Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

God Himself is the truth, and He possesses all the truths. God is the source of the truth. Every positive thing and every truth come from God. He can pass judgment on the rightness and wrongness of all things and all events; He can pass judgment on things that have happened, things that are happening now, and future things yet unknown to man. God is the only Judge who can pass judgment on the rightness and wrongness of all things, and this means the rightness and wrongness of all things can only be judged by God. He knows the criteria for all things. He can express truths at any time and place. God is the embodiment of the truth, which means that He Himself is possessed of the essence of the truth. Even if man understands many truths and is perfected by God, would they then have anything to do with the embodiment of the truth? No. This is a certainty. When man is made perfect, regarding God’s current work and the various standards God requires of man, they will have accurate judgment and methods of practice, and they will fully understand God’s intentions. They can differentiate between what comes from God and what comes from man, between what is right and what is wrong. Yet there are some things which remain unattainable and unclear to man, things which they can only know after God tells them. Could man know or predict things yet unknown, things that God has not yet told them? Absolutely not. Moreover, even if man obtained the truth from God, possessed the truth reality, and knew the essence of many truths, and had the ability to discern right from wrong, would they have the ability to control and govern all things? They would not have this ability. That is the difference between God and man. Created beings can only ever obtain the truth from the source of the truth. Can they obtain the truth from man? Is man the truth? Can man provide the truth? They cannot, and therein lies the difference. You can only receive the truth, not provide it. Can you be called a person that possesses the truth? Can you be called the embodiment of the truth? Absolutely not! What exactly is the essence of the embodiment of the truth? It is the source that provides the truth, the source of governance and sovereignty over all things, and it is also the sole criterion and standard by which all things and all events are judged. This is the embodiment of the truth.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Eight: They Would Have Others Submit Only to Them, Not the Truth or God (Part Three)

In His expression of the truth, God expresses His disposition and essence; His expression of the truth is not based on the various positive things and statements people believe that are summarized by humankind. God’s words are God’s words; God’s words are truth. They are the sole foundation and law by which humankind exists, and all those so-called tenets that originate from man are wrong, absurd, and condemned by God. They do not meet with His approval, and less still are they the origin or basis of His utterances. God expresses His disposition and His essence through His words. All the words brought forth by God’s expression are truth, for He has the essence of God, and He is the reality of all positive things. No matter how this corrupt humankind positions or defines God’s words, nor how they view them or understand them, God’s words are eternally the truth, and this is a fact that never alters. No matter how many words of God have been spoken, and no matter how much this corrupt, wicked humankind condemns and rejects them, there remains a fact that is forever unchanging: God’s words will always be the truth, and man can never change this. In the end, man must admit that God’s words are the truth, and that humankind’s esteemed traditional culture and scientific knowledge can never become positive things, and that they can never become the truth. This is absolute. Humankind’s traditional culture and survival strategies will not become truth because of the changes or passage of time, and neither will the words of God become the words of man due to humankind’s condemnation or forgetfulness. Truth is always truth; this essence will never change. What fact exists herein? It is that these common sayings which humankind has summated find their source in Satan and human imaginings and notions, or they arise from human hot-headedness and the corrupt dispositions of humans, and they have nothing at all to do with positive things. The words of God, on the other hand, are expressions of God’s essence and identity. For what reason does He express these words? Why do I say they are truth? The reason is that God is sovereign over all the laws, rules, roots, essences, actualities, and mysteries of all things. They are grasped in His hand. Therefore, only God knows the rules, actualities, facts, and mysteries of all things. God knows the origin of all things, and God knows what exactly the root of all things is. Only the definitions for all things presented in God’s words are the most accurate, and only God’s words are the standards and principles for the life of human beings and the truths and criteria by which human beings can live, whereas the satanic laws and theories which man has relied on to live since being corrupted by Satan are at once contrary to the fact that God is sovereign over all things, and to the fact that He is sovereign over all thing’s laws and rules. All of man’s satanic theories arise from man’s notions and imaginings, and they are from Satan. What sort of role does Satan play? First, it presents itself as the truth; next, it disturbs, destroys, and tramples on all the laws and rules of all the things that God created. Therefore, that which comes from Satan matches Satan’s essence all too well, and it is filled with Satan’s wicked purpose, with counterfeit and pretense, and with Satan’s ever-unchanging ambition. No matter whether corrupt humans can discern these philosophies and theories from Satan, and no matter how many people tout, promote, and follow these things, and no matter for how many years and ages corrupt humankind has admired, worshiped, and preached about them, they will not become truth. Because their essence, origin, and source is Satan, who is hostile to God and hostile to the truth, these things will therefore never become truth—they will always be negative things. When there is no truth to compare with, they may pass for good and positive things, but when the truth is used to expose and dissect them, they are not infallible, they cannot stand up to scrutiny, and are things that are quickly condemned and rejected. The truth expressed by God precisely coincides with the needs of the normal humanity of humankind that God created, whereas the things that Satan instills into people are precisely contrary to the needs of the normal humanity of humankind. They make a normal person become abnormal, and become extreme, narrow-minded, arrogant, foolish, wicked, intransigent, vicious, and even unbearably haughty. There is a point at which it gets so serious that people become deranged and don’t even know who they are. They don’t want to be normal or ordinary people, and instead insist on being superhumans, people with special powers, or high-level human beings—these things have warped people’s humanity and warped their instinct. The truth makes people able to exist more instinctively according to the rules and laws of normal humanity and all these rules established by God, whereas these so-called common adages and misleading sayings precisely make people turn against human instinct and evade the laws ordained and formulated by God, even to the point of making people deviate from the track of normal humanity and do some extreme things that normal people should not do or think about. These satanic laws not only warp people’s humanity, but also make people lose their normal humanity and normal humanity instinct.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part One)

Since mankind’s contrivance of the social sciences, the mind of man has become occupied by science and knowledge. Science and knowledge then have become tools for the ruling of mankind, and there is no longer sufficient room for man to worship God, and no more favorable conditions for the worship of God. The position of God has sunk ever lower in the heart of man. Without God in his heart, man’s inner world is dark, hopeless and empty. Subsequently many social scientists, historians, and politicians have come to the fore to express theories of social science, the theory of human evolution, and other theories that contradict the truth that God created man, to fill the hearts and minds of mankind. And in this way, those who believe that God created everything have become ever fewer, and those who believe in the theory of evolution have become ever greater in number. More and more people treat the records of the work of God and His words during the age of the Old Testament as myths and legends. In their hearts, people become indifferent to the dignity and greatness of God, to the tenet that God exists and holds dominion over all things. The survival of mankind and the fate of countries and nations are no longer important to them, and man lives in a hollow world concerned only with eating, drinking, and the pursuit of pleasure. … Few people take it upon themselves to seek out where God does His work today, or to look for how He presides over and arranges the destination of man. And in this way, unbeknownst to man, human civilization becomes less and less able to hew to man’s wishes, and there are even many people who feel that, living in such a world, they are less happy than those who have already passed away. Even people of countries that used to be highly civilized air such grievances. For without the guidance of God, no matter how much rulers and sociologists wrack their brains to preserve human civilization, it is to no avail. No one can fill the emptiness in man’s heart, for no one can be the life of man, and no social theory can free man from the emptiness with which he is afflicted. Science, knowledge, freedom, democracy, leisure, comfort: these bring man only a temporary consolation. Even with these things, man still inevitably sins and bemoans the injustices of society. These things cannot restrain man’s craving and desire to explore. This is because man was made by God and the senseless sacrifices and explorations of man can only lead to more distress and can only cause man to exist in a constant state of fear, not knowing how to face the future of mankind or how to face the path that lies ahead. Man even comes to fear science and knowledge, and fear even more the feeling of emptiness. In this world, regardless of whether you live in a free country or one without human rights, you are utterly incapable of escaping the fate of mankind. Whether you are the ruler or the ruled, you are utterly incapable of escaping the desire to explore the fate, mysteries, and destination of mankind, much less are you capable of escaping the bewildering sense of emptiness. Such phenomena, which are common to all of mankind, are called social phenomena by sociologists, yet no great man can come forth to solve such problems. Man, after all, is man, and the position and life of God cannot be replaced by any man. Mankind does not just require a fair society in which everyone is well-fed and is equal and free; what mankind needs is the salvation of God and His provision of life to them. Only when man receives God’s provision of life and His salvation can the needs, the yearning to explore, and the spiritual emptiness of man be resolved. If the people of a country or a nation are unable to receive the salvation and care of God, then such a country or nation will tread the road of decline, toward darkness, and shall be annihilated by God.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind

Knowledge of ancient culture has surreptitiously stolen man from the presence of God and turned him over to the king of devils and its progeny. The Four Books and Five Classics^[a] have taken man’s thinking and notions into another age of rebellion, causing him to give even greater adulation than before to those who compiled the Book/Classic of Documents, and as a result to further exacerbate his notions about God. Unbeknownst to man, the king of devils heartlessly cast God out from his heart and then occupied it itself with triumphant glee. Since that time, man became possessed of an ugly soul and of the countenance of the king of devils. A hatred of God filled his chest, and the spiteful malice of the king of devils spread within man day after day until he was utterly consumed. Man no longer had the least bit of freedom and had no way of breaking free from the toils of the king of devils. He had no choice but to be taken captive on the spot, to surrender and fall down in submission in its presence. Long ago, when man’s heart and soul was still in its infancy, the king of devils planted in it the seed of the tumor of atheism, teaching him such fallacies as “study science and technology; realize the Four Modernizations; and there is no such thing as God in the world.” Not only that, it shouts out at every opportunity: “Let us rely on our industrious labor to build a beautiful homeland,” asking each and every person to be prepared from childhood to render faithful service to their country. Man, unwitting, was brought into its presence, where it unhesitatingly arrogated all the credit (meaning the credit belonging to God for holding all of mankind in His hands) unto itself. Never did it have any sense of shame. Moreover, it shamelessly seized God’s people and dragged them back into its house, where it leaped like a mouse onto the table and had man worship it as God. What a desperado! It cries out scandalous, shocking things, such as: “There is no such thing as God in the world. The wind comes from transformations according to natural laws; rain comes when water vapor, meeting with cold temperatures, condenses into drops that fall to earth; an earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the earth due to geological changes; drought is due to dryness in the air caused by nucleonic disruption on the sun’s surface. These are natural phenomena. Where, in all this, is there an act of God?” There are even those who shout out statements like the following, statements that should not be given voice: “Man evolved from apes in the ancient past, and the world today comes from a succession of primitive societies starting from approximately an eon ago. Whether a country flourishes or declines rests entirely in the hands of its people.” In the background, it makes man hang it on the wall or place it on the table to pay homage and make offerings to it. At the same time that it cries out, “There is no God,” it sets itself up as God, unceremoniously pushing God out of the bounds of the earth, while standing in God’s place and taking up the role of the king of devils. How utterly lost to reason! …

From top to bottom and from beginning to end, Satan has been disturbing the work of God and acting in opposition to Him. All this talk of “ancient cultural heritage,” valuable “knowledge of ancient culture,” “teachings of Taoism and Confucianism,” and “Confucian classics and feudal rites” has taken man into hell. Advanced modern-day science and technology, as well as highly developed industry, agriculture, and business are nowhere to be seen. Rather, all it does is emphasize the feudal rites propagated by the “apes” of ancient times in order to deliberately disrupt, oppose, and dismantle the work of God. Not only has it continued to afflict man until this day, but it even wants to swallow^[1] man whole. The transmission of the moral and ethical teachings of feudalism and the passing down of the knowledge of ancient culture have long infected humanity, turning them into devils big and small. Few are those who would gladly receive God, few who would jubilantly welcome His coming. The face of all humanity is filled with murderous intent, and in every place, a killing breath pervades the air. They seek to cast God out from this land; with knives and swords in hand, they arrange themselves in battle formation to “annihilate” God.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Work and Entry (7)

Footnotes:

1. “Swallow” refers to the vicious behavior of the king of devils, which ravishes people in their entirety.

a. The Four Books and Five Classics are the authoritative books of Confucianism in China.

Regardless of your current level of knowledge, or how advanced your degrees and academic qualifications are, I’m now speaking about humanity’s views on knowledge and My views on knowledge. Do you know what God thinks about knowledge? Someone might say that God wishes developed science for mankind, and for them to understand more scientific knowledge, as He doesn’t want man to be too backward, ignorant and uncomprehending. This is correct, but God uses these things to render service, and doesn’t approve of them. No matter how wonderful these things are in the eyes of man, they are neither the truth nor a substitute for the truth, so God expresses the truth to change people and their dispositions. Although God’s words can occasionally touch on views or ways of looking at knowledge like Confucianism or social sciences, they’re only representative of such views. Reading between the lines of God’s words, we should see that He detests human knowledge. Human knowledge not only contains basic sentences and simple doctrines, but also some thoughts and views, as well as human absurdity, prejudices, and satanic poisons. Some knowledge can even mislead and corrupt people—it is the poison and tumor of Satan, and once someone has accepted this knowledge and understands it, Satan’s poison will grow into a tumor in their heart. This tumor will spread to their whole body, inevitably resulting in death if they are not healed by God’s words and cured by the truth. So, the more knowledge people gain, the more they grasp, then the less likely they are to believe in God’s existence. Instead, they will actually deny and resist Him, as knowledge is something they can see and touch, and is mostly related to things in their lives. People can study and gain a lot of knowledge in school, but they are blind to the source of knowledge and its connection with the spiritual realm. Most of the knowledge that people learn and grasp goes against the truth of God’s words, with philosophical materialism and evolution in particular belonging to the heresies and fallacies of atheism. It is undoubtedly a load of fallacies which resist God. What will you gain if you read history books, well-known authors’ works, or biographies of great people, or perhaps study certain scientific or technological aspects? For example, if you study physics you will master some physical principles, Newtonian theory or other doctrines but, when learned and taken to heart, these things will take over your mind and dominate your thinking. When you then come to read God’s words, you’ll think: “How come God doesn’t mention gravity? Why isn’t outer space discussed? Why isn’t God talking about whether the moon has an atmosphere, or how much oxygen there is on earth? God should disclose these things, as they’re the things that really need to be made known and told to mankind.” If you harbor these kinds of thoughts in your heart, then you’ll regard the truth and God’s words as secondary, instead elevating to the fore all your knowledge and theories. This is how you will treat God’s word. At any rate, these intellectual things will give people the wrong idea and cause them to stray from God. It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not, or whether you can accept it today—the day will come when you will admit this fact. Do you truly understand how knowledge can lead people to destruction, to hell? There are some who may not be willing to accept this, because there are some highly educated and very knowledgeable people among you. I’m not mocking you or being sarcastic, I’m simply stating a fact. Neither am I asking you to accept it right here and right now, but to gradually come to an understanding of this aspect. Knowledge causes you to use your mind and intellect to analyze and deal with everything God does. It will become a hindrance and obstacle to you knowing God and experiencing His work, and lead you to stray from and resist God. But you have knowledge now, so what do you do? You have to differentiate between knowledge which is practical, and that which comes from Satan and belongs to heresy and fallacy. If you only accept atheistic, absurd knowledge, it can obstruct your belief in God, disturb your normal relationship with Him and your acceptance of the truth, and block your life entry. This you need to know, for it is correct.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Path of Practice Toward Changing One’s Disposition

