How to Pursue the Truth (16)

The content of our recent fellowship has been about discerning various types of people—distinguishing their different categories and classifications based on their origins, and then discerning the essence of various types of people through their diverse manifestations in real life. Learning to discern various types of people is beneficial in regard to how to correctly treat them and how to correctly treat yourself, isn’t it? (Yes.) Hasn’t fellowshipping on these things also resolved people’s previous notions and imaginings about believers in God? For example, many people used to treat all believers as brothers and sisters. As long as someone was in the church, as long as they were enthusiastic in doing their duty, then no matter how much evil they committed, how terrible their humanity was, or how arrogant, cunning, or deceitful their disposition was, these people treated them as brothers and sisters and helped them with love. Do such people have discernment? (No.) Through these past few years of watering and feeding, your viewpoints have changed considerably, haven’t they? (Yes.) Now that your viewpoints have changed, aren’t you relatively principled in treating various types of people? (Yes.) Aren’t your viewpoints and attitudes toward various types of people different from before? (Yes, they are different.) Before fellowshipping on these issues, people had no discernment of various types of people, believing that as long as someone believed in God, they were a good person, a member of God’s house, and that even those with bad humanity were those whom God intends to save. Looking at it now, is that the case? (No.) This is now not the case. So, looking at it now, are there more good people or bad people? (I think there are more bad people. Previously, I saw many people as quite good, but through God’s fellowship and by relating it to the manifestations of various types of people, I feel there are more bad people.) Previously, at most, you had some discernment of those who were obviously disbelievers, opportunists, evil spirits, filthy demons, and those who could cause obvious disruptions and disturbances, knowing they were not good people or brothers and sisters. Now, through such fellowship, aside from being able to discern those with obvious manifestations, aren’t you basically able to discern all people based on their revelations and manifestations? (Yes.) So, after such fellowship, when you interact with people again, doesn’t it feel different from before? (It’s a bit different. Now when I interact with people, I focus on observing their revelations and what viewpoints they express when they encounter things, to gauge whether they are reincarnated from humans, animals, or devils. I have come to focus on discerning people based on their essence and classification.) This means you’ve learned to discern people. Can you discern yourself, then? (A little.) In short, fellowshipping on this topic is beneficial for discerning people. It can help you discern the behaviors and viewpoints of various types of people and see through to the essence of these people. This way, you will treat various types of people according to principles, and when encountering some special people, events, or things, you won’t treat them based on notions and imaginings, and you will be able to grasp some basic principles in handling problems, thus doing fewer foolish things. For example, previously, when seeing some people with abnormal behavior or distorted thoughts and views, you might have thought such people had poor caliber and no comprehension ability, or that they had heard few sermons and had too shallow a foundation, and that therefore you should put in some effort to water and help them more. Now, through fellowship, having gained discernment of those reincarnated from animals and those reincarnated from devils, you will abandon those previous foolish practices and no longer engage in fruitless tasks. So, can you treat people according to the truth principles? (We can do it somewhat.) Will you have deviations in your practice? (If I can’t judge a person’s essence accurately, I might have deviations in my practice.) Under what circumstances would you have deviations in your practice? Suppose their outward behavior strongly conforms to most people’s notions—they can pay a price and forsake things, often say correct things, and frequently give charity and help others—in terms of humanity, this person is considered kind, but at the same time, they simply are not normal, and they often exhibit some extreme behaviors, and they display some supernatural manifestations, would you be able to discern such a person? Do you know how to treat them? (Only because of God’s fellowship last time do I know that such a person is one of those reincarnated from devils.) You can characterize their essence as being that of a devil and can see through this fact, but can you determine what the appropriate way to treat them is based on their manifestations in daily life and their current state? This involves the principles of treating people. So, what is the appropriate way to treat this type of person? If their state of life is basically normal, they haven’t caused disturbances to the church’s work, and haven’t disturbed others, then treat them correctly—if they can render service, let them do so; if they cannot, and have caused disturbances to others, and most people have seen through their manifestations and revelations and can determine that their essence