2 Months Out Of The Local Church And Feeling Guilty

Hi Brothers and Sisters in Christ I want to vent and share my 14 year story and experience with the LC. I first found out about the Saints in College I see this is how they get a lot to join and in recent years I see how obsessed they are about mainly reaching out to young ones aka college students or younger. I've given leading brothers ideas how to reach the whole community young and old not just young but still their main focus is only college campus work. That was one red flag that made me feel a little uneasy. Especially not opening doors to feed the homeless or clothing giveaway etc. Like other Churches. Over many years I seen many come and go and a few leaving based on the attitudes and behaviors of some saints. I get that we are all human and no one is perfect but if you are actively pursuing Christ like you say you are if you are rude or inconsiderate to someone you will feel guilty

The Holy Spirit will convict you to do better and pray for others including ones you may not get along with. This is exactly what I been trying to do while I slowly part ways completely with the LC although mainly the sister's have been a lot of trouble I pray for them and even the Brothers that they turn to Christ in the midst of their bitterness or wickedness towards others. To love embrace their Brother or Sister in Christ look past any differences and just focus on the Jesus living in them. This is one thing we all share in common no matter how much we don't like a saint is that they have Christ we have Christ.

[UntoHim]

To Unregistered Guest.
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[InconvenientRuth]

Thank you for sharing.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi Brothers and Sisters in Christ I want to vent and share my 14 year story and experience with the LC. I first found out about the Saints in College I see this is how they get a lot to join and in recent years I see how obsessed they are about mainly reaching out to young ones aka college students or younger. I've given leading brothers ideas how to reach the whole community young and old not just young but still their main focus is only college campus work. That was one red flag that made me feel a little uneasy. Especially not opening doors to feed the homeless or clothing giveaway etc. Like other Churches. Over many years I seen many come and go and a few leaving based on the attitudes and behaviors of some saints. I get that we are all human and no one is perfect but if you are actively pursuing Christ like you say you are if you are rude or inconsiderate to someone you will feel guilty

The Holy Spirit will convict you to do better and pray for others including ones you may not get along with. This is exactly what I been trying to do while I slowly part ways completely with the LC although mainly the sister's have been a lot of trouble I pray for them and even the Brothers that they turn to Christ in the midst of their bitterness or wickedness towards others. To love embrace their Brother or Sister in Christ look past any differences and just focus on the Jesus living in them. This is one thing we all share in common no matter how much we don't like a saint is that they have Christ we have Christ.

Hi Unregistered, thank you for sharing. Yes, you will feel guilty after leaving a high-control group, it is normal to feel that way. I left too, it was hard for many reasons and felt guilty.

But I do empathize with your observation. I grew up in a church that regularly reached out to every age group, and also fed the poor and visited prisoners as well. So I new something was off once I started meeting more regularly. Focusing on college students is a known tactic for cultivating an easy following, which bets on psychological susceptibility. I'm not saying the ones recruiting know what they are doing by going out to the campuses, in fact, their intentions are probably good in nature and biblically founded. But the person (Lee) that taught this methodology knew what he was doing. He was not foolish, he knew how people worked at a fundamental level. To be short, this goes deeper than most people realize, and you are definitely on your way to a healthier walk with Christ by leaving.

I know exactly what you mean. I'm a Church kid in the LC, but I stopped meeting during 2 years of highschool and joined a Baptist church youth group. While meeting with them i felt more of a sense of genuine community outreach than with the LC. Joining the Baptist youth group we would do fund raising, donations for Christmas and local community food donations. As well as visiting fellow brothers and sisters in retirement villages to share our portion of Christ with eachother and give them company. As I have come back to the LC during uni and working i feel distance in my view of what the Lord wants while we are on Earth, and can see with the outward perspective looking in where I should avoid certain "ways to gather" and avoid behaviors that are worrying. The gain of daily youth and young families with children has always made me question the LC ways. And honestly makes me feel like I don't want anything to do with gosple outreach anymore. I hope that I can heal from this one day before it is too late.
- Onthefence

I believe the Local church is a cult and their main aim is to make money off of their members. There’s plenty of evidence to back these claims up. But one thing they do is tell their gospel preachers to only go after the “good fruit,” who are young and impressionable college students with a bright future. Also they seek after young married couples who might be having children soon. Witness Lee taught them to seek these “good fruits” and to pretty much ignore everyone else. In my view they seek these groups of people because college students have a bright future ahead of them and will make more money in their lifetimes than other groups of people. Making more money means more tithes and spending more money purchasing LSM ministry materials and books.

Young couples will likely have a few children which will grow the numbers of the local churches. This is all planned on purpose to serve their goals. I would just ask is this how Jesus thought while preaching during his earthly ministry? It seems to me Jesus went to the weak and the lame and the downtrodden and the poor, not just to the “good fruit.” They also are often deceptive when ones among them go out to preach for Bibles for America. They don’t like to tell prospective members about Witness Lee in case they look him up on the internet and find out the local churches are considered by many to be a cult. Using deception to preach and recruit doesn’t seem very Christian to me. Just something to consider.

[NewManLiving]

Yes! Your assessment is accurate. The emphasis on what they consider "good material" is completely unbiblical and relegates the finished work of Christ to a few special people. It appears they do not believe that Christ can save anyone He pleases to the uttermost. He needs a little help. The Lord tells us in Luke 4:23 and 5:23 that he came for the sick. They must have missed this in their Life Studies. If they only knew how Christ is revealing Himself and forming Himself in the hearts of His people (no matter what kind of material they were) outside of their organization they would be shocked. As you said it's all about the business.

[NewManLiving]

Robert Taylor's YouTube channel exposes the dark side of the campus work which is the center of the Good Material deviation
https://youtube.com/@roberttaylor?si=V3W4nMgKJAnu06Ux

Thank you for putting out that Youtube channel. He clearly articulates why this Bible sect is so dangerous. He does the smart thing and doesn't debate them upfront on theological matters, but targets the true weak spot of groups like this, psychology and ideology. Nevertheless, they are vastly incorrect about many theological matters.

Here are some nasty tactics used by the group:

1. Love-Bombing: On college campuses, they lavish students with attention, making them feel uniquely special, loved, and "called out" by God to perform a "special work." They are encouraged to preach the "high gospel" and live according to the "high truths."

2. Gradual Indoctrination: They slowly introduce ideas in a way that manipulates cognitive dissonance, gradually shifting attitudes toward their unorthodox or bizarre Christian teachings until these ideas seem acceptable or even desirable.

3. Chanting: Through chanting the Lord's name, they create a euphoric state that leaves members psychologically vulnerable. In this state, authoritarian teachings—such as the notion of the "minister of the age," "spiritual authority," and the uniquely divine flowing life of Witness Lee's teachings—are implanted and solidified in their minds. This effectively dulls critical thinking and reinforces group loyalty, following the manipulative "unfreeze, change, freeze" tactic used by many controlling individuals and organizations.


Of course, all of the above is my opinion. Please don't sue me LSM, like you have done many others.