[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Cal

What they do is identify what they consider the best parts of Christian and Church history and say that's OUR legacy and even that's US. And they identify the bad parts and say that's "CHRISTIANITY'S" legacy and that's THEM.

The "Recovery" is all the good stuff, which they claim as theirs. All the bad stuff is not theirs. It doesn't matter what is is--if they like it they claim it as part of their legacy. If not, it's someone else's. And it doesn't matter how historically mixed-up and in various combinations these good and bad things have occurred. If it was good it's the "Recovery," and if it was bad it's "Christianity."

They never own failure. Why? Because "the Recovery" is by definition only the good stuff. If it's bad it's categorically not "the Recovery," therefore it's not them.

It's an astounding and monstrous self-deception. But it's equally astounding how effective it can be. People seem to want so much to believe that they are the good guys, and someone else are the bad guys.

Well said!!!

I can't even count the number of times I heard WL compare the best of the Recovery -- like a refreshing testimony from a young one -- to the worst of Christianity. And we all wildly cheered. Hurray for us!

But why not compare WL's own boys to some fine, upstanding youth pastors? That's an honest comparison.