Wait, It's A Cult?

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Actually, a discussion and a Google search qualifies you to write a book about your experience and be recognized as a Christian author, there's a high chance that a number of forum members here will buy it.

No doubt, a best seller here......

Front Cover Flap: A harrowing account of one man's descent into the bowels of an evil religious group and his struggle to escape. A unique and riveting experience of a wary christian attending weekly home meetings, church meetings, table meetings, picnics, and even spending Christmas break in Anaheim and a "training". Read about his explosive Q&A with elders, trainers, and brothers who encouraged him to ask questions. Finally, an arduous one year later, the author brings the reader on the journey back from the abyss starting with his Google search and overcoming the mental pressures from those who encouraged him to stay. In a nail biter ending the reader will follow the author in the startling account of how one day he got in his car and simply drove away.

[leastofthese]

Originally Posted by Drake

No doubt, a best seller here......

Front Cover Flap: A harrowing account of one man's descent into the bowels of an evil religious group and his struggle to escape. A unique and riveting experience of a wary christian attending weekly home meetings, church meetings, table meetings, picnics, and even spending Christmas break in Anaheim and a "training". Read about his explosive Q&A with elders, trainers, and brothers who encouraged him to ask questions. Finally, an arduous one year later, the author brings the reader on the journey back from the abyss starting with his Google searches and overcoming the mental pressures from those who encouraged him to stay. In a nail biter ending the reader will follow the author in the startling account of how one day he got in his car and simply drove away.

I love it! Maybe you can co-author? I'll have to catch you up to speed with my life outside of the forum, but I think you're on to something.

Who is the publisher for Jane Carole Anderson? We may need to get them in on this thing early, going to be huge.

Evan-gelical - Maybe you need to smile more my man - had to wait 1 year for a potluck invite?

[Drake]

Originally Posted by leastofthese

I love it! Maybe you can co-author? I'll have to catch you up to speed with my life outside of the forum, but I think you're on to something.

Who is the publisher for Jane Carole Anderson? We may need to get them in on this thing early, going to be huge.

Evan-gelical - Maybe you need to smile more my man - had to wait 1 year for a potluck invite?

Why the chapter on "Picnics" alone would be worth the price!

[leastofthese]

Originally Posted by Drake

Why the chapter on "Picnics" alone would be worth the price!

Your artistic license really made my post "My Time With The Local Church" jump off the page! My version seemed so boring and relatable. I can only imagine what you could do with the "picnic" chapter.

Maybe after our book deal, we can start working on the movie... one step at a time. I'll be played by Dwayne Johnson and I guess you'd be christopher walken or willem dafoe to keep with your narrative?

[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.
-

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

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.
-

Important to note whenever a former member presents something to contradict a LSM spin, he or she will be written off as a "disgruntled former member". If it's a current member doing it, he or she will be written off as a "disgruntled member" soon to be refused admission to any LDM.
Not once is there any concession the contrarian-speaking brothers or sisters are following their conscience, the leading of the Spirit, or staying under the headship of Christ.

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by leastofthese

Your artistic license really made my post "My Time With The Local Church" jump off the page! My version seemed so boring and relatable. I can only imagine what you could do with the "picnic" chapter.

Maybe after our book deal, we can start working on the movie... one step at a time. I'll be played by Dwayne Johnson and I guess you'd be christopher walken or willem dafoe to keep with your narrative?

Already sounds more interesting than the Left Behind series. This idea might take off.

[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Already sounds more interesting than the Left Behind series. This idea might take off.

You could make it a kind of "Hansel and Gretel" theme. Oh, hold it, wrong type of cult. That would be more along the lines of Manson or Jim Jones.

Maybe the three pigs, as the Christian wanders from one church to the next until they finally do the work to dig down to the rock. PL could be one of the pigs. Not sure who the wolf would be.

Or, maybe the princess and the pea. Probably the theme that Drake would prefer, as we discover how "sensitive" and "modern" the Bride of Christ is.

Of course you can expect the LRC rebuttal to be along the lines of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table as WN pulls the sword from the stone. They could portray WL as Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk as he trades in the milk cow of the LRC for a couple of FTTT magic beans. The blendeds could be the seven dwarves as they protect the "true church" from the wicked witch of Christianity.

[leastofthese]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

Of course you can expect the LRC rebuttal to be along the lines of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table as WN pulls the sword from the stone. They could portray WL as Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk as he trades in the milk cow of the LRC for a couple of FTTT magic beans. The blendeds could be the seven dwarves as they protect the "true church" from the wicked witch of Christianity.

ZNP - That's hilarious, Drake and I may need you on the creative team too.