In our last gathering, we fellowshiped and analyzed the saying on moral conduct, “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible.” Now do you have a real understanding of the various sayings about moral conduct in traditional culture? How do these sayings on moral conduct differ from the truth? Now can you confirm that these sayings on moral conduct are fundamentally not the truth, and that they certainly cannot take the place of the truth? (Yes.) What does it show that you can confirm this? (That I have some ability to discern these sayings in traditional culture for what they really are. In the past, I didn’t realize that I had these things in my heart. Only after these few fellowships and analyses by God have I come to realize that I was under the influence of these things all along, and that I have always viewed people and things based on traditional culture. I also see that these sayings of traditional culture really are at odds with the truth, and that they are all things that corrupt people.) Having confirmed this, first of all you have some discernment of these traditional cultural things. Not only do you have perceptual knowledge, but you can also discern the essence of these things from a theoretical perspective. Secondly, you are no longer affected by things in traditional culture, and can eliminate the effects, control and bondage of these things from your heart and mind. Especially when viewing various things or dealing with various problems, you are no longer influenced and constrained by these ideas and views. In general, through fellowshiping, you have gained some discernment about these ideas and views of traditional culture. This is the outcome achieved from understanding the truth. These things from traditional culture are hollow, pleasant-sounding sayings full of satanic philosophies, especially the sayings on moral conduct “A kindness received should be gratefully repaid,” “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings,” and “Execution does nothing but make heads roll; be lenient wherever possible.” They constantly influence, control, and bind humans through their thoughts, and do not play a proactive and positive role in people’s moral conduct. Although you now have a little discernment, it is difficult to completely eradicate the influence of these things from the depths of your heart. You must equip yourself with the truth and experience according to God’s words for a period of time. Only then can you clearly see once and for all how deeply harmful, wrong and preposterous these hypocritical things are, and only then can the problem be resolved at its root. If you wanted to renounce these mistaken thoughts and ideas and rid yourselves of their influence, control, and bondage just by understanding some doctrines, this would be very difficult to achieve. Now that you are somewhat able to discern these sayings about moral conduct for what they really are, at least you have some understanding and have made some progress in your thinking. The rest depends on how one seeks the truth and how one views people and things according to God’s words, and on how one experiences in the future.

Following these fellowships and analyses of these sayings about moral conduct in traditional culture, can you clearly see the essence of these sayings? If you really can see clearly, then you can determine that these sayings from traditional culture are not the truth, nor can they stand in for the truth. This much is certain, and most people have already verified this in their hearts through fellowshiping. So how should one understand the essence of all the various sayings about moral conduct? If one does not face this issue according to God’s words and the truth, then there is no way to discern and understand it. No matter how noble and positive these sayings about moral conduct in traditional culture are on paper, are they really criteria for people’s actions and behavior, or principles of comportment? (No.) They are not principles or criteria of comportment. So what exactly are they? By analyzing the essence of each saying on moral conduct, can you draw a conclusion as to what exactly are the truth and essence of these sayings about moral conduct that have emerged among people? Have you never thought about this question? Leaving aside the aims of those so-called thinkers and moralists who flatter and curry favor with the ruling classes and are only too glad to serve them, let us analyze this from the perspective of normal humanity. Since these sayings on moral conduct are not the truth, let alone can they stand in for the truth, they must be specious. They are definitely not positive things—this much is certain. If, in this way, you can recognize them for what they are, it proves that you have gained some degree of understanding of the truth in your heart, and already have a little discernment. These sayings on moral conduct are not positive things, nor are they criteria for people’s actions and behavior, and less still are they principles for people’s comportment that should be abided by, so there is something wrong with them. Is this worth getting to the bottom of? (Yes.) If you only consider “moral conduct” and think that these sayings are correct views and positive things, then you are wrong and you will be taken in by them and deceived. That which is hypocritical can never be a positive thing. As for the various displays and acts of moral conduct, one should distinguish whether or not they are done sincerely and from the heart. If they are done out of reluctance, pretense, or to achieve a certain aim, then there is a problem with such acts and displays. Can you discern these sayings on moral conduct for what they really are? Who can tell Me? (Satan uses sayings on moral conduct to confuse and corrupt people, and makes them abide by these sayings and put them into practice in order to achieve the aims of getting them to worship and follow Satan, and of keeping them away from God. This is one of Satan’s techniques and methods for corrupting people.) This is not the essence of sayings on moral conduct. This is the aim that Satan achieves by using such sayings to beguile people. First of all, you must know clearly that any sort of saying about moral conduct is not the truth, much