Quote:
Originally Posted by UntoHim
Benson Phillips may have been a lot of things, but he wasn't dumb. There has been ample testimony on these forums that Benson knew EXACTLY what kind of person Philip Lee was. Even if he didn't experience "the Philip treatment" (as some brothers in Anaheim coined it) firsthand, it was reported to him by others who he had good reason to believe were faithful witnesses. So why would Benson, in his right mind, "follow" Philip Lee? Why wouldn't he do what anybody with any semblance of spiritual maturity, and even a basic understanding of the responsibilities of a Christian leader, would do under the circumstances - Go with others to Philip's boss (Witness) and DEMAND that he be removed immediately from any position of responsibility or influence.
Why didn't Benson do the right thing? Well, aron has given us the answer in the part quoted above. At best he was caught up in the garlic room of Witness Lee's La-la land where the reality of right and wrong are trumped by the subjective "feeling of life" as dictated by the person and work of Witness Lee, and at worst it was all of the above, taking Benson and the rest of us from the frying pan of the La-la garlic room to the fire of a cult-like system of error. My personal opinion is that it was probably something in between. But hey, what do I know, I'm just a 20-year "bitter former member" who can't bring himself to admit that Witness Lee was at one time an anointed minister.
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Benson did not put up with that nonsense because he was "drugged" with the "feeling of life" in the garlic room, but because Lee made it clear that his "successor" would have to be "absolutely one" with him the same way Lee was with Nee. The exact same description, however, also characterized Titus Chu. Why would he put up with all the abuse from WL and PL, unless he desired to be his "true" successor.
Benson and Titus were really the two rivals for Lee's position. Personally, I still cannot believe that Titus lost. He definitely underestimated Benson. Titus was much more spiritual, scriptural, gifted as a speaker, and respected around the globe, especially in the Asian world, where many were already clamoring, "Nee, Lee, Chu." But Benson controlled LSM in Anaheim, and was as resolved as steel. Furthermore, I believe that Titus was more constrained by the truth and the Lord's righteousness. Benson, however, was free to employ every means possible, just as Lee had done before him, in order to justify the end game. All the events surrounding the Whistler Quarantine seem to prove this.