Knowledge, experience, lessons—none of these things are the truth; they have absolutely nothing to do with the truth. These things even go against the truth and are condemned by God. Take knowledge, for example, does history count as a form of knowledge? (Yes.) How did the knowledge and history books about human history, the history of certain countries or ethnic groups, modern history, ancient history, or even certain unofficial histories, come about? (They were written by people.) So, do the things written by people accord with true history? Aren’t people’s ideas and views at odds with the principles, ways, and means of God’s actions? Are these words spoken by man related to true history? (No.) There is no relation. Therefore, regardless of how accurate the records contained in history books are, they are only knowledge. Regardless of how eloquent those historians are, and how logically and clearly they narrate these histories, what is the conclusion you will arrive at after listening to them? (We will know of those events.) Yes, you will know of those events. But are they narrating these histories merely for the purpose of informing you about those events? They have a certain idea that they wish to indoctrinate you with. And what is the focus of their indoctrination? This is what we need to analyze and dissect. Let Me give an example so that you might understand what it is they wish to indoctrinate people with. After reviewing history from ancient times to the present, people have ultimately come up with a saying; they have observed a fact from human history, which is: “The winners take the crown, and the losers get nothing.” Is this knowledge? (Yes.) This knowledge comes from historical facts. Does this saying have anything to do with the ways and means by which God holds sovereignty over all things? (No.) In fact, it is the opposite; it contradicts and goes against them. So, you have been indoctrinated with this saying, and if you do not understand the truth, or if you are a nonbeliever, what might you think after hearing it? How would you perceive this saying? First of all, these historians or history books list all the events of this kind, using sufficient evidence and historical events to substantiate the accuracy of the saying. At first, you may have only learned this saying from a book, and merely know of the saying itself. You might only understand it on one level or to a certain extent until you become aware of these events. But once you hear these historical facts, your recognition and acknowledgment of the saying will deepen. You absolutely will not say, “Some things aren’t like that.” Instead, you will say, “That is how it is; looking at history from ancient times to the present, mankind has developed in this way—the winners take the crown, and the losers get nothing!” When you perceive the matter in such a way, what views and attitudes will you hold toward your comportment, your career, and your day-to-day life, as well as the people, events, and things around you? Will such a perception change your attitude? (Yes.) Above all else, it will. So, how will it change your attitude? Will it guide and change the direction of your life and your methods for worldly dealings? Perhaps you previously believed that “Harmony is a treasure; forbearance is brilliance” and “The good have peaceful lives.” Now, you will think, “Since ‘the winners take the crown, and the losers get nothing,’ if I want to become an official, I’ll have to carefully consider So-and-so. They’re not on my side, so I can’t promote them—even if they deserve to be promoted.” As you think about things in this way, your attitude will change—and it will change quickly. How will this change come about? It will be because you accepted the idea and viewpoint that “The winners take the crown, and the losers get nothing.” Hearing many facts will only further affirm the correctness of this view in real human life for you. You will deeply believe that you should apply this viewpoint to your own actions and comportment in order to pursue your future life and prospects. Will this idea and viewpoint not then have changed you? (Yes.) And while it is changing you, it will also be corrupting you. That’s how it is. Such knowledge changes and corrupts you. So, when looking at the root of this matter, regardless of how accurately these histories are laid out, they are ultimately summarized into this saying, and you are indoctrinated with this idea. Is this knowledge the embodiment of the truth or the logic of Satan? (The logic of Satan.) That’s correct. Have I explained this in enough detail? (Yes.) Now it’s clear. If you do not believe in God, you still won’t understand this even after two lifetimes—the more you live, the more you will feel that you are foolish, and think that you aren’t ruthless enough, and that you should be more ruthless, more cunning, more sinister, and a worse and more evil person. You will think to yourself: “If he can kill, then I must set fires. If he kills one person, then I must kill 10. If he kills without leaving a trace, then I will harm people without them knowing—I’ll even make their descendants thank me for three generations!” This is the influence that Satan’s philosophy, knowledge, experience, and lessons have wrought upon mankind. In reality, it’s just abuse and corruption. Therefore, no matter what kind of knowledge is being preached or propagated in this world, it will indoctrinate you with an idea or viewpoint. If you cannot discern this, you will be poisoned. All in all, one thing is certain now: It doesn’t matter if this knowledge comes from common folk or from official sources, whether it is revered by a minority or revered by the majority—none of it is relevant to the truth. The truth is the reality of all positive things. Its correctness is not determined by the number of people who acknowledge it. The reality of positive things is itself the truth. No one can change this, nor can anyone deny it. The truth will always be the truth.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Eight: They Would Have Others Submit Only to Them, Not the Truth or God (Part Three)

Those who are of the devil all live for themselves. Their life view and maxims mainly come from Satan’s sayings, such as “Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost,” “Man dies for wealth as birds do for food,” and other such fallacies. All these words spoken by those devil kings, great ones, and philosophers have become man’s very life. In particular, most of the words of Confucius, who is touted by Chinese people as a “sage,” have become man’s life. There are also the famous proverbs of Buddhism and Taoism, and the oft-quoted classic sayings of various famous figures. These are all summations of Satan’s philosophies and Satan’s nature. They are also the best illustrations and explanations of Satan’s nature. These poisons that have been infused into the heart of man all come from Satan, and not the least bit of them comes from God. Such devilish words are also in direct opposition to God’s word. It is absolutely clear that the realities of all positive things come from God, and all negative things that poison man come from Satan. Therefore, you can discern a person’s nature and to whom they belong by looking at their life view and values. Satan corrupts people through the education and influence of national governments and of the famous and great. Their devilish words have become man’s life and nature. “Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost” is a well-known satanic saying that has been instilled into everyone, and this has become man’s life. There are other words of philosophies for worldly dealings that are also like this. Satan uses each nation’s traditional culture to educate, mislead, and corrupt people, causing mankind to fall into and be engulfed by a boundless abyss of destruction, and in the end, people are destroyed by God because they serve Satan and resist God. Some people have served as public officials in society for decades. Imagine asking them the following question: “You’ve done so well in this capacity, what are the main famous sayings that you live by?” They might say, “The one thing I understand is this: ‘Officials do not make things difficult for those who bear gifts, and those who do not flatter accomplish nothing.’” This is the satanic philosophy their career is based on. Are these words not representative of such people’s nature? Unscrupulously using any means to obtain position has become their nature, officialdom and career success are their goals. There are still many satanic poisons in people’s lives, conduct, and behavior. For example, their philosophies for worldly dealings, their ways of doing things, and their maxims are all filled with the poisons of the great red dragon, and these all come from Satan. Thus, all things that flow through people’s bones and blood are of Satan. All of those officials, those who hold power, and those who are accomplished have their own paths and secrets to success. Are such secrets not perfectly representative of their nature? They have done such big things in the world, and no one can see through the schemes and intrigues that lay behind them. This shows just how insidious and venomous their nature is. Mankind has been profoundly corrupted by Satan. Satan’s venom flows through the blood of every person, and it can be said that man’s nature is corrupt, wicked, antagonistic, and in opposition to God, filled by and immersed in the philosophies and poisons of Satan. It has become, entirely, the nature essence of Satan. This is why people resist God and stand in opposition to God.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Know Man’s Nature

“Money makes the world go round” is a philosophy of Satan. It prevails among the whole of mankind, in every human society; you could say it is a trend. This is because it has been instilled in the heart of every single person, who at first did not accept this saying, but then gave it tacit acceptance when they came into contact with real life, and began to feel that these words were in fact true. Is this not a process of Satan corrupting man? Perhaps people do not understand this saying to the same degree, but everyone has different degrees of interpretation and acknowledgment of this saying based on things that have happened around them and on their own personal experiences. Is that not the case? Regardless of how much experience someone has with this saying, what is the negative effect that it can have on someone’s heart? Something is revealed through the human disposition of the people in this world, including each and every one of you. What is it? It is the worship of money. Is it hard to remove this from someone’s heart? It is very hard! It seems that Satan’s corruption of man is deep indeed! Satan uses money to tempt people, and corrupts them into worshiping money and venerating material things. And how is this worship of money manifested in people? Do you feel that you could not survive in this world without any money, that even one day without money would be impossible? People’s status is based on how much money they have, as is the respect they command. The backs of the poor are bent in shame, while the rich enjoy their high status. They stand tall and proud, speaking loudly and living arrogantly. What does this saying and trend bring to people? Is it not true that many people make any sacrifice in the pursuit of money? Do many people not lose their dignity and integrity in the pursuit of more money? Do many people not lose the opportunity to perform their duty and follow God for the sake of money? Is losing the chance to gain the truth and be saved not the greatest of all losses for people? Is Satan not sinister to use this method and this saying to corrupt man to such a degree? Is this not a malicious trick? As you progress from objecting to this popular saying to finally accepting it as truth, your heart falls completely into Satan’s grasp, and therefore you inadvertently come to live by the saying. To what degree has this saying affected you? You might know the true way, and you might know the truth, but you are powerless to pursue it. You may clearly know that God’s words are the truth, but you are unwilling to pay the price or to suffer in order to gain the truth. Instead, you would rather sacrifice your own future and destiny to resist God to the very end. No matter what God says, no matter what God does, no matter whether you understand how deep and how great God’s love for you is, you would stubbornly insist on having your own way and pay the price for this saying. Which is to say, this saying has already misled and controlled your thoughts, it has already governed your behavior, and you would rather let it rule your fate than set aside your pursuit of wealth. That people can act thus, that they can be controlled and manipulated by the words of Satan—does this not mean that they have been misled and corrupted by Satan? Have the philosophy and mindset of Satan, and the disposition of Satan, not taken root in your heart? When you blindly pursue wealth, and abandon the pursuit of the truth, has Satan not achieved its aim of misleading you? This is exactly the case. So can you feel it when you are misled and corrupted by Satan? You cannot. If you cannot see Satan standing right in front of you, or feel that it is Satan acting in the shadows, would you be able to see the wickedness of Satan? Could you know how Satan corrupts mankind? Satan corrupts man at all times and in all places. Satan makes it impossible for man to defend against this corruption and makes man helpless against it. Satan makes you accept its thoughts, its viewpoints and the wicked things that come from it in situations where you are unknowing and when you have no recognition of what is happening to you. People accept these things and take no exception to them. They cherish and hold on to these things like a treasure, they let these things manipulate them and toy with them; this is how people live under the power of Satan, and unconsciously obey Satan, and Satan’s corruption of man grows ever deeper.

—The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V

Now, there are some people who believe the saying “Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt” to be practical and correct. Do such people have discernment? Do they understand the truth? Are the thoughts and views of such people problematic? If someone within the church propagates this saying, they do so with a motive, they are trying to mislead others. They are attempting to use the saying “Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt” to dispel others’ misgivings or doubts about them. Implicitly, this means that they want others to trust they can do work, to trust that they are someone who can be made use of. Isn’t this their intent and goal? It must be. They think to themselves, “You never trust me and always doubt me. At some point, you’ll probably find some slight problem with me and dismiss me. How am I supposed to work if this is always on my mind?” So they propagate this view so that God’s house will trust them without doubt and leave them to work freely, thus achieving their goal. If someone is truly pursuing the truth, they should properly treat God’s house’s supervision over their work when they see it, knowing that this is for their own protection and, more importantly, that it’s also being responsible for the work of God’s house. Though they may reveal their corruption, they can pray to God to ask for God to scrutinize and protect them, or swear to God that they will accept His punishment if they do evil. Would this not put their mind at peace? Why propagate a fallacy to mislead people and achieve one’s own purpose? Some leaders and workers always have an attitude of resistance toward the supervision of God’s chosen people or the efforts of upper leaders and workers to learn about their work. What do they think? “‘Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt.’ Why are you always supervising me? Why do you make use of me if you don’t trust me?” If you ask them about their work or inquire about its progress and then ask about their personal state, they will become even more defensive: “This work has been entrusted to me; it falls within my purview. Why are you interfering in my work?” Though not daring to say it outright, they will insinuate, “As the saying goes, ‘Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt.’ Why are you such a doubtful person?” They will even condemn and label you. And what if you do not understand the truth and have no discernment? After hearing their insinuation, you would say, “Am I doubtful? Then I am wrong. I am deceitful! You’re right: Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt.” Haven’t you thus been misled? Does the saying “Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt” accord with the truth? No, it’s nonsense! These wicked people are insidious and deceitful; they present this saying as the truth to mislead muddleheaded people. A muddleheaded person, upon hearing this saying, becomes truly misled, and they become confused, thinking: “He’s right, I’ve wronged this person. He said it himself: ‘Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt.’ How could I have doubted him? Work cannot be done this way. I must encourage him without prying into his work. Since I’m using him, I need to trust him and let him work freely without constraining him. I need to give him space to perform. He has the ability to do the job. And even if he doesn’t have the ability, there’s still the Holy Spirit working!” What sort of logic is this? Does any of it accord with the truth? (No.) These words all sound correct. “We cannot constrain others.” “People can’t do anything; it’s the Holy Spirit that does everything. The Holy Spirit scrutinizes everything. We do not need to doubt because God is fully in charge.” But what kind of words are these? Aren’t the people who speak them muddleheaded? They can’t see through even this much and are misled by just one sentence. It’s safe to say most people consider the phrase “Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt” as the truth, and they are misled and bound by it. They are disturbed and influenced by it when selecting or using people, and even let it dictate their actions. As a result, many leaders and workers always have difficulties and misgivings whenever they check up on church work and promote and use people. Ultimately, all they can do is comfort themselves with the words “Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt.” Whenever they inspect or inquire about the work, they think, “‘Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt.’ I should trust my brothers and sisters, and after all, the Holy Spirit scrutinizes people, so I shouldn’t always doubt and supervise others.” They have been influenced by this phrase, haven’t they? What are the consequences brought about by the influence of this phrase? First of all, if someone subscribes to this idea of “Neither doubt those you employ nor employ those you doubt,” will they inspect and guide others’ work? Will they supervise and follow up on people’s work? If this person trusts everyone they use and never inspects or guides them in their work, and never supervises them, are they doing their duty loyally? Can they carry out the work of the church in a competent manner and complete God’s commission? Are they being loyal to God’s commission? Second, this is not merely a failure to keep to God’s word and your duties, this is taking Satan’s schemes and philosophy for worldly dealings as if they were the truth, and following and practicing them. You are obeying Satan and living by a satanic philosophy, aren’t you? You are not a person who submits to God, much less a person who abides by God’s words. You are a complete scoundrel. Putting God’s words aside, and instead taking a satanic phrase and practicing it as the truth, is betraying the truth and God! You work in God’s house, yet the principles for your actions are satanic logic and philosophy for worldly dealings, what kind of person are you? This is someone who betrays God and someone who gravely shames God. What is the essence of this act? Openly condemning God and openly denying the truth. Isn’t that the essence of it? (It is.) In addition to not following God’s will, you are allowing one of Satan’s devilish sayings and satanic philosophies for worldly dealings to run rampant in the church. In doing this, you become Satan’s accomplice, assist Satan in carrying out its activities within the church, and disturb and disrupt church work. The essence of this problem is very serious, isn’t it?

