Quote:
Originally Posted by Trapped
The first thing I noticed is the phrase "church life", which was repeated three times in the first three sentences. This is a phrase commonly used within the local churches to refer to itself (i.e. "when I touched the church life" means what would typically be stated as "when I joined ABC Church"). So immediately it seems like Lee is stating that the local churches are special because they hold a Christian faith. This is, as usual, hand-in-hand with the viewpoint in the local churches that they are "it" and are the only expression of the Body, or, excuse me, the "practical" or "proper" expression of the Body.
"God" section: I don't know what the LCs get out of using the phrase "uniquely one" to describe God. I have checked out a number of other churches' statements of faith and they just use the word "one".
His "Christ" section is incredibly difficult to read because it's a handful of words broken up by parenthetical verse references, repeated also noticed too what you said that Lee says things like "genuine believers" or "genuine Christians". It's just another dividing, us-vs-them word.
While he does admit that some may disagree on OCOC, he then essentially calls anyone who does disagree an "improper Christian", by saying as "proper Christians" we have to believe OCOC.
Just a little further down Lee uses another phrases that chaps me, "so-called". The "so-called" Pentecostal people. There is too much haughtiness and arrogance in just the first few pages for me to stomach..
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Trapped,
I agree that Lee's work is shot through with a tone of judgment and sectarian division, using code words like "genuine", "proper" and whatnot to control the flock. If you look at any HWMR outline it's littered with such stock phrases, reinforcing the prior mental conditioning that what is "in" (the fabled "church life") is good and desirable, and what is "outside" is at best to be tolerated. (But the fire-breathers have permission to reject everything but the words of ministry).
Yet only Jesus is "proper" and "genuine". That is at the root of the gospel and our Christian faith. To somehow wrap ourselves in this mantle, whilst pushing others away, is self-deception. And these books strike me as such.
Again, I also am much self-deceived. But I'm not selling my books and starting training centers. I'm just pointing out why this book doesn't carry much stock with me.