferent or negative toward God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ. They rejected the baggage that comes with the LC, and can't go to the Bible, being so heavily conditioned in childhood by all-or-nothing propositions. So they throw out the Baby with the Bathwater. They are still reflexive - now they want no part of the Christian message in any shape or form.
You'd be surprised how many "church kids" were immersed the LC their whole childhood & now no longer are professing Christians, and have even become adversarial to the faith. Gee, I wonder why.