less can it stand in for the truth. They are not even positive things. So what exactly are they? It may be said with certainty that these sayings on moral conduct are heretical fallacies with which Satan beguiles people. They are not in themselves the truth reality that people should possess, nor are they positive things that normal humanity ought to live out. These sayings on moral conduct constitute counterfeits, pretenses, falsifications, and tricks—they are factitious behaviors, and do not at all originate in man’s conscience and reason or in their normal thinking. Therefore, all of traditional culture’s sayings regarding moral conduct are preposterous, absurd heresies and fallacies. With these few fellowships, the sayings Satan puts forth about moral conduct have on this day been condemned, in their entirety, to death. If they are not even positive things, how is it that people can accept them? How can people live by these ideas and views? The reason is that these sayings on moral conduct align so well with people’s notions and imaginings. They evoke admiration and approval, so people accept these sayings on moral conduct into their hearts, and though they cannot put them into practice, inwardly, they embrace and worship them with gusto. And thus, Satan uses various sayings on moral conduct to beguile people, to control their hearts and their behavior, for in their hearts, people worship and have a blind belief in all sorts of sayings on moral conduct, and they would all like to use these claims to affect greater dignity, nobility, and kindness, thereby achieving their goal of being highly regarded and praised. All the various sayings on moral conduct, in brief, ask that when people do a certain kind of thing, they should demonstrate some sort of behavior or human quality in the realm of moral conduct. These behaviors and human qualities seem quite noble, and they are revered, so all people, in their hearts, very much aspire toward them. But what they have not considered is that these sayings about moral conduct are not at all the principles of comportment that a normal person should follow; instead, they are a variety of hypocritical behaviors that one may affect. They are deviations from the standards of conscience and reason, departures from the will of normal humanity. Satan uses false and pretended sayings on moral conduct to beguile people, to make them worship it and those hypocritical so-called sages, thereby causing people to see normal humanity and the criteria for human comportment as ordinary, simple, and even lowly things. People despise those things and think them beneath contempt. This is because the sayings on moral conduct espoused by Satan are so pleasing to the eye and so aligned with man’s notions and imaginings. The fact is, though, that no saying on moral conduct, whatever it may be, is a principle that people should follow in their comportment or their dealings in the world. Mull it over—is this not so? In essence, sayings on moral conduct are just demands that people superficially live more dignified, noble lives, enabling them to have others worship or praise them, rather than look down on them. The essence of these sayings shows that they are just demands that people demonstrate good moral conduct through good behavior, thus covering and restraining the ambitions and extravagant desires of corrupt humanity, covering up man’s evil and hideous nature essence, as well as the manifestations of various corrupt dispositions. They are meant to enhance a person’s personality through superficially good behavior and practices, to enhance the image others have of them and the wider world’s estimation of them. These points show that sayings on moral conduct are about covering up man’s inner thoughts, views, aims and intentions, their hideous countenance, and their nature essence with superficial behavior and practices. Can these things be covered up successfully? Does trying to cover them up not make them all the more apparent? But Satan does not care about that. Its purpose is to cover up the hideous countenance of corrupt humanity, to cover up the truth of man’s corruption. So, Satan has people adopt the behavioral manifestations of moral conduct to disguise themselves, which means that it uses the rules and behaviors of moral conduct to make a neat package of man’s appearance, enhancing a person’s human qualities and personality so that they can have others esteem and praise them. Basically, these sayings on moral conduct determine whether a person is noble or lowly on the basis of their behavioral manifestations and moral standards. For example, measuring whether someone is altruistic depends on them demonstrating that they sacrifice their own interests for the sake of others. If they demonstrate it well, disguise themself well, and make themself look particularly admirable, then this person will be regarded as someone with integrity and dignity, someone with particularly high moral standards in the eyes of others, and the state will award them a plaque for being a paragon of morality for others to learn from, worship, and emulate. So, how should people evaluate whether a woman is good or wicked? It is by looking at whether the woman’s various demonstrated behaviors within her community conform to the saying “A woman must be virtuous, kind, gentle, and moral.” If she conforms to it in every respect by being virtuous, kind and meek, showing the utmost respect for the elderly, readily compromising out of consideration for the general interest, being extremely patient and able to endure hardships, without holding things against people or arguing with others, and by respecting her parents-in-law and taking good care of her husband and children, never thinking about herself, never seeking anything in return, nor enjoying the pleasures of the flesh, and so on, then she is indeed a virtuous, kind, gentle, and moral woman. People use these outward behaviors to evaluate women’s moral conduct. It is inaccurate and unrealistic to measure a person’s worth, goodness and evil by means of their superficial practices and behavior. Making assertions like this is also false, deceptive, and preposterous. This is the essential problem with sayings on moral conduct that is exposed in people.

