The Asian Mind/The Western Mind

[aron]

Originally Posted by Ohio

And Lee/LSM has given us the "proper meaning." They have spoken loud and clear.

We'd like to know, if the shape of the local churches must be exactly identical, what shape they should be: triangular? If so, isosceles or equilateral? Or, perhaps cylindrical? Or maybe a nice neat cube? Lee just said "shape" and went on, but if we all should be exactly identical in shape then probably we need a little more information.

Here's what I think: Witness Lee was a flim-flam man. He noticed that Watchman Nee had made a go selling spiritual-sounding words to the masses and wanted to follow suit. So he put out these hifalutin messages, but when examined critically they dissolve like wet crepe paper. There's almost nothing there. He had no theological training so he cribbed 19th century Bible study lessons and Brethren teachings. But the cracks are showing, and what lurks below.

The local churches are to be exactly identical, but in what way? In shape? How are we supposed to implement that? Eventually a Ray Graver or a Paul Hon will come by and tell you how.

Ironically, the LSM has recently been trying to legitimise Lee by marketing him as a "global Chinese Christian leader", using pseudo-scholarly papers, e.g. Globalization of Chinese Christianity: A Study of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee's Ministry. Asia Journal of Theology. Apr 2016, Vol. 30 Issue 1, p 96-114. Author: Liu Yi.

Truth is, he was just another businessman trying to make a living for his family. And his culturally-derived leanings showed when his income or family was threatened: then he was an angry Chinese man defending his business interests, reflexively using the only methods that he knew, in order to survive. Anyone on the wrong side found this out quickly and clearly!

Back to the footnote - I know Drake doesn't like it when I use analogies, but Lee did, so I will also. Remember the tea bags and water? In this case I'll use Lee's animal analogies - remember his gophers and turtles? For example he'd say that people tried appear to be something, but eventually a "fox tail" would appear, or the true self would come out. In the footnote to Revelation 1:20 I see a Chinese fox-tail. How are local churches supposed to be exactly identical in "shape"? How are they supposed to be without any individual distinctiveness? The answer is, by following Headquarters and the dictates of Maximum Brother. It's a push for centralisation and control, with hardly the slightest hint of spiritual veneer. And he shows his cultural roots: uniformity and conformity equals "oneness", LSM-style.

One further point: if you look at whatever was going on in the LC when Lee was giving his Life Study Conferences, then you'll usually find the source of his "vision"; it was indeed a "timely word". . . check the date of the Revelation training and probably some church or regional leader was getting too "distinctive" if you know what I mean. The whole thing was political to further selfish business interests. (Ohio tells us that one day Witness Lee rang up Titus Chu, and informed him, "You just bought 1,000 chairs". Evidently one of his family's business deals went south.)

This thread grew out of a discussion on the Full Time Training. Drake had said, in effect, "It's not for everyone." I replied, "It's not for anyone" and pointed to stuff like this as my reasoning. I also mentioned other things as well but got challenged on a footnote so here we are.