Last time, we fellowshiped on four statements of traditional culture about moral conduct. Tell Me what they were. (“A kindness received should be gratefully repaid,” “Sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others,” “A woman must be virtuous, kind, gentle, and moral,” and “When drinking the water of a well, one should never forget who dug it.”) Do you have a clear understanding of what in each statement should be dissected and understood? Every statement in traditional culture is closely related to people’s real lives and how they conduct themselves. There is no question that these statements of traditional culture have a certain influence over people’s real lives and the way they conduct themselves. The principles of people’s words, actions and self-conduct in real life are basically derived from these statements and viewpoints of traditional culture. Clearly, traditional culture’s influence and inculcation of people runs fairly deep. After I finished fellowshiping in the last gathering, did you engage in further contemplation and fellowship with each other? (We fellowshiped and understood a bit of these statements on moral conduct, and we were able slightly to alter our views and perspectives on these kinds of things, but we still don’t have a thorough understanding of them.) One part of achieving a thorough understanding is that you must base your understanding on what I fellowshiped about; the other part is that you must understand in light of the viewpoints that you hold in real life, as well as the thoughts and actions that occur when something happens to you. Listening to sermons alone is not nearly enough. The purpose of listening to sermons is to be able to recognize negative things in real life, to be able to distinguish negative things more accurately, and then to be able to apprehend positive things and have a pure understanding of them, so that God’s words become the criteria for how to behave and comport oneself in real life. In one respect, exercising discernment on these negative things has a corrective effect on people’s behavior and comportment, insofar as it can correct people’s mistaken ideas, viewpoints, and attitudes toward events and things; moreover, in its positive role, it can make people adopt correct ways and methods as well as accurate principles of practice when it comes to their views on people and things, and in their comportment and actions. This is the purpose and the intended effect of fellowshiping on and dissecting these statements regarding moral conduct.

Twice now, we have fellowshiped on statements regarding moral conduct in traditional Chinese culture, which are basically requirements for people’s moral conduct that arose within a large social context. On an individual level, these statements can restrict and regulate people’s behavior to a certain extent; from a larger perspective, they were intended to create good social ethos, and, of course, to enable the rulers to rule the people better. If the people have their own ideas, can think freely, and seek out their own moral standards of comportment, or if they can express their own opinions, live by their own ideas, comport themselves as they see fit, and adopt their own way of regarding things, people, their society, and the country they live in, it is undoubtedly not a good thing or a good sign for the rulers, because it directly threatens their position of dominance. In brief, these statements on moral conduct were basically put forward by so-called moralists, thinkers, and educators as a way to please and pander to the rulers, with the aim of showing that they could use these thoughts and theories, as well as their own reputation and prestige, to serve the rulers. This is basically the nature of all these statements on moral conduct that we fellowshiped about; their purpose was nothing more than to restrict people’s thoughts, moral conduct, and views on things to within a moral range that people thought was a bit better, more positive, and nobler, in order to reduce conflict between people, bring harmony to their interactions, and engender tranquility, thereby benefiting the rulers’ dominion over the people, and further, consolidating the status of the ruling class, and maintaining social harmony and stability. Thus, these people who advanced standards of moral conducts got all they wished for, which was to be appreciated and assigned to important posts by the ruling class. This was very much the career path they aspired to and hoped for, and even if they couldn’t be high-ranking officials, at the very least, they would be remembered for generations to come and go down in history. Think about it—which of the people who put forward these statements on moral conduct is not revered by this society? Which one is not admired by the human race? Even today, among Chinese people, these so-called thinkers, educators, and moralists, such as Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Han Feizi and the like, are enduringly popular, highly regarded, and revered. Of course, we have listed a limited few of the statements on moral conduct, and the examples given are just some of the more representative ones. Although these statements on moral conduct come from many people, the ideas and viewpoints advocated by these so-called luminaries accord completely with the wish of rulers and the ruling class, and all their concepts of governance and central ideas are the same: To formulate some moral norms of comportment and actions for human beings to follow so that they behave themselves, meekly contribute to society and to their country, and live meekly among their fellows—that is basically all. Their ideas and viewpoints have the same aim, regardless of which dynasty or person these statements of moral conduct originated from: to serve the ruling class, and to mislead and control humankind.