In light of the several aspects mentioned above, are these sayings on moral conduct in traditional culture really principles of comportment? (No.) They do not meet the needs of normal humanity at all, being completely contrary to it. What they provide to humankind is not principles of comportment, nor principles for people’s actions and behavior. On the contrary, they require people to disguise themselves, cover themselves up, comport themselves and act in a certain way in front of others so that they will be highly regarded and praised, not with the aim of making people understand how to comport themselves correctly, or the right way to conduct themselves, but in order to make people live more in step with others’ notions and imaginings, and to gain others’ praise and recognition. This is not at all what God requires, which is for people to conduct themselves and act according to the truth principles, without caring what people think and instead only focusing on gaining God’s approval. Sayings on moral conduct are more about requiring people to be decent and noble in their behavior, practices and in the appearance that they project—even if it is a disguise—rather than about resolving problems to do with people’s thoughts and views, or to do with their nature essence. In other words, the requirements that sayings about moral conduct in traditional culture place on people are not based on people’s essence, and less still do they consider the achievable scope of conscience and reason. At the same time, they go against the objective fact that people have corrupt dispositions and are all selfish and despicable, and force people to do this-and-that in terms of their behavior and practices. Therefore, no matter from which perspective they place requirements on people, they cannot fundamentally release people from the bondage and control of corrupt dispositions, nor can they resolve the problem of people’s essence, in other words, they cannot resolve problems to do with people’s corrupt dispositions. Because of this, they cannot change the principles and direction of people’s comportment, nor can they make people understand how to comport themselves, how to treat others, or how to deal with interpersonal relationships from a positive aspect. Speaking from another perspective, sayings about moral conduct are just a kind of rule and behavioral constraint that are given to people. Although to all appearances they seem pretty good, these things unconsciously affect people’s thinking and views, constraining and binding them, with the result that people cannot find the correct principles and path of comportment and action. In this context, all people can do is reluctantly accept the influence of traditional cultural ideas and views, and under the influence of these fallacious ideas and views, they unconsciously lose the principles, goals, and direction of comportment. This causes corrupt human beings to fall into darkness and lose the light, so that all they can do is chase after fame and personal gain by relying on falsification, pretense, and trickery. For example, when you see a person in need of help, you immediately think, “Proper comportment means deriving pleasure from helping others. This is a basic principle and moral standard for people’s comportment,” and so you will help that person unconsciously. After helping them, you feel that by comporting yourself like this you are noble and possess a little humanity, and you even unconsciously praise yourself as a noble person, a person with noble character, a person with dignity and character, and of course a person worthy of respect. If you don’t help them, you think, “Alas, I am not a good person. Whenever I come across someone who needs help and think about lending a hand, I always consider my own interests. I’m such a selfish person!” You will unconsciously use the ideological view “Derive pleasure from helping others” to measure yourself, constrain yourself, and evaluate what is right and wrong. When you cannot put this saying into practice, you will despise yourself or look down on yourself, and feel somewhat uneasy. You will cast admiring and appreciative glances at those who can derive pleasure from helping others, feeling that they are nobler than you, more dignified than you, and have more character than you. However, when it comes to such issues, God’s requirements are different. God’s requirements are for you to abide by His words and the truth principles. With regard to moral conduct, how should people practice? By adhering to traditional moral and cultural views, or by adhering to God’s words? Everyone faces this choice. Are you now clear about the truth principles that God teaches people? Do you understand them? How well do you abide by them? When abiding by them, what thoughts and views are you influenced and hindered by, and what corrupt dispositions are revealed? You should reflect on yourself like this. Exactly how much of the essence of sayings about moral conduct in traditional culture can you see clearly in your heart? Does traditional culture still have a place in your heart? These are all problems that people must resolve. When your