The last time I posted on a ubfriends related site had to have been over 4 months ago. Things have been totally crazy since then, as I have been working full time and going to graduate school full time while planning for my marriage. A lot has happened since then. I plan on today talking about my time in Chicago for Samuel Lee’s Memorial (read: worship) ceremony, and talking later about my marriage and weddings.
A New Editor
In October I had the distinct privilege and attending Sam’s memorial service. I was actually invited by Dr. John Jun, which came after I volunteered to proofread the articles for ubf.org. We got out to a rough start because the guy who was “in charge” of my volunteer work consistently argued with my English. He also refused to tell me who was in charge (no quotes here) of him. I was invited to Chicago to meet with Dr. John Jun and whoever else ran their web team about this time.
Samuel Lee’s Memorial Service
This service surprised me a lot. I assumed it would be all about how great a leader Samuel Lee was and how he was so great at being like Jesus. Instead this was all about upholding his legacy. It was actually stated just like that. We all started by reading his “spiritual legacy”. For me it’s a reminder about what many people are up against when they try to in any way alter the dogma here. You are not up against an ideal or a method that is flawed- you are up against “God’s Servant”. It quickly became apparent why things change so slowly. UBF has golden calves. More to the point, we are told that without a vision a people perish, but it is for the sake of the people that the vision exists. If our vision harms the people is violates a higher standard. I only heard three things about Dr. Lee the person, and how he treated people at his own memorial service. One of those instances was a woman who didn’t want to marry and “selfishly take care of her family” but was encouraged by Samuel Lee to marry anyways. When her husband died she received a card from him congratulating her on her husband’s death because he was in heaven. The other story was a story where a man was told to move from his high paying job to Chicago to be trained. He lived in abject poverty to do this (I forget the exact number but I remember it coming to $3-5 a day). The last story was from this same man, who said he didn’t have money to get his wife anything for Christmas on account of his recently acquired poverty. Samuel Lee told him to give her his bible study notes. She overjoyed because she needed to practice her English and this gave her a chance.
At the risk of burning bridges (it’s one I take daily), how can these stories provide me with the image of God Servant? They don’t particularly show me a person who loved and sacrificed for his flock. Why did Samuel Lee allow that man to live in poverty? Could he not have sacrificed for him, especially given that it was on his command that he moved? Why did Samuel Lee encourage someone to marry when she said she didn’t want to and then what type of callous person sends someone a congratulations card on her husband’s death?
But nevertheless, this was not unexpected given what I have heard about him. The last thing that will interest people everywhere. The writer of the daily bread that said he would be “totally destroyed” if we lost our first love (implied UBF), was removed from his position after receiving numerous complaints. This wasn’t publicly announced or anything, but I was happy to find that real change can happen when people speak up- even if that change is not announced.
Thanks all its good to be back,
Forestsfailyou
“I assumed it would be all about how great a leader Samuel Lee was and how he was so great at being like Jesus. Instead this was all about upholding his legacy. It was actually stated just like that. We all started by reading his “spiritual legacy”.”
Yes of course. This is not surprising at all. No one wants to be associated with SLee the man anymore. He is dead. When he was alive, people hung pictures of him on the wall, adoring him like Buddha.
But now for over a decade, ubfers want the glory of Lee, the power of Lee and the honor of Lee–but without Lee himself. They think they can gain the glory without using Lee’s terror-like control tactics. But they can’t. Cult ideology is still cult ideology (i.e. “spiritual heritage”).
Hitler teaches us that to implement such cult ideology, you must use force–political force, cultural force, propaganda force, and violent force if necessary. Any way you slice it, there is no way to advance a cult except by force.
The gospel, however, grows very differently.
Godwin’s Law having been demonstrated, I think this is a departure from other cults. In North Korea dropping a picture of a dead leader can result in death; statues of dictators are common.
I think that it is quite odd for a cult to have a memorial service and speak very little about the person who is the founder or leader.
I believe that UBF missionaries believe that by upholding his legacy they are honoring and respecting God’s chosen instrument. Such ideals leave little room for change. We have seen where his methods lead, and it is clear what needs to go- but when change conflicts the vision (seen as a mandate, a divine mandate) then nothing can move.
I believe the only way to fix these issues is by trying to connect UBF to the larger body of the Church. UBF fails most prominently because it is in isolation of the body of Christ. It therefore is trying to reinvent the wheel so to speak. It is not as though Samuel Lee’s methods have not been tried before, its rather that they were tried by the church and found lacking.
Godwin’s law does not mean fruitful discussion ends at the mention of Hitler. It just means we should discuss intelligently (https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/12/14/sure-call-trump-a-nazi-just-make-sure-you-know-what-youre-talking-about/)
“I think that it is quite odd for a cult to have a memorial service and speak very little about the person who is the founder or leader.”
That is only odd if we are talking about a personality cult. ubf was clearly a personality cult in the past, when SL was alive. Now they are a new religious cult (though there are mini-Slee’s out there still trying to create a personality cult again).
Another way to label ubf is a Korean campus Bible cult.
“I believe the only way to fix these issues is by trying to connect UBF to the larger body of the Church.”
The best way to fix the issues is to shut it down, admit the abuse and stop the cultic teachings.
The force of your argument is in your comparison to Hitler viz a viz- you have at best an ad hominum attack. You are not showing that their actions lead to something like Hitler’s regime. You are assuming it. That is pretty much the definition of unintelligent discussion.
” removed from his position after receiving numerous complaints”
This does not signal change necessarily. Even the Nazi’s removed people from various positions. If you bring too much shame to the glorious image of ubf, you will likely be removed from office. If you don’t fall into party lines often enough, you will likely be removed from office. No surprise here.
Hey Forests I am not comparing ubf to Hitler or the Nazi’s. Where did I do that?
What I am saying is that Hitler shows us some warnings that we should heed. I do not think Ubf is the Nazi’s or will become such.
“ubfers want the glory of Lee, the power of Lee and the honor of Lee–but without Lee himself. They think they can gain the glory without using Lee’s terror-like control tactics…Hitler teaches us that to implement such cult ideology, you must use force–political force, cultural force, propaganda force, and violent force if necessary.”
Ok well I apologize for unintentionally making a vis-à-vis argument. I am channeling Hitler due to my new book project.
My point is that it is not surprising for ubfers to distance themselves from SL.