is that of a devil, then it’s not too late to handle them by clearing them out. Isn’t this a principle? (Yes.) This is a principle; you must be clear in your heart. No matter how they are handled afterward, the timing must be appropriate. Suppose you see through them, but most people haven’t had contact with them, much less seen through them. If you then directly characterize and handle them without fellowshipping on the truth and explaining how to discern them, that is too rash. And suppose that after seeing through to their essence, you start to feel repulsion toward them, and then look for opportunities to prune them, or always target them in your words and actions, as well as when fellowshipping on the truth—is this a good way to act? (No.) Why not? (Because if we treat them this way, most people won’t know what’s going on and might even develop misunderstandings. This person’s essence must be revealed and laid bare through facts, and only when people have discernment of them is it then appropriate to expose and dissect them or prune them—everyone will understand then. If this person is not someone who pursues the truth, but doesn’t cause disturbances and can still render some service, then we should let them render service. If we know they are not someone who pursues the truth yet still constantly prune them, it will affect their performance of duty.) Acting that way is unprincipled. When treating those reincarnated from devils and those reincarnated from animals, even if, through contact and observation over a long period of time, you have seen through to their essence, you should exercise some wisdom and treat them according to principles. It’s okay to exercise wisdom, but you cannot violate principles. There are many details involved in treating such people according to principles. One of them is that even if you see clearly that they are people averse to the truth, whose essence is that of devils, you cannot always find fault with them or nitpick them to prune them, or expose them at every turn. They won’t know what’s going on; they’ll be clueless, and won’t know why you’re pruning and targeting them. Doing this will even affect their performance of duty. Even if, in others’ eyes, you are not wrong in what you do or say, acting this way not only yields no results but even leads to adverse consequences, and it does not conform to the truth principles. Therefore, no matter what type of person you are dealing with, you must treat them according to principles and impartially; don’t act based on how you feel. It’s okay to exercise some wisdom, but you must treat them according to principles. Acting this way, for one thing, adheres to order and follows rules, and is less likely to cause disruptions; for another, it also proves you have a God-fearing heart, that you are not running amok committing misdeeds, and not willfully or recklessly doing things according to your own intentions. You must have principles in treating every type of person. Whether they are devils, animals, or humans, you must treat them according to principles. You must be able to discern these types of people and grasp the principles for treating people. You should not have distorted comprehension when it comes to this matter, right? (Right.) Do not do anything disruptive. If you do something that causes disruptions or disturbances, then you are too stupid; this is not what a human should do. Understood? (Understood.)

Previously, we fellowshipped about the manifestations of the essences of those reincarnated from animals and those reincarnated from devils, who are of two different classifications. This helped people see that although all types of people have a human appearance, the differences in their essence and their classification can be discerned through the different attitudes they have toward the truth. Regardless of what a person’s outward appearance is like—perhaps someone has well-proportioned features, looks quite refined and kindhearted, or seems educated, well-bred, in possession of status and grace, and even seems to have dignity, to be quite great, not an ordinary person—none of these are the basis for characterizing their essence. No matter what their looks are like, whether they are tall or short, fat or thin, what their skin color is, or whether their life is affluent or impoverished, none of these can demonstrate what their essence truly is. Characterizing a person’s essence cannot be based on the standards of human traditional culture or sayings about moral conduct, nor can it be based on mottos or famous sayings of renowned people that get summarized by people throughout history, or the misleading statements of ruling parties. What, then, should it be based on? People must use God’s words, the truth expressed by God and God’s requirements for people, as the basis to judge and determine the essence of various types of people. One absolutely must not judge people based on their outward appearance, their gifts, or the knowledge they have come to grasp, and certainly not based on a person’s status or the role they play in society and among people. All such ways of judging people are wrong. One must judge people based on God’s words; only God’s words are the truth. For one thing, it must be based on the truth; for another, it must be based on a person’s attitude toward the truth and whether they can comprehend the truth. It is most accurate to discern a person’s essence and determine their classification based on the truth. There will certainly be no error.