corrupt dispositions are resolved, and you are able to obey the truth and abide by God’s words absolutely and without compromise, then what you practice accords completely with the truth principles. You will no longer be constrained by corrupt dispositions, or bound by moral ideas and views in traditional culture, and will be able to accurately put God’s words into practice and act according to the truth principles. These are the principles that should inform the comportment and actions of believers. When you are able to practice according to God’s words, abide by God’s words and practice according to the truth principles, you will not only be a person with good moral conduct, but also a person who can follow God’s way. When you practice the principles and the truth of comportment, you not only possess standards of moral conduct, but there are also truth principles in your comportment. Is there a difference between abiding by the truth principles and abiding by the criteria of moral conduct? (Yes.) How are they different? Abiding by requirements on moral conduct is only a behavioral practice and manifestation, whereas practicing according to the truth principles also seems from the outside to be a practice, but this practice adheres to the truth principles. From this perspective, adhering to the truth principles relates to comportment and to the path that people walk. This means that, if you practice the truth and abide by the truth principles in God’s words, that is walking the correct path, whereas following the requirements of moral conduct in traditional culture is merely a display of behavior, just like obeying rules. It does not involve the truth principles, nor does it relate to the path that people walk. Do you understand what I am saying? (Yes.) Here is an example. For example, the saying on moral conduct “Sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others” requires people to “discard the lesser self and realize the greater self,” at any time and in any situation. Among unbelievers, this is a style that is called being noble of character and firm of integrity. “Discard the lesser self and realize the greater self”—what grandiose rhetoric! It’s a pity that it only sounds like a style that is noble of character and firm of integrity, but it is not a truth principle that people should abide by. The fact is that the ultimate aim of this saying “Discard the lesser self and realize the greater self” and of making people sacrifice their own interests for the sake of others, is actually to ensure that others serve them. From the point of view of people’s aims and intentions, this saying smacks of satanic philosophies and has a transactional quality to it. From this, can you determine whether there are truth principles in the saying “Discard the lesser self and realize the greater self”? There absolutely are not! It is not a principle of comportment at all, it is purely a satanic philosophy, because the aim of people discarding their lesser self is to realize their greater self. Regardless of whether such a practice is noble or vulgar, it is just a rule that binds people. It seems reasonable, but in essence it is preposterous and absurd. No matter what befalls you, it only requires people to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of others. No matter whether you are willing to or not, or whether you can do it or not, and whatever the environment, it only requires you to sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others. If you are not able to “discard the lesser self,” then the phrase “realize the greater self” is there to tempt you, so that even if you cannot sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others, but still don’t want to let it go. People are seduced by the thought of “realizing the greater self.” Under such circumstances, it is difficult to make a choice. So is sacrificing one’s own interests for the sake of others a principle of comportment? Can it achieve positive outcomes? Every person covers themselves up really well, and displays the utmost nobility, dignity, and character, but what is the outcome in the end? It can only be said that naught will come of it, because doing this can only win the appreciation of other people, but not the approval of the Creator. How did this come about? Is this the result of everyone abiding by sayings on moral conduct in traditional culture and following satanic philosophies? If everyone accepts God’s words, accepts correct ideas and views, sticks to the truth principles, and pursues the direction in life that is guided by God, then it will be easy for people to walk the right path in life. Is it better to practice this way than to sacrifice one’s own interests for the sake of others? Practicing this way is adhering to the truth principles and living in the light according to God’s words, rather than following Satan on the path of hypocrisy. Only by abandoning satanic philosophies, as well as all the various ideas conveyed by sayings on moral conduct in traditional culture, and by accepting the truth and living in accordance with God’s words, can one live out real human likeness and gain God’s approval.