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Excursus One: What the Truth Is

So what does it mean to never say die? It is when someone fails, encounters setbacks, or strays onto the wrong path, but does not admit it. They just stubbornly keep on going. They fail but are not discouraged, fail but do not admit their mistakes. No matter how many people reprimand or condemn them, they do not turn back. They insist on fighting, working and pursuing in their own direction and toward their own goals, and think nothing of the cost. This is the sort of mentality it refers to. Isn’t this mentality quite good at rallying people? In what situations is “Never say die” usually used? Every sort of situation. Wherever corrupt humans exist, this phrase exists; this mentality exists. So what did humans of Satan’s ilk come up with this saying for? So that people never understand themselves, do not recognize their own mistakes, and do not accept their own mistakes. So that people do not just see the side of themselves that is fragile, feeble and inept, but rather see the side of themselves that is capable, and the side of themselves that is mighty and stouthearted, do not underestimate themselves, but think they are competent. So long as you think you are able, you’re able; so long as you think you can be successful, will not fail, and can become the cream of the crop, then you will. So long as you have that determination and resolve, that ambition and desire, then you can accomplish it all. People are not insignificant; they are mighty. Nonbelievers have a saying: “Your stage is as big as your heart.” Some people love this saying as soon as they hear it: “Wow, I want a ten-carat diamond, so that means I’ll get it? I want a Mercedes Benz, so that means I’ll get it?” Will what you get match the breadth of your heart’s desire? (No.) This saying is a fallacy. Speaking plainly, the arrogance of those who believe and acknowledge the phrase “Never say die” knows no bounds. Which of God’s words does these people’s way of thinking directly contradict? God requires people to understand themselves, and comport themselves in a down-to-earth way. People have corrupt dispositions; they have shortcomings and a disposition which resists God. There are no perfect people among man; no one is perfect; they are just regular people. How did God exhort people to comport themselves? (In a well-behaved manner.) To comport themselves in a well-behaved manner, and hold fast to their place as created beings in a down-to-earth way. Has God ever required people to never say die? (No.) No. Then what does God say about people following the wrong path, or revealing a corrupt disposition? (He says to acknowledge and accept it.) Acknowledge and accept it, then understand it, be able to turn themselves around, and attain practicing the truth. By contrast, never saying die is when people do not understand their own problems, do not understand their mistakes, do not accept their mistakes, do not turn themselves around in any case, and do not repent in any case, let alone accept God’s sovereignty or arrangements. Not only do they not seek out what exactly people’s fate is, or what God’s orchestrations and arrangements are—not only do they not seek these things out, but instead, they take their fate into their own hands; they want to have the final say. Also, God requires people to understand themselves, to accurately assess and rate themselves, and to do whatever they can do well in a down-to-earth and well-behaved manner, and with all their heart, mind, and soul, whereas Satan makes people make full use of their arrogant disposition, and give full rein to their arrogant disposition. It makes people be superhuman, be great, and even have super powers—it makes people be things they cannot be. Therefore, what is Satan’s philosophy? It’s that even if you’re wrong, you’re not wrong, and that so long as you have a mentality of not conceding defeat, and so long as you have a never-say-die mentality, sooner or later there will come a day when you become the cream of the crop, and sooner or later there will come a day when your wishes and goals will materialize. So, is there a sense in which never saying die means you will use any means to accomplish something? In order to achieve your goals, you must not acknowledge you are capable of failure, you must not believe that you are a regular person, and you must not believe you are capable of following the wrong path. In addition to this, you must unscrupulously use every sort of method or secret scheme to materialize your ambitions and desires. Is there anything about never saying die wherein people approach their fate with an attitude of waiting and submission? (No.) No. People insist on taking their fate completely into their own hands; they want to control their own fate. No matter whether it is which way they will go, whether they will be blessed or what kind of lifestyle they will have, they must have the final say in everything.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Excursus One: What the Truth Is

“Be strict with yourself and tolerant of others,” as with sayings about “Don’t pocket the money you pick up” and “Derive pleasure from helping others,” is one of those demands that traditional culture makes regarding people’s moral conduct. By the same token, regardless of whether someone can attain or exercise this moral conduct, it is still not the standard or norm for measuring their humanity. It may be that you really are capable of being strict with yourself and tolerant of others, and that you hold yourself to particularly high standards. You may be squeaky clean and you may always think of others and show consideration for them, without being selfish and seeking after your own interests. You may seem particularly magnanimous and selfless, and have a strong sense of social responsibility and social morals. Your noble personality and qualities may be on display to those close to you, and to those you encounter and interact with. Your behavior may never give others any reason to blame or criticize you, eliciting instead profuse praise and even admiration. People may regard you as someone who is truly strict with themselves and tolerant of others. However, these are nothing more than external behaviors. Are the thoughts and wishes deep in your heart consistent with these external behaviors, with these actions that you live out externally? The answer is no, they are not. The reason you can act in this way is that there is a motive behind it. What is that motive, exactly? Could you bear for that motive to see the light of day? Certainly not. This proves that this motive is something unmentionable, something dark and evil. Now, why is this motive unspeakable and evil? It is because people’s humanity is governed and driven by their corrupt dispositions. All the thoughts of humanity, regardless of whether people put them into words or pour them forth, are undeniably dominated, controlled, and manipulated by their corrupt dispositions. As a result, people’s motives and intents are all sinister and evil. Regardless of whether people are able to be strict with themselves and tolerant of others, or whether or not they outwardly express this moral perfectly, it is inevitable that this moral will have no control or influence over their humanity. So, what does control people’s humanity? It is their corrupt dispositions, it is their humanity essence that lies obscured beneath the moral “Be strict with yourself and tolerant of others”—that is their true nature. A person’s true nature is their humanity essence. And what does their humanity essence consist of? It mainly consists of their preferences, what they pursue, their outlook on life and their value system, as well as their attitude toward the truth and God, and so on. Only these things truly represent people’s humanity essence. It can be said with certainty that most of the people who require themselves to fulfill the moral of being “strict with yourself and tolerant of others,” are obsessed with status. Driven by their corrupt dispositions, they cannot help but pursue prestige among men, social prominence, and status in the eyes of others. All of these things are related to their desire for status, and are pursued under the cover of their good moral conduct. And how do these pursuits of theirs come about? They entirely come from and are driven by their corrupt dispositions. So, no matter what, whether someone fulfills the moral of being “strict with yourself and tolerant of others” or not, and whether or not they do so to perfection, this cannot change their humanity essence at all. By implication, this means that it cannot in any way change their outlook on life or their value system, or guide their attitudes and perspectives on all manner of people, events, and things. Isn’t that the case? (It is.) The more that someone is capable of being strict with themselves and tolerant of others, the better they are at putting on an act, disguising themselves, and at misleading others with good behavior and pleasing words, and the more deceitful and wicked they are by nature. The more that they are this type of person, the deeper their love and pursuit of status and power becomes. However great, glorious and correct their external moral conduct seems to be, and however pleasing it is for people to behold, the unspoken pursuit that lies in the depths of their heart, as well as their nature essence, and even their ambitions, may burst forth from them at any time. Therefore, however good their moral conduct is, it cannot conceal their intrinsic humanity essence, or their ambitions and desires. It cannot conceal their hideous nature essence which does not love positive things and is averse to and hates the truth. As these facts show, the saying “Be strict with yourself and tolerant of others” is more than just absurd—it exposes those ambitious types who attempt to use such sayings and behaviors to cover up their unspeakable ambitions and desires. You can compare this to some of the antichrists and evil people in the church. In order to solidify their status and power within the church, and to gain a better reputation among other members, they are able to undergo suffering and pay a price while performing their duties, and they may even renounce their work and families and sell off everything they have to expend themselves for God. In some cases, the prices that they pay and the suffering they undergo in expending themselves for God exceed what an average person can withstand; they are able to embody a spirit of extreme self-denial in order to maintain their status. Yet, no matter how much they suffer or what prices they pay, none of them safeguard God’s testimony or the interests of God’s house, nor do they practice according to God’s words. The goal that they pursue is just to attain status, power, and God’s rewards. Nothing that they do has the slightest relation to the truth. Regardless of how strict they are with themselves and how tolerant they are of others, what will their ultimate outcome be? What will God think of them? Will He determine their outcome based on the external good behaviors that they live out? He certainly will not. People view and judge others based on these behaviors and manifestations, and because they cannot see through to the essence of other people, they end up being deceived by them. God, however, is never deceived by man. He absolutely will not commend and remember people’s moral conduct because they were able to be strict with themselves and tolerant of others. Instead, He will condemn them for their ambitions and for the paths they have taken in pursuit of status. Therefore, those who pursue the truth should have discernment of this criterion for evaluating people. They should thoroughly deny and abandon this absurd standard, and discern people according to God’s words and the truth principles. They should mainly look at whether a person loves positive things, whether they are able to accept the truth, and whether they can submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements, as well as the path that they choose and walk, and classify what kind of person they are, and what kind of humanity they have based on these things. It is just too easy for aberrations and errors to arise when people judge others based on the standard of “Be strict with yourself and tolerant of others.” If you wrongly discern and view a person based upon principles and sayings that come from man, then you will be violating the truth and resisting God in that matter. Why is this? The reason is that the basis for your views on people will be wrong, and incompatible with the words of God and the truth—it may even be in opposition to and contrary to them. God does not evaluate people’s humanity based upon the statement about moral conduct, “Be strict with yourself and tolerant of others,” so if you still insist on judging people’s morality and determining what kind of person they are according to this criterion, then you have completely violated the truth principles, and you are bound to make errors, and to cause some mistakes and deviations. Is this not the case? (It is.)

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (6)

There is a tenet in philosophies for worldly dealings that says, “Keeping silent on the faults of good friends makes for a long and good friendship.” It means that in order to preserve a friendly relationship, one must keep silent about their friend’s problems, even if they see them clearly—that they should abide by the principles of not striking people in the face or calling out their shortcomings. They are to deceive each other, hide from each other, engage in intrigue with each other; and though they know with crystal clarity what sort of person the other is, they do not say it outright, but employ cunning methods to preserve their friendly relationship. Why would one want to preserve such relationships? It is about not wanting to make enemies in this society, within one’s group, which would mean subjecting oneself often to dangerous situations. Knowing someone will become your enemy and harm you after you have called out their shortcomings or hurt them, and not wishing to put yourself in such a situation, you employ the tenet of philosophies for worldly dealings that runs, “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings.” In light of this, if two people are in such a relationship, do they count as true friends? (No.) They are not true friends, much less each other’s confidant. So, what sort of relationship is this, exactly? Is it not a fundamental social relationship? (It is.) In such social relationships, people cannot offer their feelings, nor have deep exchanges, nor speak about whatever they wish. They cannot say out loud what is in their heart, or the problems they see in the other, or words that would benefit the other. Instead, they pick nice things to say, to keep the other’s favor. They dare not speak the truth or uphold the principles, lest it give rise to animosity toward them in others. When no one is threatening to someone, does that person not live in relative ease and peace? Is this not people’s goal in promoting the saying, “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings”? (It is.) Clearly, this is a cunning, deceptive way of existence with an element of defensiveness, whose goal is self-preservation. People who live like this have no confidants, no close friends with whom they can say whatever they like. They are defensive with each other, and calculating, and strategic, each taking what they need from the relationship. Is this not so? At its root, the goal of “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings” is to keep from offending others and making enemies, to protect oneself by not causing hurt to anyone. It is a technique and method one adopts to keep themselves from being hurt. Looking at these several facets of its essence, is the demand of people’s moral conduct “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings” a noble one? Is it a positive one? (No.) Then, what does it teach people? That you must not upset or hurt anyone, otherwise, you are the one who will end up getting hurt; and also, that you should not trust anyone. If you hurt any one of your good friends, the friendship will quietly start to change: They will go from being your good, close friend to a stranger or an enemy. What problems can it resolve, teaching people to act so? Even if, by acting in this way, you do not make enemies and even lose a few, will this make people admire and approve of you, and always keep you as a friend? Does this fully achieve the standard for moral conduct? At the very best, this is no more than a philosophy for worldly dealings. Can abiding by this statement and practice be considered good moral conduct? Not at all. This is how some parents educate their children. If their child gets beaten up while out somewhere, they tell the child, “You’re a wimp. Why didn’t you fight back? If he punches you, just kick him!” Is this the correct way? (No.) What is this called? It is called incitement. What is the purpose of incitement? To avoid losses and to take advantage of others. If someone punches you, it will hurt for a couple days, at the most; if you then kick them, won’t there be more serious consequences? And who will have caused this? (The parents, with their incitement.) So is the character of the statement “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings” not somewhat similar to this? Is it right to interact with other people according to this statement? (No.) No, it is not. To look at it from this angle, is this not a way of inciting people? (Yes, it is.) Does it teach people to be wise when interacting with others, to be able to differentiate people, to see people and things in the right way, and to interact with people in a wise way? Does it teach you that if you meet good people, people with humanity, you should treat them with sincerity, provide them help if you are able to, and if you cannot, you should then be tolerant and treat them properly, learn to tolerate their shortcomings, put up with their misunderstandings and judgments of you, and learn from their strengths and good qualities? Is that what it teaches people? (No.) So, what comes in the end of what this saying teaches people? Does it make people more honest, or more deceitful? It results in people becoming more deceitful; people’s hearts grow further apart, the distance between people widens, and people’s relationships become complicated; it is equivalent to a complication in people’s social relationships. Heart-to-heart communication between people is lost, and a mutually guarded mindset arises. Can people’s relationships still be normal this way? Will the social climate improve? (No.) So, that’s why the saying “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings” is obviously wrong. Teaching people to do this cannot make them live out normal humanity; moreover, it cannot make people aboveboard, upright, or candid. It absolutely cannot achieve anything positive.

The saying “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings” refers to two actions: one being that of striking, and the other that of calling out. In people’s normal interactions with others, is striking someone right or wrong? (Wrong.) Is striking someone a demonstration and behavior of normal humanity in one’s interactions with others? (No.) Striking people is definitely wrong, whether you strike them in the face or elsewhere. So, the statement “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face” is inherently wrong. According to this saying, it is apparently not right to strike someone in the face, but it is right to strike elsewhere, because after the face is struck it becomes red, swollen, and injured. This makes the person look bad and unpresentable, and it also shows you to treat people in a very rude, unsophisticated, and ignoble way. So, is it noble to strike people elsewhere? No—that is not noble, either. In fact, the focus of this saying is not where to strike someone, but the word “strike” itself. When interacting with others, if you are always striking others as a way of confronting and dealing with problems, your method itself is wrong. It is done out of impetuousness and is not based on the conscience and reason of one’s humanity, and of course, less still is it the practice of the truth or adherence to the truth principles. Some people don’t attack others’ dignity in their presence—they are careful in what they say and refrain from striking the other in the face, but are always playing dirty tricks behind their back, shaking their hand over the desk but kicking them under it, saying good things to their face but conspiring against them behind their back, working an angle on them, waiting for opportunities to take vengeance, framing and scheming, spreading rumors, or engineering conflicts and using other people to get at them. How much better are these insidious methods than striking someone in the face? Are they not even more severe than striking someone in the face? Are they not even more insidious, vicious, and devoid of humanity? (Yes, they are.) So then, the statement “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face” is inherently meaningless. This viewpoint is itself a mistake, with a hint of false pretenses. It is a hypocritical method, which makes it all the more abhorrent, disgusting, and loathsome. Now we are clear that striking people is itself done out of impetuousness. On what basis do you strike someone? Is it authorized by law, or is it your God-given right? It is none of these things. So, why strike people? If you can get along with someone normally, you can use correct ways to get along with them and interact. If you cannot get along with them, you can go your separate ways without needing to act impetuously or come to blows. Within the scope of the conscience and reason of humanity, this should be something that people do. As soon as you act impetuously, even if you don’t strike the person in the face but somewhere else, it is a serious problem. This is not a normal way of interacting. This is how enemies interact, not the normal way that people interact. It is beyond the pale of the sense of humanity. Is the phrase “call out” in the saying “if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings” good or bad? Does the phrase “call out” have a level on which it refers to people’s being revealed or exposed within the words of God? (It does not.) From My understanding of the phrase “call out” as it exists in human language, it does not mean that. Its essence is one of a somewhat malicious form of exposure; it means to reveal people’s problems and deficiencies, or some things and behaviors unknown to others, or some intrigue, ideas, or views operating in the background. This is the meaning of the phrase “call out” in the saying “if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings.” If two people get along well and are confidants, with no barriers between them, and they each hope to be of benefit and assistance to the other, then it would be best for them to sit together and lay out each other’s problems in openness and sincerity. This is proper, and it is not calling out others’ shortcomings. If you discover another person’s problems but see that they are not yet able to accept your advice, then simply do not say anything, so as to avoid quarrel or conflict. If you want to help them, you can seek their opinion and first ask them, “I see that you have a bit of a problem, and I hope to give you some advice. I don’t know if you’ll be able to accept it. If you will, I’ll tell you. If you won’t, I’ll keep it to myself for now and not say anything.” If they say, “I trust you. Whatever you have to say won’t be out of bounds; I can accept it,” that means that you have been granted permission, and you can then communicate their problems to them, one by one. Not only will they completely accept what you say, but also benefit from it, and the two of you will still be able to maintain a normal relationship. Is that not treating each other with sincerity? (It is.) This is the correct method for interacting with others; it is not calling out others’ shortcomings. What does it mean not to “call out others’ shortcomings,” as the saying in question goes? It means not to speak of others’ deficiencies, not to speak of their most taboo problems, not to expose the essence of their problems, and not to be so blatant in calling it out. It means just to make some surface-level remarks, to say things that are commonly said by all, to say things that the person themselves is already able to perceive, and not to reveal mistakes the person has made previously or sensitive issues. What does it benefit the person if you act in this way? Perhaps you will not have offended them or made an enemy of them, but what you have done in no way helps or benefits them. Therefore, the phrase “don’t call out others’ shortcomings” itself is evasive and a form of trickery that does not allow sincerity in people’s treatment of each other. One could say that to act in this way is to harbor evil intentions; it is not the correct way of interacting with others. Nonbelievers even see “if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings” as something a person of noble morals should do. It is clearly a deceitful manner of interacting with others, which people adopt to protect themselves; it is not at all a proper mode of interaction.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (8)

