Some objections to your good intention -- RSQUBF discussion forum

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Date Posted: 06:54:37 10/08/04 Fri
Author: Chris
Subject: Some objections to your good intention
In reply to: Hannah 's message, "Re: Hi, Jim (don't be too harsh, Nick)" on 17:13:27 10/07/04 Thu

Hannah, I understand your intentions. But I see some problems or potential problems:

1) I think it is not very Christian to simply wait (and even kind of "hope"!) that the current generation of leadership dies. From talks with UBF Koreans I know that some of the current leaders had already hoped for a long time that Samuel Lee died or somehow would be removed, but they would not say this in public, where they praise and flattered him. I think such behaviour is very hypocritical and unchristian. God warned Ezekiel that the blood of the corrupt leaders would come over him if he behaved in such a way (see here, for instance). Or did you ever notice what the Bible says in Lev 19:17, one verse before the famous "love your neighbor as yourself": "Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt." Mathew Henry says: "We incur guilt by not reproving; it is hating our brother. We should say, I will do him the kindness to tell him of his faults."

2) It will be much better when the current leadership would be challenged by the membership to repent and change. This would be better for themselves (since they will not see the Kingdom of Heaven without repentance - the first thing that the New Testament says about the Kingdom of Heaven
is that repentance is required before entry!), and this would be also better for the whole ministry. A ministry which only changed because the bad leaders died will not be a trustworthy and exemplary ministry. But a ministry that corrects itself and its leaders who have gone astray, and leaders who repent and search for reconciliation, will leave an impressive example. It would be a mighty and powerful ministry, much better than anything UBF ever did in its 40 years. Don't you agree? One of the reasons why Derek Prince is such a succesful and admired minister now is that he (and the other "Fort Lauderdale Five" shepherds) repented when he recognized he established an unbiblical shepherding/discipling system in the 1970s.

3) It may take a long time until a new leadership generation is raised. And it is very questionable whether among them not again "power mongers" will be the top leaders, not the contemplative and caring people like you. Don't believe that your generation is immune against power and flattery in a false system. If you don't speak openly about the wrongs of the UBF shepherding/discipling system, if you never call the unbiblical practices by name, nothing will change.

4) You advocate something which can be labeled as "slow" or "sneaky" reform. I.e. you never repents or admits that there has been a problem - or you only admit that the last generation had a small problem. But you never make a big cut and repent and apologize. I think this is not only a false behavior for individual Christians, but also for churches as a whole. How do you expect a Christian when he recognizes something is deeply wrong? He should repent, apologize, compensate for loss and take all measures that it does not happen again, right? Shouldn't a church as a whole behave the same? For instance, large parts of the Protestant church in Germany failed badly in the time of Hitler. Therefore, in 1945, after WWII, the German Church immediately published the Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt. This is the least you can expect from a church. If it makes mistakes, these should not only be corrected, but also repented of, admitted, confessed. Only then a church can be righteous before God and have credibility among people.

5) What about the victims of 40 years of UBF spiritual abuse? It's just like somebody rus over a pedestrian with a car, looks back, says "oops - I will make better from now on" and let the poor man persih there in his blood. Don't the victims of UBF deserve an apology? Will the next generation of leaders be able to do that? Maybe if the first generation of leaders has died out, the first generation of victims has also died out, and it is too late.

I completely support your work for reform in UBF. But you should demand reform NOW, demand repentance now - or at least openness and willingness for reform. Then you will see why we left. We could not stay in such an environment. If a group is not even willing to OPENLY and CONRETELY speak about its problems, I think it is not a healthy place. You can only get corrupt or hypocritical yourself over time.

Anyway, make a first step. Stand up for truth and justice in UBF. Get educated about the general problems of cult mind control, and about the particular problems and troubled history of UBF.

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