After fellowshipping on the manifestations of those two types of people—those reincarnated from animals and those reincarnated from devils—next we should fellowship on the manifestations of those who are reincarnated from true humans. We’ve now come to the most crucial part. Those reincarnated from animals have certain manifestations and characteristics to show for this, as do those reincarnated from devils. So, do those reincarnated from humans also have corresponding manifestations and characteristics? (Yes.) This is certain. We have mentioned some of the basic manifestations and characteristics of humanity possessed by true humans. Today, we will fellowship on the specific manifestations and characteristics of those reincarnated from humans. Given that the classification of this type of person is human, before we formally fellowship, let’s first think about what the basic characteristics of being a human are. Or, through your many years of interacting and associating with people, what are the characteristics you have observed in this type of person who has the classification of being human? What are their manifestations? Go ahead. (This type of person who has the classification of being human possesses conscience and reason. For example, if they do something wrong, or do wrong by somebody, or do something that violates the truth, they feel reproached in their conscience.) (This type of person can at least comprehend the truth, loves positive things, and detests negative things. Their conscience and reason are sound.) Being able to comprehend the truth is a relatively high standard. Before they encounter the truth, what characteristics of humanity does this type of person possess? What are the characteristics of their actions, speech, and how they conduct themselves and deal with the world? What are the manifestations and revelations of normal humanity that they exhibit? That is, when they interact and associate with people, what manifestations do they show that allow others to see that they are positive figures? (They are relatively rational, they are kindhearted, they don’t do things that cheat or harm others, and they have no intention of harming others.) What you can think of are these positive manifestations that relatively conform to humanity, which are the manifestations of a good person in people’s minds. Being kindhearted, not cheating or harming others, being true to their word, having a sense of responsibility, being able to get along well with others, yearning for positive things and detesting negative things—these are all some positive manifestations of humanity. Are there any more? (There is also having spiritual understanding—being able to understand God’s words.) Having spiritual understanding is unrelated to humanity, which we are currently discussing. We are mainly talking about the various viewpoints of people with humanity in handling matters, as well as manifestations of the essence of one’s self-conduct and treatment of others, their principles and minimum standards when it comes to their self-conduct and actions, and so on. The positive manifestations of humanity that people can see and learn of are few in number. It seems that those among mankind who understand how to conduct themselves are truly rare. It’s no wonder that many say they have failed in conducting themselves. Look at how actors in movies and TV shows portray positive characters—when it comes to revealing a certain viewpoint, manifestation, or attitude in a matter, the actors don’t know how to act or express it, and their understanding in this area is blank. If you ask them to play a hooligan, a hoodlum, a mafia boss, a prostitute, a dissolute woman, or a famous or great person, they can act the part very well, portraying these people’s every gesture, every word and action, even a single glance, with absolute vividness and specificity. Some viewers, after seeing them play a negative role, even mistakenly believe they truly are the bad person from the show, and will want to hit them if they ever see them. Some will even spit on them. See how vividly they portrayed their role, they really brought that bad person to life. What about when it comes to playing a good person? Can people gain some inspiration from their performance, knowing how to be a person with humanity? There really are no such actors. Mankind is blank when it comes to how to be a person with humanity. Not only are scriptwriters and directors blank, but the audience is also blank—no one understands what it means to have humanity. And so, it’s portrayed with utter hollowness in movies and TV shows. For example, when an actor plays a Communist Party member closing his eyes just before he dies, viewers say, “He’s definitely not dead yet, he hasn’t paid his party dues!” Sure enough, in less than a second, he opens his eyes, and trembling, takes a few coins out of his pocket, saying, “These are my party dues. I cannot owe the Party. May the Party rest assured. When I get to the other side, I will still be loyal to the Party, unswervingly, even unto death!” Only then does he pass away. This is how a person with humanity is portrayed in movies and TV shows. In the eyes of the audience, it’s actually completely hollow. Such people don’t exist in real life, and it’s very difficult for people to achieve this. Therefore, mankind simply doesn’t understand what true humanity is, and it’s very difficult for them to define its standard. Either the standard is set too high and it’s utterly hollow, or people are clueless and set it arbitrarily. In fact, the humanity possessed by a true human is very simple. How simple? It is something