The saying on moral conduct “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible,” which is referred to in traditional Chinese culture, is a doctrine that restrains and enlightens people. It can only resolve minor disputes and trivial conflicts, but has no effect whatsoever when it comes to people who harbor deep hatred. Do the people who put forward this requirement really understand man’s humanity? One could say that the people who put forward this requirement are by no means ignorant of how great the tolerance range of human conscience and sense is. It’s just that putting forward this theory can make them appear sophisticated and noble, and earn people’s approval and flattery. The fact is, they know very well that if someone hurts a person’s dignity or character, harms their interests, or even impacts on their future prospects and their whole life, then from the perspective of humanity, the offended party must retaliate. No matter how much conscience and sense he has, he will not take it lying down. At most, only the degree and method of his vengeance will differ. …

Why is it that people can let go of hatred? What are the main reasons? On the one hand, they are influenced by this saying about moral conduct—“Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible.” On the other hand, they are worried by the thought that if they hold petty grievances, constantly hate people, and are intolerant of others, they will be unable to gain a footing in society and will be condemned by public opinion and laughed at by people, so they must reluctantly and unwillingly swallow their anger. On the one hand, looking at human instinct, people living in this world cannot bear all this oppression, senseless hurt and unfair treatment. That is to say, it is not in people’s humanity to be able to bear these things. Therefore, it is unfair and inhumane to put forward the requirement “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible” on anyone. On the other hand, it is obvious that such ideas and views also affect or distort people’s views and perspectives on these matters, so they are unable to treat such matters properly and instead regard sayings such as “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible” as correct and positive things. When people are subjected to unfair treatment, in order to avoid the condemnation of public opinion, they have no choice but to bottle up the insults and unequal treatment they have suffered, and wait for an opportunity to retaliate. Even though out loud they say nice-sounding things like “‘Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible.’ Never mind, there’s no point retaliating, it’s water under the bridge,” human instinct prevents them from ever forgetting the harm this incident has done to them, that is to say, the harm that it has done to their body and mind can never be erased or fade away. When people say, “Forget the hatred, this matter is over and done with, it’s water under the bridge,” that is just a facade formed solely by the constraint and influence of ideas and views such as “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible.” Of course, people are also confined by such ideas and views, insofar as they think that if they don’t manage to put them into practice, if they don’t have the heart or the generosity to be lenient wherever possible, then they will be looked down upon and condemned by everyone, and discriminated even more in society or within their community. What is the consequence of being discriminated against? It is that, when you come into contact with people and go about your business, people will say, “This guy is small-minded and vindictive. Be careful when dealing with him!” It effectively becomes an extra hurdle when you go about your business within the community. Why is there this extra hurdle? Because society as a whole is influenced by ideas and views such as “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible.” The mores of society as a whole revere such thinking, and the whole of society is confined, influenced and controlled by it, so if you cannot put it into practice, it will be difficult to gain a footing in society, and survive within your community. Therefore, some people have no alternative but to submit to such social mores and follow sayings and views such as “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible,” living pathetic lives. In the light of these phenomena, didn’t those so-called moralists have certain aims and intentions in putting forward these sayings about moral ideas and views? Did they do it so that humans could live more freely, and their body, mind and spirit be more liberated? Or was it so that people could live happier lives? Quite obviously not. These sayings about moral conduct do not serve the needs of people’s normal humanity at all, and least of all were they put forward to make people live out normal humanity. Rather, they entirely serve the ruling class’s ambition to control the people and stabilize its own power. They do service to the ruling class, and were put forward so that the ruling class could keep social order and social mores in check, using these things to constrain every person, every family, every individual, every community, every group, and the society formed by all the various groups. It is in such societies, under the indoctrination, influence, and inculcation of such moral ideas and views, that the mainstream moral ideas and views of society emerge and take shape. This taking shape of social morality and social mores is no more conducive to the survival of the human race, nor is it more conducive to the progress and purification of human thought, neither is it more conducive to the enhancement of humanity. On the contrary, because of the emergence of these moral ideas and views, human thinking is confined to within a controllable range. So, who benefits in the end? Is it the human race? Or the ruling class? (The ruling class.) That’s right, it is the ruling class that benefits in the end. With these moral scriptures as the basis of their thinking and moral conduct, humans are easier to rule, more likely to be obedient citizens, easier to manipulate, more easily governed by the various sayings of the moral scriptures in everything they do, and more easily governed by social systems, social morality, social mores, and public opinion. In this way, to a certain extent, people who are subordinate to the same social systems, moral environment, and social mores have basically unanimous ideas and views, and a unanimous bottom line for how they should comport themselves, because their ideas and views have undergone processing and standardization by these so-called moralists, thinkers, and educators. What does this word “unanimous” mean? It means that all those who are ruled—including their thoughts and normal humanity—have been assimilated and confined by these sayings from the moral scriptures. People’s thoughts are restricted, and their mouths and brains are also restricted at the same time. Everyone is forced to accept these moral ideas and views of traditional culture, using them to judge and constrain their own behavior on the one hand, and to judge others and this society on the other hand. Of course, at the same time, they are also controlled by public opinion, which is centered on these sayings from moral scriptures. If you think that your way of doing things contravenes the saying “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible,” you feel very upset and uneasy, and it soon occurs to you that “if I don’t manage to be lenient wherever possible, if I’m so petty and small-minded like some blinkered Lilliputian, and I can’t let go of even the slightest hatred, but carry it round with me all the time, will I be laughed at? Will I be discriminated against by colleagues and friends?” So, you must pretend to be especially magnanimous. If people have these behaviors, does it mean that they are controlled by public opinion? (Yes.) Objectively speaking, deep within your heart there are invisible shackles, that is to say, public opinion and the condemnation of the whole of society are like invisible shackles to you.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (9)

The implication of the saying “Do not impose on others that which you yourself do not desire,” is that you should only give or supply to others things that you yourself like and take pleasure in. But what things do corrupted people like and take pleasure in? Corrupted things, preposterous things, and extravagant desires. If you give and supply to people these negative things, will all of humanity not become more and more corrupted? There will be fewer and fewer positive things. Is this not a fact? It is a fact that humanity is deeply corrupted. Corrupted humans like to pursue fame, gain, status, and pleasures of the flesh; they want to be celebrities, to be mighty and superhuman. They want a comfortable life and are averse to hard work; they want everything to be handed to them. Very few of them love the truth or positive things. If people give and supply to others their corruption and predilections, what will happen? It is just as you would imagine: Humanity will only become more and more corrupt. Those who are proponents of the idea “Do not impose on others that which you yourself do not desire,” ask that people give and supply to others their corruption, predilections, and extravagant desires, making other people seek evil, comfort, money, and advancement. Is this the right path in life? It is plain to see that “Do not impose on others that which you yourself do not desire” is a very problematic saying. The holes and flaws in it are glaringly obvious; it is not even worth dissecting and discerning it. With the slightest examination, its errors and ridiculousness are plain to see. However, there are many among you who are easily persuaded and influenced by this saying and accept it without discernment. When interacting with others, you often use this saying to admonish yourself and exhort others. By doing this, you think that your character is particularly noble, and that your comportment is very reasonable. But without realizing it, these words have revealed the principle you live by and your stance on issues. At the same time, you have misled and misguided others into approaching people and circumstances with the same view and stance as you. You have acted like a veritable fence-straddler, and completely taken the middle road. You say, “No matter what the issue is, there is no need to take it seriously. Don’t make things difficult for yourself or others. If you make things difficult for other people, then you’re making them difficult for yourself. Being kind to others is being kind to yourself. If you’re hard on other people, then you’re being hard on yourself. Why put yourself in a difficult position? Not imposing on others that which you yourself do not desire is the best thing you could do for yourself, and the most considerate.” This attitude is obviously one of not being meticulous in anything. You have no correct stance or perspective on any issue; you have a muddled view of everything. You are not meticulous and just turn a blind eye to things. When you finally stand before God and account for yourself, it will be a big muddle. Why is that? Because you always say you should not impose on others that which you yourself don’t desire. This gives you great comfort and enjoyment, but at the same time it will cause you great trouble, making it so that you can’t have a clear view or stance on many matters. Of course, it also makes you unable to understand clearly what God’s requirements and standards for you are when you encounter these situations, or what outcome you should achieve. These things happen because you are not meticulous in anything; they are caused by your muddled attitude and view. Is not imposing on others that which you yourself don’t desire the tolerant attitude you should have toward people and things? No, it is not. It is just a theory which appears right, noble, and kind from the outside, but is actually a thoroughly negative thing. Clearly, even less is it a truth principle that people should be adhering to. God does not demand that people not impose on others that which they themselves do not desire, instead He asks people to be clear on the principles they should observe when handling different situations. If it is correct and in line with the truth in God’s words, then you must cling to it. And not only must you cling to it, you must admonish, persuade, and fellowship with others, so that they understand exactly what God’s intentions are, and what the truth principles are. This is your responsibility and obligation. God does not ask you to take the middle road, and even less does He ask you to show off how big your heart is. You should cling to the things God has admonished you for and taught to you, and what God talks about in His words: the requirements, the criteria, and the truth principles that people should be observing. Not only must you cling to them, and hold on to them forever, but you must also practice these truth principles by leading by example, as well as persuading, supervising, helping, and guiding others to cling to, observe, and practice them in the same way you do. God demands that you do this—this is what He entrusts to you. You cannot just make requirements of yourself while ignoring others. God demands that you take the correct stance on issues, cling to the correct criteria, and know precisely what the criteria in God’s words are, and that you figure out precisely what the truth principles are. Even if you cannot accomplish this, even if you are unwilling, if you don’t like it, if you have notions, or if you resist it, you must treat it as your responsibility, as your obligation. You must fellowship with people on the positive things that come from God, on things which are right and correct, and use them to help, impact, and guide others, so that people can benefit from and be edified by them, and walk the correct path in life. This is your responsibility, and you should not stubbornly cling to the idea “Do not impose on others that which you yourself do not desire” which Satan has put into your mind. In God’s eyes, that saying is just a philosophy for worldly dealings; it is a way of thinking that contains Satan’s trickery; it is not at all the correct path, nor is it a positive thing. All God requires of you, is for you to be an upright person who understands clearly what they should and should not do. He does not call you to be a people-pleaser or a fence-straddler; He has not called you to take the middle road. When a matter concerns the truth principles, you must say what needs to be said, and understand what needs to be understood. If someone does not understand something but you do, and you can give pointers and help them out, then you absolutely must fulfill this responsibility and obligation. You must not just stand by the wayside and watch, and even less should you cling to the philosophies that Satan has put into your mind such as not imposing on others that which you yourself do not desire. Do you understand? (Yes.) That which is right and positive is so even if you don’t like it, aren’t willing to do it, aren’t capable of doing and achieving it, are resistant to it, or develop notions against it. The essence of God’s words and the truth won’t change just because mankind has corrupt dispositions and has certain emotions, feelings, desires and notions. The essence of God’s words and the truth will never, ever change. As soon as you know, understand, experience and attain God’s words and the truth, it is your obligation to fellowship your experiential testimonies to others. This will allow even more people to understand God’s intentions, comprehend and attain the truth, understand God’s demands and standards and have a grasp of the truth principles. By doing this, these people will gain a path of practice when they encounter issues in their daily life and won’t become muddled or be fettered by Satan’s various ideas and views. The saying on moral conduct “Do not impose on others that which you yourself do not desire” is really and truly Satan’s cunning scheme to control the minds of people. If you always uphold this, then you are someone who lives according to satanic philosophies; a person who completely lives in a satanic disposition.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (10)

In whichever era or ethnic group in which it is used, this saying on moral conduct, “I’d take a bullet for a friend,” holds up quite well. That is to say, it accords relatively well with the conscience and reason of humanity. More precisely, this saying accords with the concept of “brotherhood” that people adhere to in their conscience. People who value brotherhood would be willing to take a bullet for a friend. No matter how difficult and dangerous a situation their friend is in, they would step forward and take a bullet for them. This is the spirit of sacrificing one’s own interests for the sake of others. What the saying on moral conduct “I’d take a bullet for a friend” instills in people is basically to value brotherhood. The standard that it requires humanity to uphold is that one must value brotherhood: That is the essence of this saying. …