Based on what we have fellowshiped above, have you come to any conclusions about the essence of sayings on moral conduct? All these various sayings about moral conduct are just regulations and conventions that restrict people’s thoughts, views and outward behavior. They are not principles or criteria of comportment at all, and they are not principles that people should abide by when encountering all kinds of people, matters, and things. So, what principles should people abide by? Shouldn’t we fellowship on this? Some people say: “What difference is there between the truth principles that people should abide by and the regulations and conventions of those sayings on moral conduct?” Tell Me, is there any difference? (Yes.) In what respect is there a difference? Sayings about moral conduct are just regulations and conventions that constrain people’s thoughts, views, and behaviors. In regard to all the various matters that befall people, they have placed requirements on people that restrict their behavior and bind their hands and feet, making them do this and do that, rather than letting them seek the correct principles and right ways to deal with the various people, matters, and things. Whereas, the truth principles are different. The multifaceted requirements that God’s words place on people are not rules, regulations or conventions, much less are they various sayings that restrict people’s thinking and behavior. Instead, they tell people the truth principles that people should understand and abide by in all kinds of environments and whenever something befalls them. So, what exactly are these principles? Why do I say that only God’s words are the truth, or the truth principles? Because the various requirements that God’s words place on people are all attainable by normal humanity, insofar as they require people not to be influenced and controlled by emotions, desires, ambitions, and their corrupt dispositions whenever something befalls them, but rather to practice according to God’s words and the truth principles, which is a principle that people are capable of abiding by. The truth principles of God’s words point out the correct direction and goal that people should follow, and they are also the path that people should walk. Not only do the principles of God’s words keep people’s conscience and reason functioning normally, but they naturally also add the principles of the truth onto the foundation that is people’s conscience and reason. These are the standards of truth that people with conscience and reason can rise to and meet. When people abide by these principles of God’s words, what they gain is not the enhancement of their morality and integrity, nor the protection of their human dignity. Instead, they have embarked on the right path in life. When a person obeys these truth principles of God’s words, they not only possess the conscience and reason of a normal person, but upon the foundation of possessing conscience and reason, they come to understand more truth principles with regard to how they should comport themselves. To put it simply, they come to understand the principles of comportment, to know which truth principles to use when viewing people and things and when comporting themselves and acting, and are no longer controlled and influenced by their own emotions, desires, ambitions, and corrupt dispositions. This way, they completely live out the likeness of a normal person. These truth principles put forward by God fundamentally solve the problem of corrupt dispositions controlling people and preventing them from extricating themselves from sin, so that people no longer live in their old life, controlled by emotions, desires, ambitions, and corrupt dispositions. And what replaces all this? It is the criteria of God’s words and the truth principles, which become a person’s life. Generally speaking, once people start abiding by the truth principles that humankind should abide by, they no longer live in the various troubles of the flesh. Putting it more precisely, people no longer live under the deception, dupery, and control of Satan. More specifically, they no longer live under the bondage and control of the myriad ideas and views and philosophies for living that Satan instills in people. Instead, they live not only with dignity and integrity, but also freely and with the semblance of people, which is the true likeness of created beings under the dominion of the Creator. This is the essential difference between the words and truth of God, and sayings on moral conduct in traditional culture.

The topic of today’s fellowship is somewhat profound. After listening to it, you should ponder on it for a while, let it sink in, and see if you grasp what has been said. Based on this fellowshiping, have you completely understood the difference between sayings on moral conduct and the truth? Tell Me in the simplest of terms: What is the essence of sayings on moral conduct? (Sayings on moral conduct are just regulations and conventions that constrain people’s thoughts and behaviors, they are not principles and criteria of comportment.) Well said. There is a story in traditional culture of Kong Rong^[a] giving up larger pears. What do you think: Is anyone who cannot be like Kong Rong not a good person? People used to think that whoever could be like Kong Rong was noble of character and firm of integrity, selflessly altruistic—a good person. Is Kong Rong of this historic story a role model whom everyone has followed? Does the character have a certain place in people’s hearts? (Yes.) It is not his name, but his thoughts and practices, his morality and behavior, that occupy a place in people’s hearts. People esteem such practices and approve of them, and they inwardly admire Kong Rong’s moral conduct. Therefore, if you see someone who cannot sacrifice their own interests for the sake of others, someone who is not the kind of person to give up the larger pears like Kong Rong did, you will inwardly be annoyed at them and have a low opinion of them. So are your annoyance and low opinion justified? They must be based on something. First and foremost, you think: “Kong Rong was so young and yet he was able to give up the larger pears, whereas you are all grown up and you’re still as selfish as this,” and inwardly you hold a low opinion of them. So, are your low opinion and annoyance based on the story of Kong Rong giving up the larger pears? (Yes.) Is