(Excerpted from http://community.livejournal.com/rsqubf/87445.html)
Posted by human12
6th-Aug-2006
In post 1373, a student shepherd responds to the staff shepherd’s three arguments. The student says that man is not robot. God created man with feeling. So [UBF] trying to control feeling of love that arises in man naturally for the sake of business is wrong. Then the student asks some specific questions regarding the three arguments by the UBF staff shepherd. I will just give an brief translation of the student’s arguments.
[Translation follows.]
First, what do you mean by “obeying God’s sovereignty”? Marriage is basically decided by the two who are getting married. Does it make any sense that a third person, a shepherd, besides the two who are getting married should be involved in making this important decision? There could be some advice or counseling about making this important decision. But if a staff shepherd, a third party, is trying to decide who should marry who, then the shepherd has stepped over the boundary of his/her authority. There is no place in the Bible that says we should marry based on mission rather than on love.
Second, you said the “mission” is the most important in UBF. But who decides “mission” for my life? Does UBF decides what my life mission should be? You said that marriage should be based on mission. But how can you say that one’s life of mission and marriage life would work ok just because two persons have that same “mission”? Don’t you think that one’s life of mission and marriage life would work much better if the marriage is based on love?
Third, you said you would never allow any relationship based on personal feeling or love and a marriage based on love in your [UBF] chapter. Is this your personal opinion or is this the decision of the whole UBF leadership? [Answer: the latter] If this is the case, then you should make this UBF opinion about marriage very clear from the beginning of your recruitment and training. Why do you recruit students without any mention of these things and only let them know when they are deeply involved in UBF ministry? Don’t you think this is kind of cultic?
Fourth, you said UBF marriage by faith is not perfect but beautiful enough to be preserved. But please do not forget that there are many families in UBF who are going through so many unnecessary hardships because UBF practice of marriage by faith.
In conclusion, I feel so frustrated by your three arguments. I was expecting a more honest discussion regarding the matter of marriage, love and mission in UBF. Don’t think that we are corrupt because we place such a great importance on love in marriage. We love God’s mission as much as you value love in marriage.