What is wrong with ideas and views such as “taking a bullet for a friend”? This question is actually quite simple and not difficult. No one who lives in the world jumps out of cracks in the rocks. Everyone has parents and children, everyone has relatives, no one exists independently in this human world. What do I mean by this? I mean that you live in this human world, and you have your own obligations to fulfill. Firstly, you must support your parents, and secondly, you must raise your children. These are your responsibilities within the family. In society, you also have social responsibilities and obligations to fulfill. You must play a role in society, such as being a worker, farmer, businessperson, student or intellectual. From the family to society, there are many responsibilities and obligations that you should fulfill. That is, in addition to your food, clothing, housing and transportation, you have many things that you must do, and also many things that you should do and many obligations that you should fulfill. Leaving aside this right path of belief in God that people walk, as an individual you have many family responsibilities and social obligations to fulfill. You do not exist independently. The responsibility on your shoulders is not just to make friends and have a good time, or to find someone you can talk to and who can help you out. The majority of your responsibilities—and the most important ones—are to do with your family and society. Only if you fulfill your family responsibilities and social obligations well, will your life as a person be considered complete and perfect. So, what do the responsibilities that you should fulfill in the family include? As a child, you should be filial to your parents and support them. Whenever your parents are sick or in difficulty, you should do all that is in your power to do. As a parent, you have to sweat and exert yourself, work hard and endure hardship to provide for the whole family, and take on the heavy responsibility of being a parent, raising your children, educating them to follow the right path, and making them understand the principles of comportment. Thus, you have numerous responsibilities in your family. You must support your parents and take on the responsibility of raising your children. There are many such things that should be done. And what are your responsibilities in society? You must abide by the laws and regulations, you must have principles for dealing with others, you must do your best at work, and manage your career well. Eighty or ninety percent of your time and energy must be expended on these things. That is to say, no matter what role you play in your family or in society, no matter what path you walk, no matter what your ambitions and aspirations are, each person has responsibilities to bear that are very important to them personally, and which occupy almost all of their time and energy. From the perspective of family and social responsibilities, what is the value of you as a person and your life in coming into this human world? It is to fulfill the responsibilities and missions given to you by Heaven. Your life does not belong to you alone, and of course it does not belong to others. Your life exists for your missions and responsibilities, and for the responsibilities, obligations and missions that you should fulfill in this human world. Your life does not belong to your parents, nor to your wife (husband), and of course it does not belong to your children. Less still does it belong to your descendants. So who does your life belong to? Speaking from the perspective of a person of the world, your life belongs to the responsibilities and missions given to you by God. But from the perspective of a believer, your life should belong to God, as it is He who arranges and has sovereignty over everything about you. Therefore, as a person, living in the world, you should not promise your life to others arbitrarily, and you should not arbitrarily sacrifice your life for anyone for the sake of brotherhood. That is to say, you should not belittle your own life. Your life is worthless to anyone else, especially to Satan, to this society, and to this corrupt human race, but to your parents and relatives, your life is of the utmost importance, because there is an inseparable relationship between your responsibilities and their survival. Of course, what is even more important is that there is an inseparable relationship between your life and the fact that God holds sovereignty over all things and over the entire human race. Your life is indispensable among the many lives that God holds sovereignty over. Perhaps you don’t value your life that highly, and perhaps you shouldn’t value your life that highly, but the fact is that your life is very important to your parents and relatives, with whom you have close ties and an inseparable relationship. Why do I say that? Because you have responsibilities toward them, they also have responsibilities toward you, you have responsibilities toward this society, and your responsibilities toward society relate to your role in this society. Every person’s role and every living entity are indispensable to God, and are all indispensable elements of God’s sovereignty over humankind, this world, this earth, and this universe. In God’s eyes, every life is even more insignificant than a grain of sand, and even more contemptible than an ant; nevertheless, because each person is a life, a living and breathing life, therefore, within the sovereignty of God, even though the role that person plays is not pivotal, they are also indispensable. So, looking at it from these aspects, if a person would readily take a bullet for a friend and not only thinks about doing so, but is prepared to do so at any moment, giving their own life with no regard to their family responsibilities, their social responsibilities, and even the God-given missions and duties on their shoulders, is that not wrong? (Yes.) This is treasonous! The most precious thing God bestows on man is this breath that is called life. If you casually promise your life to a friend who you think you can entrust it to, is this not being treasonous to God? Is this not disrespecting life? Is this not an act of rebellion against God? Is it an act of betrayal of God? (Yes.) This is clearly giving up the responsibilities that you should fulfill in your family and in society, and shirking the missions that God has given you. This is treasonous. The most important things in a person’s life are nothing more than the responsibilities that one should take on in this life—family responsibilities, social responsibilities, and the missions that God has given you. The most important things are these responsibilities and missions. If you lose your life by casually giving it up for another due to a momentary sense of brotherhood and a moment’s impetuousness, do your responsibilities still exist? How can you talk of missions then? You clearly do not cherish the life God bestowed on you as the most precious thing, but instead casually promise it to others, give up your life for others, completely disregarding or abandoning your responsibilities to your family and society, which is immoral and unfair. So, what am I trying to tell you? Don’t casually give up your life or promise it to others. Some people say, “Can I promise it to my parents? How about promising it to my lover, is that okay?” It’s not okay. Why is it not okay? God bestows life on you and allows your life to continue so that you can fulfill your responsibilities to your family and society and fulfill the missions entrusted to you by God. It is not for you to treat your own life as a joke by casually promising it to others, delivering it to others, expending it for others, and dedicating it to others. If a person loses their life, can they still fulfill their family and social responsibilities and their missions? Can it still be done? (No.) And when a person’s family and social responsibilities are no more, do the social roles they performed still exist? (No.) When the social roles that a person performed are no more, do that person’s missions still exist? No, they don’t. When a person’s missions and social roles are no more, does that over which God rules sovereign then still exist? What God rules sovereign over is living things, human beings with life, and when their social responsibilities and lives are no more, and their social roles all return to nothing, is this trying to make humankind, over which God rules sovereign, and God’s management plan, return to nothing? If you do this, is it not treasonous? (Yes.) This is indeed treasonous. Your life exists only for your responsibilities and missions, and the value of your life can only be reflected in your responsibilities and missions. Besides, taking a bullet for a friend is not your responsibility and mission. As a person endowed with life by God, fulfilling the responsibilities and missions entrusted to you by God is what you should do. Whereas, taking a bullet for a friend is not a responsibility or mission that God has bestowed on you. Rather, it is your acting on a sense of brotherhood, your own wishful thinking, your irresponsible thinking about life, and of course, it is also a kind of thinking that Satan instills in people to heap scorn upon and trample on their lives.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (10)

In this society, people’s principles for dealing with the world, their methods for living and existing, and even their attitudes and notions toward religion and belief, as well as their various notions and views toward people and things—all these things are inevitably conditioned by family. Before people come to understand the truth—no matter how old they are, or what gender they are, or what occupation they are engaged in, or what kind of attitude they have toward everything, whether it be extreme or rational—in short, in all manner of things, people’s thoughts and views and their attitudes toward things are greatly influenced by family. That is to say, the various conditioning effects that family exerts on a person determine, to a large extent, that person’s attitude toward things and their method for dealing with them, as well as their outlook on existence, and even impact on their faith. Since family conditions and impacts on people so significantly, family is inevitably at the root of people’s methods and principles for dealing with things, as well as their outlook on existence, and their views on faith. Because the family home itself is not the place where truth arises, nor is it the source of truth, there is practically only one motivating force or aim that drives your family to condition into you any idea, viewpoint, or method for existing—that of acting in your best interests. These things that are in your own best interests, no matter who they come from—whether it be from your parents, grandparents, or from your ancestors—in short, they are all intended to enable you to defend your own interests in society and among others, to prevent you from getting bullied, and to enable you to live among people in a way that is more unconstrained and diplomatic, and which is intended to protect your own interests to the greatest extent. The conditioning you receive from your family is meant to protect you, to avoid you getting bullied or suffering any humiliation, and to turn you into someone who is a cut above, even if that means bullying others or hurting others, just as long as you are not harmed yourself. These are some of the most important things that your family conditions into you, and they are also the essence and chief aim underlying all the ideas that are conditioned into you. Is this not the case? (Yes.) If you consider the aim and essence of all the things your family has conditioned into you, is there anything that accords with the truth? Even if these things do accord with the ethics or legitimate rights and interests of humanity, do they have any connection to the truth? Are they the truth? (No.) It can be said with all certainty that they are definitely not the truth. No matter how positive and legitimate, humane and ethical, man believes the things that your family conditions into you to be, they are not the truth, nor can they represent the truth, and of course they cannot replace the truth. Therefore, when it comes to the topic of family, these things are another aspect that people should let go of. What specifically is this aspect? It is the conditioning effects that family exerts on you—this is the second aspect that you should let go of when it comes to the topic of family. Since we are discussing the conditioning effects that family exerts on you, let’s first talk about exactly what these conditioning effects are. If we differentiate them according to people’s concept of right and wrong, some are relatively correct, positive, and presentable, and can be laid out on the table, whereas some are relatively selfish, despicable, vile, relatively negative, and nothing more. But at any rate, these conditioning effects from family are like a layer of protective clothing that collectively safeguards a person’s fleshly interests, preserves their dignity among others, and prevents them from getting bullied. Is it not so? (Yes.) Let us talk, then, about what conditioning effects your family exerts on you. For example, when family elders often tell you that “People need their pride just as a tree needs its bark,” it is to make you attach importance to having a good reputation, living a proud life, and not doing things that heap disgrace upon you. So does this saying guide people in a positive or negative way? Can it lead you to the truth? Can it lead you to understand the truth? (No, it cannot.) You can say with all certainty, “No, it cannot!” Think about it, God says that people should comport themselves as honest people. When you have transgressed, or done something wrong, or done something that rebels against God and goes against the truth, you need to admit your mistake, gain an understanding of yourself, and keep dissecting yourself in order to achieve true repentance, and thereafter act in accordance with God’s words. So, if people are to comport themselves as honest people, does that conflict with the saying “People need their pride just as a tree needs its bark”? (Yes.) How does it conflict? The saying “People need their pride just as a tree needs its bark” is intended to make people attach importance to living out their bright and colorful side and doing more things that make them look good—rather than doing things that are bad or dishonorable, or exposing their ugly side—and to prevent them from living without pride or dignity. For the sake of one’s reputation, for the sake of pride and honor, one cannot rubbish everything about oneself, let alone tell others about one’s dark side and shameful aspects, because one must live with pride and dignity. In order to have dignity one needs a good reputation, and to have a good reputation one needs to put up a pretense and dress oneself up. Doesn’t this conflict with comporting oneself as an honest person? (Yes.) When you comport yourself as an honest person, what you are doing is completely at odds with the saying “People need their pride just as a tree needs its bark.” If you want to comport yourself as an honest person, don’t attach importance to pride; a person’s pride isn’t worth a cent. Faced with the truth, one should expose oneself, not put up a pretense or create a false image. One must reveal to God one’s true thoughts, the mistakes one has made, the aspects that violate the truth principles, and so on, and also lay these things bare to one’s brothers and sisters. It is not a matter of living for the sake of one’s reputation, but rather, it is a matter of living for the sake of comporting oneself as an honest person, living for the sake of pursuing the truth, living for the sake of being a true created being, and living for the sake of satisfying God and being saved. But when you don’t understand this truth, and don’t understand God’s intentions, the things that are conditioned into you by your family tend to dominate. So when you do something wrong, you cover it up and put up a pretense, thinking, “I can’t say anything about this, and I won’t allow anyone else who knows about it to say anything either. If any of you say anything, I won’t let you off lightly. My reputation comes first. Living is for nothing if not for the sake of one’s reputation, because it’s more important than anything else. If a person loses their reputation, they lose all their dignity. So you can’t tell it like it is, you have to pretend, you have to cover things up, otherwise you will lose your reputation and dignity, and your life will be worthless. If no one respects you, then you’re just worthless, cheap trash.” Is it possible to comport yourself as an honest person by practicing this way? Is it possible to be completely open and dissect yourself? (No, it isn’t.) Obviously, by doing this you are adhering to the saying “People need their pride just as a tree needs its bark” that your family has conditioned into you. However, if you let go of this saying in order to pursue the truth and practice the truth, it will cease to affect you, and it will cease to be your motto or your principle for doing things, and instead what you do will be precisely the opposite of this saying “People need their pride just as a tree needs its bark.” You won’t be living for the sake of your reputation, nor for the sake of your dignity, but rather, you will be living for the sake of pursuing the truth, and comporting yourself as an honest person, and seeking to satisfy God and live as a true created being. If you adhere to this principle, you will have let go of the conditioning effects that your family exerts on you.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. How to Pursue the Truth (12)

Family conditions people not just with one or two sayings, but with a whole host of well-known quotations and aphorisms. For example, do your family elders and parents often mention the saying “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies”? (Yes.) They are telling you: “People must live for the sake of their reputation. People seek nothing else in their lifetime, other than to forge a good reputation among others and make a good impression. Wherever you go, be more generous in giving out greetings, pleasantries, and compliments, and say more kind words. Don’t offend people, but instead do more good deeds and kind acts.” This particular conditioning effect exerted by family has a certain impact on people’s behavior or principles of conduct, with the inevitable consequence that they attach great importance to fame and gain. That is, they attach great importance to their own reputation, prestige, the impression they create in people’s minds, and others’ estimation of everything they do and every opinion they express. By placing great importance on fame and gain, you unwittingly place little importance on whether the duty you perform accords with the truth and principles, whether you are satisfying God, and whether you are fulfilling your duty adequately. You see these things as being of lesser importance and lower priority, whereas the saying “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies,” which your family has conditioned into you, becomes extremely important to you. It makes you pay great attention to how every detail of yourself comes across in people’s minds. In particular, some people pay special attention to what other people really think of them behind their backs, to the point of eavesdropping through walls, listening through half-open doors, and even stealing a glance at what other people write about them. As soon as someone mentions their name, they think, “I have to hurry up and listen to what they’re saying about me, and whether they have a good opinion of me. Oh dear, they said that I’m lazy and that I like to eat nice food. Then I have to change, I can’t be lazy in the future, I must be diligent.” After being diligent for a while, they think to themselves, “I’ve been listening to whether everyone is saying that I’m lazy, and no one seems to have said it lately.” But still they are uneasy, so they casually drop it into their conversations with those around them, saying: “I am a bit lazy.” And others reply: “You’re not lazy, you’re much more diligent now than you used to be.” At this they instantly feel reassured, overjoyed, and comforted. “Look at that, everyone’s opinions of me have changed. It seems that everyone has noticed the improvement in my behavior.” Everything you do is not for the sake of practicing the truth, nor in order to satisfy God, but rather, it is for the sake of your own reputation. In this way, what has everything that you do effectively become? It has effectively become a religious act. What has become of your essence? You have become the archetype of a Pharisee. What has become of your path? It has become the path of antichrists. That is how God defines it. So, the essence of everything you do has become tainted, it’s no longer the same; you are not practicing the truth or pursuing it, but instead you are pursuing fame and gain. Ultimately as far as God is concerned, the performance of your duty is—in a word—inadequate. Why is that? Because you are devoted only to your own reputation, rather than to that which God has entrusted to you, or to your duty as a created being. What do you feel in your heart when God comes up with such a definition? That your belief in God all these years has been in vain? So does that mean you haven’t been pursuing the truth at all? You haven’t been pursuing the truth, instead you have been paying special attention to your own reputation, and at the root of this are the conditioning effects that come from your family. Which is the most dominant saying that you have been conditioned with? The saying, “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies,” has taken deep root in your heart and become your motto. You have been influenced and conditioned by this saying since you were young, and even after growing up you often keep repeating this saying to influence the next generation of your family and the people around you. Of course, what is even more serious is that you have adopted it as your method and principle for conducting yourself and dealing with things, and even as the goal and direction that you pursue in life. Your goal and direction are wrong, and so the final outcome is certain to be negative. Because the essence of everything you do is solely for the sake of your reputation, and solely in order to put into practice the saying “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies.” You are not pursuing the truth, and yet you yourself don’t know that. You think there is nothing wrong with this saying, because shouldn’t people live for the sake of their reputation? As the common saying goes, “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies.” This saying seems very positive and legitimate, so you unconsciously accept its conditioning effect and regard it as a positive thing. Once you regard this saying as a positive thing, you are unknowingly pursuing it and putting it into practice. At the same time, you unknowingly and confusedly misconstrue it as the truth and as a criterion of the truth. When you regard it as a criterion of the truth, you no longer listen to what God says, nor can you understand it. You blindly put into practice this motto, “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies,” and act in accordance with it, and what you ultimately get out of that is a good reputation. You have gained what you wanted to gain, but in doing so you have violated and abandoned the truth, and lost the chance to be saved. Given that this is the final outcome, you should let go of and abandon the idea that “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies,” which your family conditioned into you. It is not something that you should hold onto, nor is it a saying or idea that you should spend a lifetime of effort and energy putting into practice. This idea and view that you are being inculcated and conditioned with is wrong, so you should let go of it. The reason why you should let go of it is not only because it is not the truth, but also because it will lead you astray and ultimately lead to your destruction, so the consequences are very serious. For you, it is not just a simple saying, but a cancer—a means and method that corrupts people. Because in God’s words, among all of His requirements for people, God has never asked people to pursue a good reputation, or to seek prestige, or to make a good impression on people, or to win people’s approval, or to get a thumbs-up from people, nor has He ever made people live for the sake of fame or in order to leave behind a good reputation. God only wants people to perform their duty well, and to submit to Him and the truth. Therefore, as far as you are concerned, this saying is a type of conditioning from your family that you should let go of.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. How to Pursue the Truth (12)