within your reach, something you can attain. What does it mean to be within your reach? It means it’s very practical, very real, very objective, not hollow at all. Because it is very objective and practical, people feel it is very ordinary and not worth mentioning at all, much less do they feel these manifestations are what mankind should exhibit. This mankind advocates for things that are grand, lofty, and impressive. Many people not only do not possess the manifestations of true humanity, but also despise them because the manifestations of normal humanity are very practical, very ordinary, very commonplace, and instead, they pursue and revere knowledge. In this way, an evil trend has formed throughout the whole of society, one that despises and looks down upon the manifestations of a true human. Even a person who truly has humanity does not feel that conducting themselves this way is being a true human or a person with humanity. On the contrary, they seek to become the so-called noble and extraordinary people advocated by the evil trends of society. This negates and covers up the humanity essence possessed by some people who have humanity. What does “cover up” mean here? It means no one considers you a person with humanity. It means that no matter what you do, others exclude you and look down on you, and that among people you have no place to use your talents, no place for you to speak, and no opportunity for you to put your strengths into play. “Negate” means your normal humanity is simply not worth mentioning among corrupt mankind. Having humanity is not something they advocate. What do they advocate? They advocate playing to the crowd, being a smooth operator, flattering and currying favor, and lying and deceiving, being able to say anything no matter how sickeningly sweet or contrary to their true feelings it is. Speaking the truth won’t get you anywhere in this society. No matter how good your humanity is, this society doesn’t advocate it, and will negate it. If you say some positive, just, or fair things, or words of conscience, if you say some rational things while assuming your proper place, they will exclude you, negate you, and belittle you. There are even some who will mock you, ridicule you, humiliate you, and then gather all wicked forces and powers to attack and ostracize you, ultimately making you feel too ashamed to show your face, making you negate yourself. You’ll end up thinking, “I’m no good, I can’t adapt to society’s trends, nor to these people. I don’t know how to carry out plots, I can’t contrive schemes or tricks, so it’s very difficult for me to survive among these people.” You start to feel very inferior, feeling unable to integrate with these people. Actually, you are unable to assimilate their philosophies for worldly dealings, their methods and means of handling matters, and their way of survival. After being negated by this evil trend and these evil people, you negate your own humanity, and then try every means possible to adapt to them, to follow them, to integrate into society, to integrate with these evil people, and to integrate into this evil trend. You try to copy how others use tricks, intrigues and schemes, and you also try to copy how others speak words of flattery, sickeningly sweet words, and words contrary to their true feelings. But no matter how you try to copy these things and no matter how much effort you put in, all in all, you feel these are not the words you want to speak or the things you want to do. Every word you speak is so contrary to your true feelings, and every thing you do makes you feel reproached in your conscience; you feel this is not what you should say or do. You live like this every day, wearing a mask. Though it seems that in terms of behavior, speech, or some thoughts and views you’ve integrated into this evil trend and integrated with this corrupt mankind, deep inside, you are pained, repressed, and resentful. After having such a life experience, you begin to yearn for fair and just treatment, for positive things, and for the light. So, what characteristics of humanity does such a person possess that allow them to have such feelings and such experiences in the midst of other people and evil trends? Actually, it’s very simple: When a person possesses the humanity essence of conscience and reason, they will have such experiences when living among people.

Conscience and reason are the two most fundamental things that those with humanity should possess. Although these two things have been discussed time and again, they are extremely important for people and are also the most important criteria for assessing whether a person’s classification is human. What does conscience refer to, specifically? I have said before that conscience is a faculty produced in a person’s heart, and that it makes certain demands of people, and is primarily manifested in the principles of conducting oneself and the minimum standards of self-conduct. Specifically, a person’s creed for conducting themselves, their principles for conducting themselves and dealing with the world, and the revelations of their humanity can prove whether or not they have a conscience. Just now, when I asked what conscience specifically refers to, you couldn’t answer. You focus only on what you consider to be profound truths, but as for truths of this kind, you feel they are too minor, too ordinary, and too insignificant to be worth mentioning, so you simply pay them no mind and don’t take them seriously. If a person has conscience, it means their humanity possesses two characteristics: One is uprightness, and the other is kindness. You may not be able