The Kingdom Principle of Relationships

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Very keen observation. This is why it matters what teachings we receive and from whom we receive them. Many of these "blended" brothers have been receiving a distorted view of God for 40 or 50 years. So is there any wonder why they act like they do towards their brothers and sisters in Christ? The current teachings and practices in the LC are simply the end product.

One matter that characterizes the Recovery is the way that the brothers get "perfected." As the story goes, M. E. Barber perfected WN by brutally rebuking him on a regular basis. That story became the justification for the way WL treated (actually mis-treated) his coworkers -- regular weekly "ice water baths" as some have stated. As the story was always told, the recently quarantined TC was the most gifted disciple of WL when it came to this form of "perfecting."

To a huge degree, this relationship structure permeated the whole of the Recovery, which explains why this distorted view of God is so prevalent among them. (Note that I differentiate this practice from what many gifted leaders have done to "challenge" their younger brothers in Christ.) To a certain degree, public humiliations can bring grace and spiritual growth to the receiver, much the same way as the torturing inquisitors were "used" by God to "perfect" His children before they entered into glory.

After years of observation, I became convinced that several rotten phenomena resulted from this practice. Firstly, an established hierarchy was maintained by constant negative reinforcement. Via public rebukes, all quickly learn who is the real "boss" around here. Secondly, a pattern of abuse was all too often disseminated throughout the LC's, even affecting the relationships with parents and children. Thirdly, brothers were trained to become man-pleasers rather than God-pleasers. All of these perpetuated a distorted view of God, and damaged relationships in the kingdom.