There is another conditioning effect that your family exerts on you. For example, when parents or elders encourage you, they often say “You have to endure great suffering in order to come out on top.” In saying this, their aim is to teach you to endure suffering, be diligent and persevere, and not be afraid of suffering in whatever you do, because only those who endure suffering, resist hardship, work hard, and possess fighting spirit can come out on top. What does “come out on top” mean? It means not being bullied, or looked down upon, or discriminated against; it means having high prestige and status among people, having the authority to speak and be heard, and the authority to make decisions; it means being able to lead a better and higher-quality life among others, and having people look up to you, admire you, and envy you. It essentially means that you are in the upper echelon of the entire human race. What does “upper echelon” mean? It means that there are many people at your feet and you needn’t put up with any mistreatment from them—this is what it is to “come out on top.” In order to come out on top, you have to “endure great suffering,” which means that you must be able to endure suffering that others cannot. So before you can come out on top, you must be able to endure people’s disdainful looks, sneers, sarcasm, slander, as well as others’ lack of understanding, and even their scorn, and so on. In addition to physical suffering, you must be able to put up with the sarcasm and ridicule of public opinion. Only by learning to be this kind of person can you stand out among people, and earn a niche for yourself in society. The aim of this saying is to make people become a top dog rather than an underling, because being an underling is so hard—you have to put up with mistreatment, you feel useless, and you have no dignity or face. This is also a conditioning effect that your family exerts on you, with the aim of acting in your best interests. Your family does this so that you don’t have to put up with mistreatment from others, and so that you have fame and authority, eat well and enjoy yourself, and so that wherever you go, no one will dare bully you and you can instead act like a tyrant and call the shots, and everyone will bow and scrape to you. In one sense, by seeking to be a cut above, you are doing it for your own benefit, and in another sense, you are also doing it to boost the family’s social status and bring honor to your ancestors, so that your parents and family members can also benefit from being associated with you and not suffer mistreatment. If you have endured great suffering and come out on top by becoming a high-ranking official with a nice car, a luxury house and a retinue of people buzzing around you, your family will likewise benefit from being associated with you, and your family members will also be able to drive nice cars, eat well, and live the high life. You will be able to eat the most expensive delicacies if you want, and go wherever you like, and have everyone at your beck and call, and do as you please, and live willfully and arrogantly without needing to keep a low profile or live with your tail between your legs, and do whatever you want, even if it’s above the law, and live boldly and recklessly—this is your family’s aim in conditioning you this way, to prevent you from being wronged, and to make you come out on top. To put it bluntly, their aim is to make you into someone who leads others, directs others, and orders others, and to turn you into someone who is only capable of bullying others and who is never on the receiving end, and to make you into someone who comes out on top, rather than someone who is led. Is this not the case? (Yes.) … What, then, does God require in this respect? Does God require people to come out on top and not to be mediocre, mundane, unremarkable, or ordinary, but instead to be great, famous, and lofty? Is this what God requires of people? (No.) It is very clear that the saying which your family has conditioned into you—“You have to endure great suffering in order to come out on top”—doesn’t guide you in a positive direction, and of course, it also has no connection to the truth. Your family’s aims in making you endure suffering are less than innocent, underpinned by scheming, and so despicable and underhand. God makes people endure suffering because they have corrupt dispositions. If people wish to be purified of their corrupt dispositions, they must undergo suffering—this is an objective fact. In addition, God requires people to endure suffering: This is what a created being should do, and it is also what a normal person should bear, and the attitude that a normal person should have. However, God does not require you to come out on top. He only requires you to be an ordinary, normal person who understands the truth, listens to His words, submits to Him, and that is all. God never demands that you surprise Him, or do anything earth-shattering, nor does He need you to be a celebrity or a great person. He just needs you to be an ordinary, normal, and real person, and no matter how much suffering you can endure, or whether you can endure suffering at all, if in the end you are able to fear God and shun evil, then this is the best person you can be. What God wants is not for you to come out on top, but to be a true created being, a person who can perform the duty of a created being. This person is someone unremarkable and ordinary, someone with normal humanity, conscience and reason, not someone who is lofty or great in the eyes of nonbelievers or corrupt humans. We have fellowshipped a great deal on this aspect before, so we won’t discuss it further now. This saying “You have to endure great suffering in order to come out on top” is clearly something you should let go of. What is it exactly that you should let go of? It is the direction that your family has conditioned you into pursuing. That is, you should change the direction of your pursuit. Don’t do anything just for the sake of coming out on top, standing out from the crowd and being noteworthy, or being admired by others. Instead, you should let go of these intentions, aims, and motives and do everything in a down-to-earth manner in order to be a true created being. What do I mean by “in a down-to-earth manner”? The most basic principle is to do everything in accordance with the ways and principles that God has taught people. Supposing that what you do doesn’t blow everyone away or impress them, or isn’t even praised or valued by anyone. However, if this is something that you ought to do, then you should persist and keep at it, treating it as the duty that a created being should perform. If you do that, you will be an acceptable created being in God’s eyes—it’s as simple as that. What you need to change is your pursuit with regard to your comportment and your outlook on life.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. How to Pursue the Truth (12)

Family conditions and influences you in other ways, for instance with the saying “Harmony is a treasure; forbearance is brilliance.” Family members often teach you: “Be kind and don’t argue with others or make enemies, because if you make too many enemies, you won’t be able to gain a foothold in society, and if there are too many people who hate you and are out to get you, then you won’t be safe in society. You will always be under threat, and your survival, status, family, personal safety, and even your career promotion prospects will be jeopardized and impeded by nasty people. So you must learn that ‘Harmony is a treasure; forbearance is brilliance.’ Be kind to everyone, don’t damage good relationships, don’t say anything that you can’t take back later, avoid hurting people’s pride, and don’t expose their shortcomings. Avoid or stop saying things that people don’t want to listen to. Just give compliments, because it never hurts to compliment somebody. You must learn to show forbearance and compromise in both big and small matters, because ‘Compromise will make a conflict much easier to resolve.’” Think about it, your family instills two ideas and views into you at once. In one sense, they say that you need to be kind to others; in another sense, they need you to be forbearing, not speak out of turn, and if you have something to say, you should button your lip until you get home and then tell your family. Or better still, don’t even tell your family at all, because walls have ears—if ever the secret leaks out, things will not go well for you. To gain a foothold and survive in this society, people must learn one thing, which is to be a fence-straddler. In colloquial terms, you must be slippery and cunning. You can’t just say what’s on your mind. If you go ahead and say what’s on your mind, that’s called being stupid, it’s not called being smart. Some people are loose cannons who say whatever they want. Imagine a guy who does that and ends up offending his boss. The boss then makes life difficult for him, cancels his bonus, and is always looking to pick a quarrel with him. In the end, he can’t bear to stay in the job any longer. If he quits his job, he has no other means to earn a living. But if he doesn’t quit, all he can do is put up with a job that he can’t bear to do any longer. What’s that called, when you are between a rock and a hard place? “Stuck,” in a fix. His family then tells him off, saying: “You deserve to be mistreated, you should have remembered that ‘Harmony is a treasure; forbearance is brilliance’! It serves you right for being a loose cannon and shooting your mouth off! We told you to be tactful and think carefully about what you say, but you didn’t want to, you had to go and be direct. Did you think your boss was that easy to mess with? Did you think it was that easy to survive in society? You always reckon you are just being straightforward. Well, now you must reap the painful consequences. Let this be a lesson to you! In future, you’ll do well to remember the saying ‘Harmony is a treasure; forbearance is brilliance’!” Once he has been taught this lesson, he remembers it, thinking, “My parents really were right to educate me. This is an insightful bit of life experience, a real nugget of wisdom, I can’t keep on ignoring it. I ignore my elders at my peril, so I’ll remember it in future.” After he comes to believe in God and joins God’s house, he still remembers this saying, “Harmony is a treasure; forbearance is brilliance,” and so he greets his brothers and sisters whenever he sees them, and does his best to speak nice words to them. The leader says: “I’ve been a leader for a while, but I don’t have enough work experience.” So he interjects with a compliment: “You’re doing a great job. If you weren’t leading us, we’d feel like we had nowhere to turn.” Someone else says: “I’ve gained an understanding of myself, and I think that I am quite deceitful.” So he replies, “You aren’t deceitful, you are really honest, I’m the one who’s deceitful.” Someone else makes a nasty remark to him, and he thinks to himself, “No need to fear nasty remarks like that, I can put up with much worse. No matter how nasty your remarks get, I’ll just pretend that I didn’t hear them, and I’ll keep on complimenting you, and trying my best to curry favor with you, because it never hurts to compliment you.” Whenever anyone asks him to give his opinion or open up during fellowship, he doesn’t talk frankly, and maintains this cheerful and jolly facade in front of everyone. Someone asks him: “How come you are always so cheerful and jolly? Are you really a smiling tiger?” And he thinks to himself: “I’ve been a smiling tiger for years, and in all that time I’ve never been taken advantage of, so it has become my overriding principle for dealing with the world.” Is he not like a slippery stone? (Yes.) Some people have drifted along in society like this for many years, and continue to do so after they come into God’s house. They never say one honest word, they never speak from the heart, and they don’t talk about their own understanding of themselves. Even when a brother or sister lays their own heart bare to them, they don’t speak frankly, and no one can work out what’s really going on in their minds. They never reveal what they think or what their views are, they maintain really good relations with everyone, and you don’t know what kind of people or what type of personality they actually like, or what they really think about others. If anyone asks them what kind of person so-and-so is, they answer, “He has been a believer for over ten years, and he’s just fine.” Whoever you ask them about, they will reply that the person is just fine or pretty good. If someone asks them, “Have you discovered any shortcomings or flaws in him?” They will reply, “I haven’t found any so far, I’ll keep a closer eye out in future,” but deep down they are thinking: “You’re asking me to offend that person, which I most certainly won’t do! If I tell you the truth and he finds out about it, won’t he just become my enemy? My family has long been telling me not to make enemies, I haven’t forgotten their words. Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I’d forget the education and conditioning I’ve received from my family just because you’ve fellowshipped two sentences of truth? It won’t happen! These sayings, ‘Harmony is a treasure; forbearance is brilliance’ and ‘Compromise will make a conflict much easier to resolve,’ have never let me down yet and they are my talismans. I don’t talk about anyone’s flaws, and if anyone provokes me, I show them forbearance. Haven’t you seen that character imprinted on my forehead? It’s the Chinese character for ‘forbearance,’ which consists of the character of a knife above that of a heart. Whoever says nasty remarks, I show them forbearance. Whoever prunes me, I show them forbearance. My aim is to stay on good terms with everyone, to keep relations at this level. Don’t stick to principles, don’t be so stupid, don’t be inflexible, you must learn to yield according to the circumstances! Why do you think tortoises live for so long? It’s because they hide inside their shell whenever the going gets tough, is it not? That way they can protect themselves and live for thousands of years. That’s how to live a long life, and also how to deal with the world.” You don’t hear such people utter anything truthful or genuine, and their true viewpoints and the bottom line for their comportment are never revealed. They only think about these things and contemplate them in their heart, but no one else knows about them. This kind of person is outwardly kind to everyone, appears good-natured, and doesn’t hurt or harm anyone. But in fact, what they really are is a fence-straddler and a slippery stone. This kind of person is always liked by some people in the church, because they never make big mistakes, they never give themselves away, and the evaluation from church leaders and brothers and sisters is that they get on just fine with everyone. They are lukewarm about their duty, they do just what is asked of them. They are especially obedient and well-behaved, they never hurt others in conversation or when dealing with matters, and they never take unfair advantage of anyone. They never speak ill of others, and they never judge people behind their backs. However, no one knows whether they are sincere in performing their duty, and no one knows what they think of others or what opinion they hold about them. After careful thought, you even feel that this kind of person really is a bit weird and difficult to fathom, and that keeping them on might lead to trouble. What should you do? It’s a tough call, isn’t it? When they are performing their duty, you can see them going about their business, but they never care about the principles that God’s house has communicated to them. They do things however they like, going through the motions and leaving it at that, trying only to avoid making any big mistakes. Consequently, you can’t find any fault with them, or identify any defects. They do things flawlessly, but what are they thinking inside? Do they want to perform their duty? If there were no church administrative decrees, or supervision from the church leader or their brothers and sisters, might this person associate with evil people? Might they do bad things and commit evil together with evil people? It is highly possible, and they are capable of doing it, but they haven’t done it yet. This kind of person is the most troublesome kind, and they are the archetypal slippery stone or sly old fox. They don’t hold grudges against anyone. If someone says something to hurt them, or reveals a corrupt disposition that infringes on their dignity, what do they think? “I will show forbearance, I won’t hold it against you, but a day will come when you’ll make a fool of yourself!” When that person really is dealt with or makes a fool of themselves, they secretly laugh about it. They readily make fun of other people, leaders, and God’s house, but they don’t make fun of themselves. They just don’t know what problems or flaws they have themselves. People like this are careful not to reveal anything that can hurt others, or anything that enables others to see through them, although they think about these things in their heart. Whereas, when it comes to things that can benumb or mislead others, they freely express them and let people see them. People like this are the most insidious and difficult to deal with. So what attitude does God’s house take toward people like this? Use them if they can be used, and clear them out if they can’t—this is the principle. Why is that? The reason is that people like this are destined not to pursue the truth. They are disbelievers who make fun of God’s house, brothers and sisters, and leaders when things go wrong. What role do they play? Is it the role of Satan and devils? (Yes.) When they show patience toward their brothers and sisters, it constitutes neither genuine tolerance nor genuine love. They do it to protect themselves and to avoid attracting any enemies or danger their way. They don’t tolerate their brothers and sisters to protect them, nor do they do it out of love, and less still do they do it because they are pursuing the truth and practicing in accordance with the truth principles. Theirs is entirely an attitude that centers on drifting along and misleading others. Such people are fence-straddlers and slippery stones. They don’t like the truth and they don’t pursue it, instead they just drift along. It is clear that the conditioning which such people receive from their family greatly affects the methods by which they comport themselves and deal with things. Of course, it must be said that these methods and principles of dealing with the world are inseparable from their humanity essence. On top of this, the conditioning effects from their family only serve to make their actions even more pronounced and concrete, and reveal their nature essence even more completely. Therefore, when faced with cardinal issues of right and wrong, and in matters that have a bearing on the interests of God’s house, if such people can make some appropriate choices and let go of the philosophies for worldly dealings that they harbor in their hearts, such as “Harmony is a treasure; forbearance is brilliance,” in order to uphold the interests of God’s house, reduce their transgressions, and lessen their evil deeds before God—how will this benefit them? At the very least, when in the future God determines each person’s outcome, it will alleviate their punishment and lessen God’s chastening of them. By practicing this way, such people have nothing to lose and everything to gain, do they not? If they are made to entirely let go of their philosophies for worldly dealings, it won’t be easy for them, because it involves their humanity essence, and these slippery stones and fence-straddlers don’t accept the truth at all. It’s not so simple and easy for them to let go of the satanic philosophies conditioned into them by their families, because—even leaving aside these conditioning effects from their families—they themselves are obsessive believers in satanic philosophies, and they like this approach toward dealing with the world, which is a very individual, subjective approach. But if such people are smart—if they let go of some of these practices to appropriately defend the interests of God’s house, as long as their own interests are not threatened or damaged—then that is actually a good thing for them, because at the very least it could alleviate their guilt, lessen God’s chastening of them, and even turn the tables so that instead of chastening them, God rewards and remembers them. How wonderful that would be! Would that not be a good thing? (Yes.)