We have already fellowshiped about eight statements on moral conduct. The nature of these eight statements is basically the requirement that people forgo their selfish desires and their own will, instead serving society, the human race, and their own country, and achieving selflessness. For example, no matter to which group such statements about moral conduct as “Sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others,” “A woman must be virtuous, kind, gentle, and moral,” and “Be strict with yourself and tolerant of others” are put forth, all require people to exercise self-restraint—restraint over their own desires and immoral conduct—and to hold favorable ideological and moral viewpoints. No matter how much these statements influence humankind, and no matter whether that influence is positive or negative, the aim of these so-called moralists was, put succinctly, to restrict and regulate people’s moral conduct by putting forward such statements, so that people would have a basic code for how they should comport themselves and act, how they should view people and things, and how they should perceive their society and country. To look at the positive, the invention of these statements on moral conduct has, to a certain extent, played a role in restricting and regulating the moral conduct of humanity. But to look at the objective facts, it has led people into embracing some false and pretentious thoughts and viewpoints, making people who are influenced and inculcated by traditional culture more insidious, more treacherous, better at pretending, and more confined in their thinking. Because of the influence and inculcation of traditional culture, people have gradually adopted those mistaken views and statements of traditional culture as positive things, and worship as saints these luminaries and great figures who mislead people. When people have been misled, their minds become muddled, numb, and dulled. They don’t know what normal humanity is, or what people with normal humanity should pursue and adhere to. They don’t know how people should live in this world or what kind of mode or rules of existence they should adopt, much less what the proper aim of human existence is. Due to the influence, inculcation, and even confinement of traditional culture, the positive things, requirements and rules from God, have been suppressed. In this sense, the various statements on moral conduct in traditional culture have, to a large extent, deeply misled and influenced people’s thinking, confining their thoughts and leading them astray, away from the correct path in life, and further and further away from God’s requirements. This means that the deeper you are influenced by the various ideas and viewpoints on moral conduct in traditional culture, and the longer you are inculcated by them, the further you stray from the thoughts, aspirations, goal to be pursued, and rules of existence that people with normal humanity should have, and the further you stray from the standard that God requires of people. Having been infected, indoctrinated, and inculcated by these ideas from traditional culture, people adopt them as codes, even regarding them as truths, and as criteria by which to view people and things, and to comport themselves and act. People no longer think about or doubt whether these things are correct or not, nor do they go beyond traditional culture’s various statements regarding benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness to think about how they should live. People don’t know that, nor do they think about it. Why don’t they think about it? Because people’s thoughts have been filled and occupied by these moral scriptures that preach benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Even though many people believe in the true God and read the Bible, they still confuse God’s words and the truth with the many statements on moral conduct that stem from benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Some people even regard many of these statements in traditional culture as scriptures on positive things and pass them off as the truth, preaching them and promoting them as such, and going so far as to quote them as a way of instructing others. This is a very serious problem; it is something that God does not want to see, something that disgusts Him. So, can all who accept God’s work of the last days see through the things of traditional culture and discern them clearly? Not necessarily. There must be some people who remain quite worshipful and approving of the things of traditional culture. If these satanic poisons are not thoroughly cleared out, it will be difficult for people to understand and gain the truth. God’s chosen people must see through one fact: God’s word is God’s word, the truth is the truth, and human words are human words. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness are human words, and traditional culture is human words. Human words are never the truth, nor will they ever become the truth. This is a fact. No matter how much people identify with benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness in their thoughts and views, those things cannot replace God’s words; no matter how correct such values have been verified and confirmed to be, over thousands of years of human existence, they cannot become God’s words or replace them, much less be confused with God’s words. Even if statements regarding benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness accord with people’s conscience and reason, they are not God’s words, nor can they replace His words, much less be called the truth. Statements and requirements concerning benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness in traditional culture only serve society and the ruling class. These statements and requirements are only intended to restrict and regulate people’s behavior in order to achieve better social ethos, one that is conducive to stabilizing the power of the ruling class. Naturally, no matter how well you abide by the values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, you will not be able to understand the truth, and you will not be able to obey God, nor will you ultimately become a passable created being. No matter how well you abide by these things, if you do not understand the truth, you cannot perform your duty to an acceptable standard. What would you then be in the eyes of God? You would still be an unbeliever and belong to Satan. Does someone of supposedly exceptional moral quality and noble ethics have the conscience and sense of normal humanity? Can they genuinely accept the truth? Can they believe in God and follow Him? Absolutely not! Because what they worship is Satan, devils, pretend saints, and false holy men. Deep down in their heart and bones, they are sick of the truth and hate it. Therefore, they must be people who resist God and who are His enemies. People who worship the devil Satan are the most arrogant and conceited and senseless people—they are the degenerates of the human race, whose bones are full of satanic poison, full of satanic heresies and fallacies. As soon as they see God’s words and the truth, their eyes turn red and they bristle with anger, revealing the hideous face of a devil. Therefore, anyone who reveres traditional culture and blindly believes in such traditional fallacies as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness is sick of the truth and hates it. They do not possess the sense of normal humanity at all, and they will never accept the truth. The stuff of traditional culture and statements on moral conduct regarding benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness do not accord with the truth or God’s words at all. No matter how scrupulously people put these values into practice or how well they uphold them, it is not the same as living out normal humanity. This is because people have corrupt dispositions. That is the fact of the matter. They are filled with all kinds of satanic teachings, and “Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost” has become people’s nature and essence. Regardless of how nice you make them sound, how lofty your language, or how grand your theories, these statements of traditional culture regarding moral conduct cannot be put into practice. Even if you adhere to each of the rules imposed based on the values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness in traditional culture, you are no more than superficially well-behaved. But when it comes to believing in God, following Him and performing your duty, and obeying God, as well as your attitude and views toward Him and the truth, these values of traditional culture serve no purpose at all. They cannot rein in your rebelliousness, nor reverse your notions of God, nor fix people’s corrupt dispositions, let alone resolve the issue of people being careless and perfunctory in the performance of their duty. These values are of no help at all in restricting people’s corrupt behavior in any way, and they are fundamentally unable to make people live out normal humanity.