to tell from outward appearance whether a person is kind or not, but if a person is kindhearted, you will know as soon as you associate with them. What is the basis for assessing whether a person is upright? It is their principles for conducting themselves and dealing with the world. If they are treacherous, cunning, insidious, worldly-wise, and scheming and inscrutable in how they conduct themselves and deal with the world, then this person is definitely not upright. If their way of conducting themselves and dealing with the world is very simple, very direct, very straightforward, if they speak very plainly to others, do not engage in crookedness or deceitfulness when interacting with people, speak and act without falsehood—calling black black and white white, distinguishing such things very clearly—can adhere to positive things, and do not compromise with evil forces, then this person is quite upright. If a person is both upright and kind, then this person has conscience, they possess the minimum characteristics of humanity. Another characteristic of humanity is reason. Reason is also a term and a topic that we often discuss, but no one has ever explicitly defined what reason is. What is included within reason, and what kind of manifestations constitute manifestations of having reason—are you clear on this? Most people are not very clear; their understanding in this area is still relatively vague. So, what does it mean to have reason? It means being able to say what should be said and do what should be done while taking the correct stance; this is having reason. If you are a person with humanity, then your speech and actions will be measured. You will know what words you should say, what things you should do, what your stance should be in speaking these words, and what manner of speech you should use to express a certain matter, within the current environment and based on your identity and status. You will have standards and moderation in your heart for these things. That is, your reason will be able to regulate your words and behavior, making your words and behavior appropriate, so that outwardly others will see them as rational and measured, with your speech and actions being just right and capable of edifying people. Regardless of whether, in terms of your caliber, your level of education, or your age, the words you say and the things you do are entirely appropriate or not, at the very least, you will have boundaries in your heart, a standard that keeps you in check, allowing you to speak and act in a rational state. This is what it means to have reason. No matter whom a person with reason faces—someone rich or poor, or someone with status or not—in any situation, their speech and actions are not constrained by whether their mood is good or bad, nor do they consider whether a matter is beneficial to them or not; they always have restraint in their heart, a standard or boundary that serves to regulate them. They will not intentionally spout twisted arguments, nor will they be unreasonably troublesome. Even if they are sometimes angry and very worked up inside, and their choice of words is not quite appropriate, the things they say do not constitute twisted arguments or fallacies; rather they are presentable and hold water. What does “hold water” mean? It means that even if what they say doesn’t necessarily conform to the truth, in the eyes of most people, this “reasoning” can hold up; it is generally recognized as something correct, and no one opposes it. Such a person is someone with reason.

These two aspects, conscience and reason, have both been explained clearly. The main manifestations of having humanity are these two: One is having conscience, and the other is having reason. Tell Me, are these two aspects hollow or not? (They’re not.) Aren’t they very real? (Yes.) They’re very real, and not hollow. Then why doesn’t mankind advocate them? Because a person with conscience possesses uprightness and kindness, and upright and kind people, amid evil trends and among evil, corrupt mankind, are considered to be repulsive, as well as extremely insignificant, looked down upon by everyone. If you are an upright and kind person, they will actually even interrogate you: “What’s the use of your being upright and kind? Do you have knowledge? Do you have social status? Do you have renown or power in society?” You say, “I have no renown or power; I am just a somewhat upright and kind person.” People will all laugh at you and spurn you. In their eyes, your having conscience, and your being upright and kind are not capital—without knowledge, status and renown, or power, you won’t get anywhere in society. They say, “You have conscience, but how much is conscience worth? What can you do? Can you employ intrigue and schemes, or deceive people? Can you win over people’s hearts and buy their favor?” You can’t do any of these. If you possess conscience, if you possess uprightness and kindness—these two aspects of humanity—then you won’t be interested in those things found in society’s evil trends, you won’t follow these trends, so you won’t get anywhere in society and will be ostracized by people. Why will they ostracize you? Because most people revere evil trends, and evil trends have become the mainstream in society—if you act according to your conscience and handle things impartially in all matters, then others will see you as a misfit and will exclude you. If, in the church, you can rely on your conscience and adhere to the truth principles in your speech and actions, and dare to expose and dissect evil people, then those who are of devils will lose their footing and be revealed; their