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. How to Pursue the Truth (12)

How else has your family conditioned you? For instance, your parents often tell you: “If you have a big mouth and talk rashly, sooner or later it will get you into trouble! You must remember that ‘He who talks a lot errs a lot’! What does this mean? It means that if you say too much, you will definitely end up putting your foot in your mouth. Whatever the occasion, don’t speak rashly—see what everyone else says first before you say anything. If you go along with the majority, you’ll be just fine. But if you always try to stand out, and constantly speak rashly and reveal your point of view without knowing what your chief, boss, or everyone around you is thinking, and then it turns out that your chief or boss doesn’t think the same way, then they will give you a hard time. Can any good come from that? Silly child, you must be careful in future. He who talks a lot errs a lot. Just remember that, and don’t speak rashly! Mouths are for eating and breathing, sweet-talking your superiors, and trying to please others, they’re not for telling the truth. You must choose your words wisely, you must employ tricks and methods, and you must use your brain. Just before the words escape your mouth, swallow them and run through them repeatedly in your mind, waiting until the time is right before saying them. What you actually say should also depend on the situation. If you start sharing your opinion, but then notice that people don’t take kindly to it, or their reaction isn’t so good, stop right there and think about how to say it in a way that can keep everyone happy before continuing. That’s what a smart kid would do. If you do that, you’ll keep out of trouble and everyone will like you. And if everyone likes you, won’t that work in your favor? Won’t that create more opportunities for you in future?” Your family conditions you by telling you not only how to gain a good reputation, how to come out on top, and how to establish a stable foothold among others, but also how to deceive others through outward appearances and not tell the truth, much less pour forth everything that is on your mind. Some people who have come to grief after speaking the truth recall their family telling them the saying “He who talks a lot errs a lot,” and draw a lesson from it. Thereafter they become more and more willing to practice this saying and turn it into their motto. Other people haven’t come to grief but earnestly accept the conditioning of their family in this regard, and continually put this saying into practice whatever the occasion. The more they put it into practice, the more they feel that “My parents and grandparents are so good to me, they are all sincere toward me and want the best for me. I’m so fortunate that they told me this saying, ‘He who talks a lot errs a lot,’ otherwise I’d come to grief so often due to my big mouth, and so many people would give me a hard time, or cast me disdainful looks, or ridicule and mock me. This saying is so useful and beneficial!” They gain a great deal of tangible benefits from putting this saying into practice. Of course, when they then come before God, they still think that this saying is a most useful and beneficial thing. Whenever a brother or sister openly fellowships about his or her personal state, corruption, or experience and knowledge, they too want to fellowship and to be a forthright and open person, and they too want to honestly talk about what they think or know in their heart, so as to temporarily relieve their state of mind, which has been stifled for so many years, or to gain some degree of freedom and release. But as soon as they recall what their parents keep drumming into them, namely, “‘He who talks a lot errs a lot.’ Don’t speak rashly, be a listener rather than a talker, and learn to listen to others,” they swallow whatever it is they wanted to say. When everyone else finishes talking, they say nothing and instead think to themselves: “This is great, it’s just as well I didn’t say anything this time, because once I’d said my piece everyone might have formed opinions about me, and I might have lost something. It’s great to say nothing, maybe that way everyone will keep thinking that I’m honest and not so deceitful, but just a naturally taciturn person, and therefore not someone who is scheming, or someone who is so corrupt, and particularly not someone who has notions about God, but instead someone who is simple and open. It’s not a bad thing for people to think of me this way, so why should I have to say anything? I’m actually seeing some results by adhering to this saying ‘He who talks a lot errs a lot,’ so I’ll keep on acting like this.” Adhering to this saying gives them a nice, rewarding feeling, and so they stay silent once, twice, and on it goes until one day, when they have so many words pent up inside them and want to open up to their brothers and sisters, but their mouth feels like it’s sealed and bandaged shut, and they can’t get a single sentence out. Since they can’t tell their brothers and sisters, they decide to try talking to God instead, so they kneel before Him and say, “God, I have something to tell You. I am….” But although they have thought it through in their heart, they don’t know how to say it, they can’t express it, it’s as if they have become well and truly mute. They don’t know how to pick the right words or even how to string a sentence together. So many years of pent-up feelings make them feel completely stifled, and that they are living a dark and sordid life, and when they make up their mind to tell God what is in their heart and unload their feelings, they are lost for words and don’t know where to start, or how to say it. Are they not wretched? (Yes, they are.) Why, then, do they have nothing to say to God? They just introduce themselves. They want to tell God what is in their heart, but they don’t have the words, and in the end all that comes out is: “God, please give me the words I ought to say!” And God replies: “There is so much that you ought to say, but you don’t want to say it, and you don’t say it when you are given the chance, so I am taking back everything that I have given you. I won’t give it to you, you don’t deserve it.” Only then do they feel that they have lost out on so much these past years. Although they feel that they have led a very dignified life, and wrapped themselves up tightly and packaged themselves perfectly, when they see that their brothers and sisters have been making gains all this time, and when they see their brothers and sisters talking about their experiences without any qualms and opening up about their corruption, these people come to the realization that they themselves cannot say a single sentence, and don’t know how to. They have believed in God for so many years, and want to talk about knowledge of themselves, and to discuss their experience of and exposure to God’s words, and to get some enlightenment and a bit of light from God, and to gain something. But unfortunately, because they all too frequently cling to the opinion that “He who talks a lot errs a lot,” and are often bound and controlled by this idea, they have lived for this saying for so many years, they have not received any enlightenment or illumination from God, and they are still poor, pitiful, and empty-handed when it comes to life entry. They have practiced this saying and idea to perfection and obeyed it to the letter, but despite having believed in God for so many years, they have not gained anything of the truth, and remain poor and blind. God gave them mouths, but they have no ability whatsoever to fellowship on the truth, nor any ability to talk about their feelings and knowledge, let alone the ability to communicate with their brothers and sisters. What is more pitiful is that they don’t even have the ability to talk to God, and have lost such an ability. Are they not wretched? (Yes, they are.) Wretched and lamentable. Do you not dislike talking? Are you not always afraid that he who talks a lot errs a lot? Then you should never say anything. You wrap up your innermost thoughts and that which God has given you, suppressing them, sealing them away and preventing them from escaping. You are constantly afraid of losing face, afraid of feeling threatened, afraid that others will see through you, and constantly afraid that you will no longer be a perfect, honest, and good person in the eyes of others, so you wrap yourself up, and say nothing about your true thoughts. And what happens in the end? You become a mute person in every sense of the word. Who did such harm to you? At the root, it was being conditioned by your family that harmed you. But from your own personal perspective, it is also because you like living by satanic philosophies, so you choose to believe that the conditioning of your family is correct, and don’t believe that God’s requirements for you are positive. You choose to regard the conditioning effect that your family exerts on you as a positive thing, and to regard God’s words, His requirements, and His provision, help, and teaching as things to guard against, as negative things. Therefore, no matter how much God bestowed upon you at the outset, because of your guardedness and refusal all these years, the end result is that God takes back everything and gives you nothing, because you are not worthy of it. So before it comes to that, you should let go of the conditioning effect that your family exerts on you in this regard, and don’t accept the erroneous idea that “He who talks a lot errs a lot.” This saying makes you more closed, more insidious, and more hypocritical. It is completely antithetical and contrary to God’s requirement for people to be honest, and His demand that they be forthright and open. As a believer in God and a follower of God, you should be absolutely determined to pursue the truth. And when you are absolutely determined to pursue the truth, you should be absolutely determined to let go of what you imagine to be the good conditioning effects that your family exerts on you—there should be no choosing. No matter what conditioning effects your family exerts on you, no matter how good or beneficial they are for you, no matter how much they protect you, they come from people and Satan, and you should let go of them. Even though God’s words and His requirements for people may conflict with the conditioning effects of your family, or even hurt your interests, and strip away your rights, and even if you think that they don’t protect you and are instead intended to show you up and make you look a fool, you should still regard them as positive things, because they come from God, they are the truth, and you should accept them. If the things that your family has conditioned into you have a bearing on your thinking and comportment, your outlook on existence, and the path you take, then you should let go of them and not hold fast to them. Instead, you should replace them with the corresponding truths from God, and in doing so, you should also constantly discern and recognize the inherent problems and essence of these things that your family conditioned into you, and then act and practice by following God’s words more precisely, practically, and truly. Accepting ideas, views on people and things, and principles of practice that come from God—this is the duty-bound responsibility of a created being, and what a created being should do, and this is also the idea and view that a created being should possess.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. How to Pursue the Truth (12)

Family exerts another kind of conditioning effect. For example, your family members always tell you: “Don’t be someone who stands out too much from the crowd, you must rein yourself in and exercise a little restraint in your words and actions, as well as in your personal talents, abilities, IQ, and so on. Don’t be that person who stands out. It’s like the sayings go, ‘The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot,’ and ‘The rafter that sticks out is the first to rot.’ If you want to protect yourself, and have a long-term and stable place in the group you belong to, don’t be the bird that sticks its neck out, you should rein yourself in and not aspire to rise above everyone. Think about the lightning rod, which is the first thing to be struck in a storm, because lightning strikes the highest point; and when the wind is blowing a gale, the tallest tree is the first to take its brunt and get blown over; and when the weather is cold, the tallest mountain is the first to freeze over. It’s the same with people—if you always stick out among others and draw attention, and the Party notices you, it will seriously consider punishing you. Don’t be the bird that sticks its neck out, don’t fly solo. You should stay inside the flock. Otherwise, if any social protest movement formed around you, you would be the one who gets punished first, because you are the bird that sticks out. Don’t be a leader or a group head in the church. Otherwise, in the event of any work-related losses or problems in God’s house, as the leader or supervisor, you will be the first to be singled out. So, don’t be the bird that sticks its neck out, because the bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot. You must learn to tuck in your head and cower like a tortoise.” You remember these words from your parents, and when the time comes to choose a leader, you decline the position, saying, “Oh, I cannot do it! I have a family and children, I’m too tied up with them. I can’t be a leader. You guys should do it, don’t choose me.” Supposing you are elected as leader anyway, you are still reluctant to do it. “I’m afraid I must resign,” you say. “You guys be the leader, I’m giving you all the opportunity. I’m letting you take the position, I’m stepping aside.” You ponder in your heart, “Huh! The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot. The higher you climb, the harder you fall, and it’s lonely at the top. I’ll let you be the leader, and after you get chosen, a day will come when you will make a spectacle of yourself. I never want to be a leader, I don’t want to climb the ladder, which means that I won’t fall from a great height. Think about it, wasn’t so-and-so dismissed as leader? After being dismissed he was expelled—he didn’t even get the chance to be an ordinary believer. It’s a perfect example of those sayings ‘The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot’ and ‘The rafter that sticks out is the first to rot.’ Am I not right? Was he not punished? People must learn to protect themselves, otherwise what do people have brains for? If you have a brain in your head, you must use it to protect yourself. Some people can’t see this issue clearly, but that’s how it is in society and in any group of people—‘The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot.’ You’ll be very well-regarded while you are sticking your neck out, right up until the moment you get shot. Then you’ll realize that people who put themselves in the firing line get their comeuppance sooner or later.” These are the earnest teachings of your parents and family, and also the voice of experience, the distilled wisdom of their lifetime, which they whisper into your ear without reservation. What do I mean by “whisper into your ear”? I mean that one day, your mother says in your ear, “Let me tell you, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this life, it’s that ‘The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot,’ which means that if someone sticks out too much or draws too much attention, they’re likely to be punished for it. See how subdued and guileless your dad is now, it’s because he was punished in some campaign of suppression. Your dad has literary talent, he can write and give speeches, he has leadership skills, but he stood out from the crowd too much, and ended up being punished in the campaign. How come, ever since then, your dad never talks about being a government official and a high-profile figure? It’s because of that. I’m speaking to you from the heart and telling you the truth. You must listen and remember it well. Don’t forget, you must keep it in mind wherever you go. This is the best thing I can give you as your mother.” Thereafter you remember her words, and whenever you recall the saying “The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot,” it reminds you of your father, and whenever you think of him, you think of this saying. Your father was once the bird that stuck its neck out and got shot, and now his downbeat and dispirited look has left a deep impression on your mind. So, whenever you want to stick your neck out, whenever you want to speak your mind, whenever you want to sincerely fulfill your duty in God’s house, your mother’s heartfelt advice in your ear—“The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot”—comes to mind again. So, once again you shrink back, thinking, “I cannot show any talents or special abilities, I must restrain myself and stifle them. And as for God’s exhortation for people to put all their heart, mind, and strength into performing their duty, I must practice these words in moderation, and not stand out by trying too hard. If I stand out by trying too hard, and stick my neck out by leading the church’s work, what if something goes wrong with the work of God’s house and I am held responsible? How should I bear this responsibility? Will I be cleared out? Will I become the scapegoat, the bird that stuck its neck out? In God’s house, it’s hard to say how these matters will turn out. So, regardless of what I do, I absolutely must leave myself an escape route, I absolutely must learn to protect myself, and ensure that I cover all my bases before I speak and act. This is the wisest course of action, because as my mother says, ‘The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot.’” This saying is deeply implanted in your heart and also has a profound influence on your daily life. More seriously of course, it affects your attitude toward performing your duty. Are there not serious problems here? Therefore, whenever you perform your duty and want to expend yourself sincerely, and to wholeheartedly utilize all your strength, this saying—“The bird that sticks its neck out is the one that gets shot”—always stops you in your tracks, and in the end you always choose to leave yourself some leeway and room for maneuver, and only do your duty in a measured way after leaving an escape route for yourself. Am I not right? Does your family’s conditioning in this regard protect you to the greatest extent from being exposed and dealt with? For you it is another talisman, is it not? (Yes.)

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. How to Pursue the Truth (12)

Family conditioning most likely involves many more rules of the game for behaving and dealing with the world. For example, parents often say, “One should never intend to do harm to others, but should always guard against the harm others might do to him; you’re too foolish and credulous.” Parents often repeat these kinds of words, and even elders often nag you, saying, “Be a good person, don’t harm others, but you must always guard against the harm others might do to you. All people are bad. You might see that someone says nice things to you on the outside, but you don’t know what they’re thinking. People’s hearts are hidden beneath their skin, and in drawing a tiger, you show its skin, but not its bones; in knowing a person, you may know their face, but not their heart.” Is there a correct side to these phrases? Looking at each of them literally, there’s nothing wrong with such phrases. What a person is truly thinking deep down, whether their heart is vicious or kind, cannot be known. It’s impossible to see into a person’s soul. The meaning behind these phrases is ostensibly correct, but they’re only a kind of doctrine. What is the principle for dealing with the world that people ultimately derive from these two phrases? It’s that “One should never intend to do harm to others, but should always guard against the harm others might do to him.” This is what the older generation says. Parents and elders often say this, and they constantly advise you by saying, “Be cautious, don’t be foolish and reveal everything in your heart. Learn to guard yourself and be vigilant. Even with good friends, don’t reveal your true self or lay your heart bare. Don’t risk your life for them.” Is this admonishment from your elders correct? (No, it teaches people deceitful ways.) In theory, it has a good primary aim: To protect you, to prevent you from falling into dangerous situations, to protect you from being harmed or cheated by others, to safeguard your physical interests, your personal safety, and your life. It’s to keep you out of trouble, lawsuits, and temptations, and to allow you to live every day peacefully, smoothly, and happily. The primary aim of parents and elders is simply to protect you. However, the way they protect you, the principles they advise you to follow, and the thoughts they instill in you are not at all correct. While their primary aim is correct, the thoughts they instill in you unconsciously lead you to an extreme. The thoughts they instill in you become the principles and bases for how you deal with the world. When you interact with classmates, colleagues, work partners, superiors, and every type of person in society, people from all walks of life, these protective thoughts instilled by your parents unconsciously become your most basic talisman and principle whenever you handle matters involving interpersonal relationships. What principle is this? It is: I won’t harm you, but I have to be on guard against you at all times to prevent you from deceiving or cheating me, to avoid getting into trouble or lawsuits, to prevent my family fortune from going under and the people in my family from meeting their end, and to prevent me from ending up in prison. Living under the control of such thoughts and viewpoints, living among this social group with such an attitude toward dealing with the world, you can only become more depressed, more exhausted, fatigued in both mind and body. Subsequently, you become more resistant and averse to this world and humanity, despising them more. While despising others, you begin to think less of yourself, feeling like you’re not living in a way that resembles a person, but rather, you’re living a tired and depressed life. In order to avoid being harmed by others, you have to be constantly on your guard, doing and saying things against your will. In the pursuit of protecting your own interests and personal safety, you wear a false mask in every aspect of your life and disguise yourself, never daring to speak a word of truth. In this situation, in these survival conditions, your inner self cannot find release or freedom. You often need someone who poses no harm to you and will never threaten your interests, someone with whom you can share your innermost thoughts and vent your frustrations, without bearing any responsibility for your words, incurring ridicules, digs, mockery, or taking any consequences. In a situation where the thought and viewpoint of “One should never intend to do harm to others, but should always guard against the harm others might do to him” is your principle for dealing with the world, your inner self is filled with fear and insecurity. Naturally, you feel depressed, unable to find release, and you need someone to comfort you, someone to confide in. Therefore, judging from these aspects, although the principle for dealing with the world that your parents taught you, “One should never intend to do harm to others, but should always guard against the harm others might do to him,” can succeed in protecting you, it is a double-edged sword. While it protects your physical interests and personal safety to a certain extent, it also makes you feel depressed and miserable, unable to find release, and even makes you more disenchanted with this world and humanity. At the same time, deep inside, you also faintly begin to feel fed up with having been born in such an evil era, among such an evil group of people. You can’t understand why people have to live, why life is so exhausting, why they must wear a mask and disguise themselves everywhere they go, or why you must always be on guard against others for the sake of your own interests. You wish you could speak the truth, but you can’t because of the consequences. You want to be a real person, speak and comport yourself openly, and avoid being a base person or doing vile and shameful deeds in secret, living exclusively in darkness, but you cannot do any of this. Why can’t you live uprightly? As you reflect on your past actions, you feel a faint contempt. You hate and abhor this evil trend and this evil world, and at the same time, you loathe yourself deeply and despise the person you’ve become. Yet, there’s nothing you can do. Although your parents, through their words and actions, passed this talisman along to you, it still makes you feel like your life lacks happiness or a sense of security. When you feel this lack of happiness, security, integrity and dignity, you find yourself both grateful to your parents for giving you this talisman and resentful of the chains they’ve placed upon you. You don’t understand why your parents told you to comport yourself in this way, why you must comport yourself like this in order to gain a footing in society, to assimilate into this social group, and to protect yourself. Although it is a talisman, it is also a kind of shackle that makes you feel both love and hatred in your heart. But what can you do? You don’t have the right path in life, no one tells you how to live or how to deal with things that come your way, and no one tells you whether what you’re doing is right or wrong, or how you should walk the path that lies before you. You can only pass through confusion, vacillation, pain, and unease. These are the consequences of the philosophy for worldly dealings that was instilled in you by your parents and family, making it so that your simplest wish to be a simple person, namely your desire to be able to comport yourself uprightly without resorting to these means of dealing with the world, cannot be realized. You can only live in a debased manner, making compromises and living for the sake of your reputation, making yourself especially fierce to guard against other people, pretending to be fierce, tall and mighty, and powerful and extraordinary to avoid being bullied. You can only live like this against your will, which makes you loathe yourself, but you have no choice. Because you don’t have the ability or the path to escape these ways and strategies for dealing with the world, you can only let yourself be manipulated by the thoughts conditioned into you by your family and parents. People are fooled and controlled by the thoughts instilled in them by their families and parents during this unconscious process, because they do not understand the truth or how they should live, so they can only leave it to fate. Even if their conscience still has a little bit of feeling, or they have even a small desire to live with human likeness, to get along and compete with others fairly, no matter what their wishes may be, they cannot escape the conditioning and control of various thoughts and viewpoints that come from their family, and in the end, they can only return to the thought and viewpoint conditioned into them by their family that “One should never intend to do harm to others, but should always guard against the harm others might do to him,” because they have no other path to take—they have no choice. All of this is caused by people’s lack of understanding the truth and their failure to obtain the truth.