Most people, when they have just begun believing in God, think that faith is very simple. They think that believing in God and following God means learning to be patient and tolerant, readily giving to charity, being willing to help others, being measured in one’s words and actions, not being too arrogant, or too harsh on others. They feel that if they conduct themselves in this way, God will be satisfied, and that they will not be pruned and dealt with while performing their duty. If they serve as a leader or worker, they believe that they will not be replaced or cast out. They believe that they are guaranteed to attain salvation. Is believing in God really such a simple matter? (No.) No small number of people hold this point of view, but ultimately, their ideas, viewpoints, and the way they conduct themselves in life all end in failure. In the end, some people who don’t know any better sum everything up in a single sentence: “I’ve been a failure as a human!” They think that comporting themselves as a human means adhering to the values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. But can that be called comporting oneself as a human? That’s not comporting oneself as a human; it’s the comportment of a demon. To those people who say, “I’ve been a failure as a human,” I would ask, have you comported yourself as a human? You haven’t even tried to comport yourself as a human, so how can you say, “I’ve been a failure as a human”? This is a failure of traditional cultural values, such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, to perform their function on people, not a failure to comport yourself as a human. When people perform their duty in the house of God, such things as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness are of absolutely no service and are no longer of use. Before they know it, people end up concluding, “Oh, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness—they don’t work! I used to think that comporting myself was simple, and that believing in God was also very simple and not that complicated. Only now do I realize that I’ve been oversimplifying belief in God.” After listening to sermons for a long time, they finally realize that it won’t do for people not to understand the truth. If people don’t understand some area of the truth, they are liable to make mistakes in that area and get dealt with, fail, and be judged and chastised. Those things that they previously believed were right, good, positive, and noble pale into insignificance and become worthless in the face of the truth. All the various statements about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness have had some influence on people’s thoughts and viewpoints, as well as on the ways and means by which they conduct their affairs. If God’s management work of saving mankind were not involved, and mankind continued living as they are, under the dominion of Satan, then benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, being relatively positive things, would play a minor positive role in people’s thinking and in the social ethos and environment. At the very least, those things do not incite people to commit evil, murder, and arson, or to go about raping and looting. However, when it comes to God’s work of saving people, not one of these things—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, or trustworthiness—is relevant to the truth, the way, or the life that God wants to bestow on humankind. And that’s not all: To look at the various ideas advocated by the values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, the requirements they place on people’s moral conduct, and their influences and constraints on people’s moral conduct, none of them has played a role in guiding people back to God or leading them onto the correct path in life. Instead, they have become major obstacles that keep people from pursuing and accepting the truth. The statements about moral conduct that we fellowshiped on and dissected before—don’t pocket the money you pick up; derive pleasure from helping others; be strict with yourself and tolerant of others; requite evil with good; a kindness received should be gratefully repaid; sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others; a woman must be virtuous, kind, gentle, and moral; when drinking the water of a well, one should never forget who dug it—we have basically made them clear in fellowship, and everyone at least understands their general meaning. The fact is that whatever aspect of moral conduct such statements concern, they confine people’s thinking. If you can’t distinguish such things, and can’t clearly understand the essence of these statements, and don’t turn these erroneous views around, then you cannot let go of these statements on moral conduct, nor rid yourself of their influence on you. If you cannot let go of these things, it will be difficult for you to accept the truth from God, the criteria of God’s words, and the Creator’s specific requirements for people’s moral conduct, and it will be difficult to observe and practice God’s words as the principles and criteria of the truth. Is this not a serious problem?