[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Drake

Yet caring does not equal sitting silent while members slander other believers. Caring does not mean their mocking and derision go unchecked. Caring is challenging mischaracterizations, lack of due diligence, and scripturally unsubstantiated conclusions and misguided teachings. It is a strange irony that the forum is largely represented by members who have become the very thing they wanted to expose and warn others about.

Nice attempted switcharooney by the master of switcharooneys. No believers are being slandered here on this forum. Speaking the truth does not equal slander, but whining and crying about it probably makes a certain person feel useful. Oh well, we all have our purpose, now don't we. Witness Lee made a career of slandering his brothers and sisters in Christ, both outside his movement, and maybe even worse slandering of his own followers. As a matter of fact, slandering and character assassination are one of the hallmark attributes of a cult leader, and the atmosphere created by such leaders usually lives on long after the leader passes away. Such is the dynamic we see in the Local Church of Witness Lee.

Back in the late 70s there was a rash of "cult" exposés, especially in the Southern California area. The Local Church of Witness Lee caught the attention of a number of Christian apologists, and even some elements of the secular media. Lee and his followers only made matters worse by their secretive and combative attitude towards any and all persons who inquired about what they really taught and practiced behind those meeting hall doors. Of course Lee and his followers had a huge vested interest in not having people hear the despicable, deplorable and yes, even slanderous language directed at Christians and non-Christians alike.

By this time Max Rapaport and his wife Sandee were as close to Witness Lee as anyone could be. It was obvious that Max was Lee's "right hand man". It was during this period that Max was made the scapegoat for exposing Witness Lee's son Phillip for being the serial abuser he had been for years. At that time, neither Max, nor any other of the gullible American brothers in So.Calif had any idea of how deep Witness Lee's nepotism actually ran. Max went from being one of Lee's closest and trusted confidants, to being publicly slandered with such labels as "the evil one". It wasn't long before Max was being interviewed by the LA Times and all but accused the Local Church of being a dangerous cult of sorts, and strongly encouraged parents to do what was necessary to get their children out of the movement, even to take the drastic step of employing the use of a professional "deprogrammer".

Ten years later, history repeated itself. Only this time the exposing and pressure came mostly from within the Movement itself. Once again, Phillip Lee was at the epicenter, and once again the biggest and most serious concerns were coming from Witness Lee's closest and strongest confidants. This time it was John Ingalls, Bill Mallon, John So, and just like the many other "rebellions", nobody's head was to be spared. Lee once again took his self-appointed place as prosecutor, judge and jury. "The Fermentation of The Present Rebellion" sealed the fate of all who stood accused, and all were viciously slandered, set aside and/or quarantined. Yet again, the news of "trouble within the Local Church movement" reached the secular media, and the Name and cause of Christ was besmirched and somewhat damaged because to Witness Lee, family blood ran thicker, (and the green stuff ran thicker too) and the desire to save his own skin and name, became infinitely more important than to preserve and glorify the Name and cause of Christ and his Kingdom.
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