intrigues and schemes, as well as their satanic nature that hates the truth, will be thoroughly laid bare. Therefore, these people who are of devils are especially afraid of there being those in the church who adhere to the truth principles. Whenever they see anyone who understands the truth, they exclude and suppress them, being very afraid that those who understand the truth will stand up to expose them, leading to them being revealed and eliminated. They are driven by their satanic nature to act this way. In God’s house, those who are of devils cannot stand firm, precisely because in God’s house, it is the truth that holds power, it is God that holds power. But it’s different in the nonbelieving world. Because atheism and evil trends prevail in this world, people with humanity cannot find their footing amid evil trends and among evil, corrupt mankind. Meanwhile, those who are ruthless in their tactics, insidious, and cunning are often the leaders, the standouts, the so-called elite among people. A person with humanity, regardless of their caliber, gifts, strengths, or talents, is excluded and has no opportunity to get ahead. As long as they speak a few fair words or handle matters impartially, those evil people and devils will torment them. Therefore, this evil mankind, which is of devils, disregards conscience; only those with humanity possess conscience. As for reason, the manifestation of having reason is that no matter what befalls a person, they can treat it rationally, speak and act justly, they won’t act according to their feelings or their renown or status, and they won’t compel or constrain others. They are able to treat a matter rationally: If it’s correct, it’s correct; if it’s incorrect, it’s incorrect; if it’s right, it’s right; if it’s wrong, it’s wrong. They evaluate things impartially and do things justly, according to principles, and they do not cross the moral boundaries of humanity. This is the manifestation of having reason. These two things, conscience and reason, do not hold up in society, especially in evil countries and amid evil trends, where they even more so do not hold up and are untenable. However, conscience and reason are precisely the two major characteristics that normal humanity possesses, and they are also characteristics that mankind should have. Only when you possess these two characteristics are you a true human. If you are a person with conscience and humanity, then for one thing, you will be particularly principled in how you conduct yourself and will be able to treat people in a relatively just way. No matter what your relationship with someone is like, or whether they have hurt you, you can treat them correctly and evaluate them objectively. This is uprightness, a characteristic of humanity. Additionally, if you possess kindness, another characteristic of humanity, then you will have a certain boundary when dealing with people or doing things, which can restrain you from speaking or acting against your conscience. For example, evil people always speak twisted words and spout twisted arguments, inverting black and white, and twisting facts. They hold grudges against and try to think of every which way to find opportunities to torment and retaliate against whoever is detrimental to them or who has hurt or targeted them. But for a person with humanity, because they possess uprightness and kindness, which are part of conscience, even if someone has harmed or cheated them, and they want to retaliate and take revenge, and they might say something harsh like, “I hate them to my core!” in moments of impetuousness, when presented with a real opportunity for revenge, their heart softens, and they relent; they can’t bring themselves to do it, they don’t have the heart. And after a while, they can no longer summon this hatred. This is what a kind person is like. If someone has cheated or harmed you, and you have an opportunity for revenge, an opportunity to see your enemy suffer punishment and retribution, would you be able to take action and do things to retaliate against them? When you’re feeling indignant, you might say, “I’ll definitely retaliate against them! They’re utterly terrible and ruthless!” But when an opportunity for revenge really comes, you can’t bring yourself to do it. You’ll say, “Forget it, that was so long ago. Let that be the end of it.” You won’t pursue it endlessly, nor will you insist on seeing your enemy suffer punishment or some bad end. You won’t live with hatred constantly in your heart; after a while, the hatred will dissipate. This is the manifestation of having a kind heart. Kindness is a characteristic manifestation of a person having conscience, and also a characteristic of having the classification of being a human. Of course, in the eyes of some, kindness is a weakness. Some nonbelievers might even think you are spineless and even egg you on, saying, “You need to be ruthless and coldhearted. When an opportunity for revenge comes, you should take a tooth for a tooth, subdue them yourself, and kill your enemy with your own hands.” But you ponder, “If I kill my enemy with my own hands, wouldn’t I be doing evil? Their living doesn’t affect me; it’s just that one thing they did went too far and hurt me, but that’s all in the past.” Over time, you find you don’t hate them anymore. Some people say you are too cowardly, not ruthless enough. You yourself also find this perplexing: “Why can’t I be ruthless? Why am I always lenient toward my enemies and unable to hold grudges?” In the eyes of some, having a kind heart is a weakness of humanity. But in reality, it is a characteristic of humanity, right? (Yes.)

