Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
There is a definition of a cult that has not been addressed here so far and the OP fails to mention it -
My definition of a cult:
A cult is a group which is subject to mesmerization and has hypnotic following of a leader or leaders, who have sinister intent. A cult implies a person's own rational and logical free-will being overtaken by mesmerization or hypnosis.
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1. Mesmerization -- If you told me I had been "mesmerized" while in the LRC I would have rejected that.
2. Hypnotic following -- Many claimed that "pray reading" and "calling on the name of the Lord" were practices conducive to "hypnotic following". Again, I was in the LRC, I heard this, I rejected it.
3. Sinister intent of leader -- Even to this day how many of the leaders of the LRC do we ascribe "sinister intent" to? This is incredibly difficult to prove. How do you know what someone's intent is?
In my experience this definition would not have had the slightest benefit to me while in the LRC.
Even to this day I don't believe I was "mesmerized" rather I was deceived by a fabricated story. I had some misgivings about the story but since no one challenged it I never really spent time to think on it carefully. If you had told me that the false prophet's ministry was based on a fabricated story, based on the Apostle Peter's ministry I would have received that. If you told me that Witness Lee's ministry was based on the fact that he was the closest coworker of WN I would have received that. If you then said that this story about WN's excommunication is the "foundation" of WL's ministry because if it is false, he is a false prophet, only if it is true is he really a true minister. I would have agreed with that as well.
You could then tell me that the "false prophet" is the false Christ that Jesus referred to as there being many of them. I would have agreed. If you then went carefully through the verse references made by WL concerning WN being the "minister of the Age" I would have agreed that they were referring to Jesus. If you then said that Jesus is the "Minister of the Age" I would have agreed. You would have had to leave me with that, and I would have thought on it, but you would have made a case I would have listened to that WL's ministry was based on a fabricated story and that he was setting himself up as a false Christ.
At that point I would have been on high alert to observe if the purpose of WL's ministry was to "make merchandise of the saints" and also if the fruit of this ministry is poisonous. I would have seen instance after instance supporting these two points and instead of accepting that I should ignore these things as others will take care of that, I wouldn't have ignored it. The prime example is when I heard that JI left. I would not have accepted that he "became negative" but would have looked into it. It would have been a great salvation to me have learned this lesson as a young Christian. Shortly after this I saw LSM try to ram rod these "truth lessons" down the throat of new ones and falsely credit successful evangelistic efforts with their books.
That is how you help someone in the LRC.