—The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth I. How to Pursue the Truth (14)

Why aren’t these traditional cultures the truth? What it all boils down to is that these things are ideas that came about after humankind was corrupted by Satan. They do not come from God. They are adulterated with some of people’s imaginings and notions, and moreover, they are the consequences achieved by Satan’s corruption of humankind. Satan exploits the ideas, views, and all manner of sayings and arguments of corrupt humankind in order to bind people’s thinking and corrupt people’s thinking. If Satan used some things that were obviously absurd, preposterous, and wrong to mislead people, then people would have discernment; they would be able to distinguish between right and wrong, and would use this discernment to deny and condemn those things. Thus, these teachings would not stand up to scrutiny. However, when Satan, in order to condition, influence, and inculcate people, uses some ideas and theories that conform to people’s notions and imaginings, and which it thinks will stand up to scrutiny when spoken aloud, humankind is easily misled, and these sayings are also easily accepted and spread by people, and so these sayings endure from generation to generation, right up until the present. Take some stories about Chinese heroes, for example, such as the patriotic stories about Yue Fei, the generals of the Yang family, and Wen Tianxiang. How come these ideas have been passed down to the present day? If we look at it from the aspect of people, in every age there is a type of person or a type of ruler who constantly uses these examples and uses the ideas and the spirit of these personages to teach generation after generation of people, so that generation after generation of people compliantly and meekly accept their rule, and so that they can easily govern generation after generation of people, and make their reign more stable. By talking about the apish devotion of Yue Fei and the generals of the Yang family, as well as the patriotic spirit of Wen Tianxiang and Qu Yuan, they educate their subjects and let them know one rule, which is that one must comport oneself with loyalty—this is what a person of noble moral character should possess. Loyalty to what extent? To the extent that “When the emperor commands his officials to die, they have no choice but to die,” and “A loyal subject cannot serve two kings”—this is another saying that they revere. They also revere those who love their country. Loving one’s country means loving what, or whom? Loving the land? Loving the people in it? And what is a country? (The rulers.) The rulers are the country’s representatives. If you say, “My love for my country is actually love for my hometown and my parents. I don’t love you, the rulers!” then they will get angry. If you say, “My love for my country is love for the rulers, from the innermost depths of my heart,” they will accept it and approve of such love; if you make them understand and make it clear that it is not they whom you love, then they will not approve. Who do rulers through the ages represent? (Satan.) They represent Satan, they are members of Satan’s gang, and they are devils. They cannot possibly educate the people to worship God, to worship the Creator. They cannot possibly do this. Instead, they tell the people that the ruler is the son of heaven. What does “son of heaven” mean? It means that Heaven grants power to someone, and this person is then called the “son of heaven” and has the power to reign over all people under heaven. Is this an idea instilled into the people by rulers? (Yes.) When a person becomes the son of heaven, it is determined by Heaven, and the will of Heaven is with them, so the people should accept that person’s rule unconditionally, whatever kind of rule it be. What they instill into people is this idea, which makes you accept that person as the son of heaven based on your acknowledgment of Heaven’s existence. What is the purpose of making you accept that person as the son of heaven? It is not to make you acknowledge that there is Heaven, or that there is a God, or that there is a Creator, but to make you accept the very fact that this person is the son of heaven, and that because they are the son of heaven, brought about by the existence of the will of Heaven, the people should accept their rule—these are the kind of ideas they instill. Behind all of these ideas that have developed from the beginning of humankind to the present day—whether what we dissect are phrases and idioms that contain allusions or folk proverbs and common sayings that are completely devoid of allusions—lie Satan’s bonds and misleading of humankind, as well as corrupted humankind’s fallacious definition of these ideas themselves. What influence does this fallacious definition have on humankind in later periods? Is it good, positive or negative? (Negative.) It is fundamentally negative. Take, for example, the sayings “Sleeping on brushwood and licking gall,” and “Conceal one’s light and gather strength in the dark,” and “Enduring humiliation and bearing a heavy burden,” and “Never say die,” as well as “Feign one thing while doing another”—what influence do these sayings have on humankind in later periods? Namely, that once people accept these ideas from traditional culture, each successive generation of people strays further and further from God, and further and further from God’s creation and salvation of people, and from His work of management plan. Once people accept these mistaken views from traditional culture, they increasingly feel that human destiny should be in their own hands, and that happiness has to be created with their own hands, and that opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared, which leads humankind to increasingly deny God, deny God’s sovereignty, and live under Satan’s power. If you compare what people in the modern age like to talk about and what people two thousand years ago liked to talk about, the meaning of the thinking behind these things is actually the same. It’s just that people nowadays talk about those things more specifically and are more outspoken about them. Not only do they deny the existence and sovereignty of God, but they also resist and condemn God to an increasingly serious degree.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part One)

What is the difference in substance between the words of God and man, and between the truth and doctrine? God’s words cause people to grow in reason and conscience, to act with principle, and what they live out to become increasingly possessed of the reality of positive things. The words of man, on the other hand, may seem to sit perfectly with people’s tastes and notions, but they are not the truth, they brim with pitfalls, temptation, and heresies and fallacies, and so if people act according to these words, what they live out will stray ever further from God, and from the standards of God. Even more serious, the way people live will become ever more evil and akin to Satan. When people live and act entirely by the heresies and fallacies of man, when they have wholly embraced these arguments, they live as Satan. And does living as Satan not imply that they are Satans? (Yes.) So they have “successfully” become living Satans. Some people say, “I don’t believe it. I just want to be a guileless person who is liked by others. I want to be someone that most people regard as good, and then I’ll see whether god takes delight in me or not.” If you do not believe what God says, go and look, and—see if God’s words are the truth, or if man’s notions are the truth. This is the difference in essence between the words of God and the words of man. It is the essential distinction between the truth and heresies and fallacies. No matter how the heresies and fallacies of man seem to fit with people’s tastes, they can never become their life; meanwhile, no matter how unadorned the words of God seem, how vernacular, how at odds with people’s notions, their essence is the truth, and if what people do and live out is in accordance with the principles of God’s words, eventually, one day, they will become genuine qualified created beings, and will be capable of fearing God and shunning evil. Conversely, if people do not practice according to God’s words and do not act according to God’s demands, they cannot become qualified created beings. Their actions and the path they walk will only be spurned by God; this is a fact.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Ten: They Despise the Truth, Brazenly Flout Principles, and Ignore the Arrangements of God’s House (Part Five)

Many people verbally believe in God and praise Him, but in their hearts, they do not love the words God says. They are not interested in the truth. They always believe that living according to the philosophies of Satan or various worldly theories is what normal people do, that this is how one can protect themselves, and that this is how to live with value in the world. Are these people who believe in God and follow Him? No, they are not. The words of great and renowned people sound particularly sagacious and can easily mislead others. You may hold onto their words as truths or mottos to abide by. But if, when it comes to the words of God, to an ordinary requirement He has for people, such as being an honest person, or amenably and scrupulously keeping one’s place, performing their duty as a created being and having a steady and honest comportment, you cannot put these words into practice and do not regard them as truths, then you are not a follower of God. You claim to be practicing the truth, but if God asks you, “Are the ‘truths’ you’re practicing God’s words? Are the principles you uphold based on God’s words?”—how would you account for yourself? If your basis isn’t God’s words, then it’s Satan’s words. You’re living out Satan’s words and yet you claim to be practicing the truth and satisfying God. Isn’t that blaspheming against God? God instructs people to be honest, for example, yet some people do not ponder over what being an honest person really entails, how to practice being an honest person, what things they live out and reveal are dishonest, nor what things they live out and reveal are honest. Instead of pondering the essence of the truth in God’s words, they turn to the books of nonbelievers. They think, “The sayings of nonbelievers are pretty good, too—they also teach people to be good! For example, ‘The good have peaceful lives,’ ‘Guileless people ever prevail,’ ‘Forgiving others is not foolish, it brings benefits afterward.’ These statements are right, too, and align with the truth!” So, they adhere to these words. What kind of person can they live as by abiding by these adages of nonbelievers? Can they live out the truth reality? (No, they cannot.) Aren’t there many people like this? They acquire some knowledge; they’ve read a few books and a few famous works; they’ve gained some perspective, and heard a few famous sayings and folk proverbs, then they take these as the truth, acting and performing their duty according to these words, applying them to their lives as believers in God and thinking they are satisfying God’s heart. Isn’t this substituting falsehood for the truth? Isn’t this dealing in deception? To God, this is blasphemy! These things manifest in every person, in no small number. For someone who treats the pleasing words and correct doctrines from among the people as truths to uphold, while putting God’s words to one side and disregarding them, failing to internalize them no matter how many times they are read, or to consider God’s words as the truth, are they a believer in God? Are they a follower of God? (No.) Such people believe in religion; they are still following Satan! They believe that the words spoken by Satan are philosophical, that they are greatly profound and classic. They consider them to be famous sayings of utmost truth. No matter what else they give up, they cannot let go of those words. To abandon those words would be like losing their life’s foundation, like hollowing out their heart. What kind of people are these? They are followers of Satan, and that is why they accept Satan’s famous sayings as the truth. Can you dissect and recognize the various states you find yourself in within different contexts? As an example, some people believe in God and often read His words, but when things befall them, they always say, “My mother said,” “My grandfather said,” “So-and-so famous person once said,” or “Such-and-such book says.” They never say, “God’s word says this,” “God’s requirements for us are like that,” “God says this.” They never speak these words. Are they following God? (No, they are not.) Are these states easy for people to discover? No, they’re not, but their existence in people is to their great detriment. You may have believed in God for three, five, eight, or ten years, yet still not know how to submit to God or practice God’s words. No matter what happens to you, you still take satanic words as your basis; you still seek a basis in traditional culture. Is that faith in God? Aren’t you following Satan? You live by satanic words and live by satanic dispositions, so aren’t you resisting God? Since you don’t practice or live by God’s word, don’t follow God’s footsteps, can’t heed whatever God says, and can’t submit no matter what God orchestrates or requires, you are not following God. You are still following Satan. Where is Satan? Satan is in people’s hearts. The philosophies, logic and rules, and the various devilish words of Satan have long since taken root in people’s hearts. This is the most serious problem. If you cannot resolve this problem in your faith in God, then you will not be able to be saved by God. Therefore, you must often hold up all you do, your thoughts and views, and your basis for doing things against God’s words for comparison, and dissect the things in your thoughts. You must know which of the things inside you are philosophies for worldly dealings, popular adages, traditional culture, as well as which have come from intellectual knowledge. You must know which of these you always believe to be right and in accordance with the truth, which you abide by as if they were the truth, and which you allow to take the place of the truth. You must dissect these things. In particular, if you treat the things you believe are right and precious as the truth, it is not easy to see through them—but if you do see through them, you will have broken through a major obstacle. These things are impediments to people’s understanding God’s words, practicing the truth, and submitting to God. If you spend all day bewildered and at loose ends, and don’t consider these things or focus on solving these problems, then they are the root of your malaise, poison in your heart. If they are not removed, you will be incapable of truly following God, and unable to practice the truth or submit to God, and have no way to attain salvation.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. One Cannot Be Saved by Believing in Religion or Engaging in Religious Ceremony

No matter what happens, do you rely on satanic philosophies and use human methods to solve it, or do you seek the truth and solve it according to God’s words, or do you adopt a compromising middle ground approach? Your choice best reveals if you’re someone who loves and pursues the truth. If you always choose to solve problems by relying on satanic philosophies and human methods, the consequence will be that you cannot gain the truth, nor the enlightenment, illumination, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. What’s more, notions and misunderstandings about God will arise in you, and He will ultimately spurn and eliminate you. But if you can seek the truth in all things and solve them according to God’s words, then you’ll be able to attain the enlightenment, illumination, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Your understanding of the truth will grow ever clearer, and you’ll come to know God more and more; in this way you’ll be able to truly submit to and love God. After practicing and experiencing in this way for a period of time, your corrupt dispositions will be ever more cleansed, and you’ll have fewer and fewer instances of rebelling against God, until eventually you’ll achieve complete compatibility with Him. If you always choose the compromising middle ground approach, you’re actually still relying on satanic philosophies to handle problems. Living like this will never earn you God’s approval, you’ll only be revealed and eliminated. If you’ve chosen the wrong way to believe in God, the religious way, you need to reverse your course quickly, step back from the brink, and adopt the right way. Then there might still be hope for you to attain salvation. If you want to gain the right way of believing in God, then you must seek and fumble around for it on your own. Someone who has spiritual understanding will find the right path after a period of experience.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Pursuing the Truth Can One Resolve Their Notions and Misunderstandings of God

Related Experiential Testimonies

Should We Live by Traditional Virtues?

Don’t Doubt Those You Use: Is That Right?

Reflections on Not Doing to Others What You Wouldn’t Want Done to Yourself