LiveStrong and A-Rod

[Ohio]

I happened to hear Mike & Mike this morning talk about some recent Alex Rodriguez sports news and Lance Armstrong was mentioned in the mix. My background with the history of Witness Lee immediately filled my thoughts. In fact, it was this very similar connection in their behaviors which so upset me, causing me to lose so much respect for a brother and minister whom I once loved so dearly.

Let me explain the connection using Lance Armstrong, whom I used to be a fan of. Lance, of course, had his detractors, claiming that he cheated by doping, but often other athletes have their egos and jealousies to contend with. But Lance was also a great guy who did many wonderful things for his foundations. He was also a cancer survivor, which also painted a heart-warming backdrop for his successes. He visited hospitals to encourage other victims of cancer. He was an all around great guy, he was arguably the best in his sport, he was the BOTA, the Biker of the Age. And he was an American in a mostly French sport, at a time when "french fries" became "freedom fries."

Here's the problem. Lance was also a great liar. He was the best at self-promotion. He was willing to throw any and all detractors under the bus to preserve his own legacy. He was litigious, and those who spoke up as whistle blowers were taken to court to silence them. Lance was so believable he won every court case. He maintained a stellar reputation, with a lengthy trail of damaged reputations in his wake. To uphold his many laurels, we were basically forced to believe "only Lance is true, and every man a liar."

To his credit, one day Lance came clean, and admitted what he had done. Lee, however, never did nor ever would. Lee also was litigious towards every detractor. He destroyed the reputations of notable men of God in the Recovery whose only "crime" was to speak their conscience against Lee and his abuses. In order to maintain his "god-man" status as the acting God, the Deputy Authority, the Minister of the Age, etc. we basically were forced to believe that "only Lee is true, and every man a liar."

One day I learned that Lee was lying to us about the so-called conspiracies against him. He wrongfully destroyed John Ingalls et.al. calling them rebellious lepers. Learning this news about what really has happened in LC history is so toxic in nature that in the Recovery they called it being "poisoned." Once one learns this news, he can immediately change from an admirer to a depreciator. Overnight. I know, it happened to me.

Lee cared only for his own self-preservation, and that of his family and ministry business. On the morning sports show, A-rod was likened to a sociopath. I'm thinking it applies also to the way Lee acted when caught. What has upset me was not that Lee and Lance were merely deceivers and liars, but that they both were willing to destroy others who spoke the truth.