it right to view people on this basis? (No.) Why is it not right? Because the origin of your basis for viewing people and things is incorrect, and because your starting point is all wrong. Your starting point is to take Kong Rong giving up the larger pears as the standard for measuring people and things, but this approach and method of measuring are wrong. In what way are they wrong? They are wrong inasmuch as you believe that the idea behind the story of Kong Rong is correct, and you take it as a positive ideological viewpoint from which to measure people and things. When you measure in this way, the result you end up with is that the vast majority of people aren’t good people. Are the results of this measuring accurate? (No, they aren’t accurate.) Why aren’t they accurate? Because your standard of measurement is wrong. If one uses the methods and principles that God has given, how should one measure such a person? By considering whether the person upholds the interests of God’s house, whether they are on God’s side, whether they have a heart that reveres God, and whether they seek the truth principle in what they do: only a measurement based on these aspects is most accurate. If, whenever something befalls this person, they pray, seek, and discuss it with everyone, and—even though sometimes they aren’t able to be altruistic and are a little selfish in small ways—if what they do is basically adequate when measured against the aspects required by God, then this is someone who can accept the truth, a person who is in the right. So what is this conclusion based on? (It is based on God’s words and requirements.) Is this conclusion accurate, therefore? It is much more accurate than if you were to measure using the ideological perspective of Kong Rong giving up the larger pears. The ideological viewpoint of the story of Kong Rong measures people’s temporary behavior and practices, but what God requires people to measure is the essence of this person, as well as what exactly the person’s attitude is toward the truth and toward God’s requirements. What you use sayings on moral conduct for is to measure a person’s fleeting behavior, or their actions or fleeting revelations during one incident. If you use them to measure a person’s intrinsic qualities, it will not be accurate, because measuring a person’s intrinsic qualities using sayings on moral conduct is measuring them using the wrong principles, and the result you arrive at will be inaccurate. The difference lies not in their outward behaviors, but rather in their nature essence. Therefore, it is fundamentally wrong to measure people using sayings on moral conduct. It is only accurate to measure people using the truth principles. Do you understand what I am saying?

The essence of sayings about moral conduct is that they are regulations and conventions that constrain people’s behavior and thoughts. To a certain extent, they restrict and control people’s thinking, and constrain some of the correct expressions of thought and normal requirements of normal humanity. Of course, it can also be said that to a certain extent, they violate some of the laws of survival of normal humanity, and also deprive normal people of their human needs and rights. For example, the classic saying “A woman must be virtuous, kind, gentle, and moral” forcibly interferes with and destroys women’s human rights. What role does it make women play in the whole of human society? They play the role of being enslaved. Is this not the case? (Yes.) From this point of view, the regulations and conventions of these sayings about moral conduct have destroyed human thoughts, stripped away the various needs of normal humanity, and at the same time confined human beings’ expression of the various thoughts of normal humanity. These sayings on moral conduct are fundamentally not created based on the needs of normal people, nor based on the standards that normal people can meet, but are all created based on people’s imaginings and ambitious desires. These sayings on moral conduct not only constrain and confine people’s thoughts, and constrain people’s behavior, but they also make people worship and chase after those things that are false and imaginary. But people can’t attain them, so all they can do is use pretense to whitewash and cover themselves up, so that they can live a decent, noble life, a life that seems very dignified. But the fact is that living under these ideas and views of moral conduct means that humanity’s thoughts are distorted and confined, and that people live abnormally and pervertedly under the governance of these erroneous ideas and viewpoints, does it not? (Yes.) People don’t want to live like this, and they don’t want to do this, but they can’t break free from the constraints of these ideological shackles. All they can do is live reluctantly and involuntarily under the influence and confinement of these ideas and views. At the same time, due to the pressure of public opinion and these ideas and views in their heart, they have no choice but to drag out an ignoble existence in this world wearing one mask of hypocrisy after another. This is the consequence of sayings on moral conduct for humankind. Have you understood this? (Yes.) The more we fellowship and analyze these sayings about moral conduct, the more people can see them clearly, and the more they feel that these various sayings in traditional culture are not positive things. They have misled and harmed human beings for thousands of years, to the extent that even after people have listened to God’s words and come to understand the truth, they still cannot rid themselves of the influence of these ideas and views from traditional culture, and even aspire to them as if they were positive things. Many people even use them as a substitute for the truth, and practice them as the truth. Through today’s fellowship, have you gained a better and more accurate understanding of these sayings on moral conduct in traditional culture? (Yes.) Now that you have some understanding of them, let us continue fellowshiping on other sayings about moral conduct.

Footnotes:

a. Kong Rong features in a well-known Chinese story, traditionally used to educate children about the values of courtesy and fraternal love. The story tells of how, when his family received a basket of pears, the four-year-old Kong Rong gave up the larger pears to his elder brothers and took the smallest for himself.