We won’t go into more detail about conscience and reason, those two important components of the characteristics of humanity. Let’s talk about two other, most specific aspects that are most easily overlooked or that people have never been aware of. If we merely say that a person possesses the conscience and reason of humanity, this seems relatively general to people, and it will be very difficult to determine what things a person has done or what manifestations they have that show they truly have conscience and reason, and hard to assess whether they truly have normal humanity. Therefore, we won’t fellowship from the angle of the specific manifestations of conscience and reason, but from two other aspects. That is, if a person possesses humanity essence, then for one thing, they can discern right from wrong, and additionally, they also know what’s correct and what’s incorrect. Whether someone possesses these two aspects is sufficient to show whether they possess conscience and reason. This is a more specific way to dissect whether someone’s humanity possesses conscience and reason. Only when a person possesses these two aspects—discerning right from wrong and knowing what’s correct and what’s incorrect—does it truly show that they possess the conscience and reason of humanity. If they do not possess these two aspects, then their claim of having conscience and reason is false and does not accord with the facts. Let’s first look at being able to discern right from wrong. “Discern” means to understand, to know, to be aware of, and to comprehend. What does “right and wrong” mean? Right and wrong refer to positive things and negative things. Then what does it mean to know what’s correct and what’s incorrect? For example, “Mankind was created by God.” Is this statement correct or incorrect? (It’s correct.) “Mankind evolved from apes.” Is this statement correct or incorrect? (Incorrect.) If you can discern and judge which views are correct and which are incorrect, this is knowing what’s correct and what’s incorrect. Devils say, “Mankind evolved from apes.” After hearing this, you say, “That’s not correct. Mankind was created by God.” Then in this matter, you are not muddled, and you know what’s correct and what’s incorrect. Is there a difference, then, between correct and incorrect, and right and wrong? (Yes.) “God holds sovereignty over the destiny of all mankind.” Is this statement correct or incorrect? (It’s correct.) “Mankind controls its own destiny.” Is this statement correct or incorrect? (Incorrect.) “How long a person lives depends on how they take care of themselves and stay healthy.” Is this statement correct or incorrect? (Incorrect.) “A person’s lifespan is ordained by God.” Correct or incorrect? (Correct.) Now you know what it means to know what’s correct and what’s incorrect, don’t you? (Yes.) Then let’s look at discerning right from wrong. What did we just say “right and wrong” refers to? (Positive things and negative things.) For example, being an honest person—is this a positive thing or a negative thing? (A positive thing.) What about “Money makes the world go round”? (That is a negative thing.) Who can give another example? (It is perfectly natural and justified for people to worship God. This is a positive thing.) Then what about burning incense and worshipping Buddha? (That’s a negative thing.) Seeking the truth in doing things. (That’s a positive thing.) Following one’s own will and making unilateral decisions in whatever one does. (That’s a negative thing.) You know which things are positive and which are negative, and can also judge which views are correct and which are incorrect—this is called being able to discern right from wrong and knowing what’s correct and what’s incorrect. Having this insight and understanding, and having the ability to discern these things in your heart—this indicates you are someone with the quality of humanity. Being able to discern right from wrong and knowing what’s correct and what’s incorrect means that within a person’s humanity, there is an innate ability to identify some positive and negative things. Additionally, there is also some awareness and feeling in their heart about whether certain things are correct or not. Even without having heard the truth or understanding the truth, their humanity possesses this kind of discernment. Even if they can’t articulate it they know in their heart which things are positive and which are negative, and they know that negative things are incorrect. If they also have a feeling of detestation in their heart and can reject and not follow these things, that’s even better. When they don’t understand the truth, even if they cannot discern positive and negative things very clearly, they have different feelings toward and different ways of treating positive and negative things in their heart. For example, regarding some evil trends in society, when people with humanity see these evil trends, they feel a deep detestation in their hearts. They feel that these things are not the right path, not positive things, and not things that people should pursue or do. Despite the fact that, as one who lives in this social environment, they have no choice but to follow evil trends, deep down they despise them. And while despising them, they also seek every opportunity to escape this environment or think of every which way to avoid it and to reject these evil trends.

Discerning right from wrong is very important for a person. Since right and wrong involve positive things and negative things, what do you think are some positive things, and what are some negative things? (Believing in God, following God, worshiping God, submitting to God, as well as doing one’s duty and being an honest person—these are all positive things. Lying and deceiving, resisting God, rebelling against God, betraying God—these are negative things.) (Positive things primarily come from God and conform to the truth. For example, the various results achieved by God’s work, as well as people’s true knowledge of God’s disposition and essence, are all positive things and all conform to the truth.) Don’t think of positive things as so hollow or so lofty. In actuality, positive things are various positive and right people, events, and things that are beneficial to people. Anything beneficial to people, anything that is beneficial and not detrimental to their normal lives, is a positive thing. For example, are natural rules and laws positive things? (Yes.) God’s words are all truth and are all positive things; anything involving the truth is a positive thing. God’s provision of humankind with life and truth, as well as the content of God’s work of managing and saving humankind, are positive things related to the truth. All of God’s requirements for people, every word of God, the principles of practice for various truths—these are all positive things. Besides God’s work of managing humankind, there are many other positive things that are beneficial to human survival and not harmful to people. Can you see them? Can you identify them? Can you accept and approve of them from the depths of your hearts? Can you go along with, adapt to, and follow them? For example, are the laws of the four seasons positive things? (Yes.) In spring, it warms up and flowers bloom, all things grow and revive, ice and snow melt. Is this a positive thing? (Yes.) In summer, the sun shines brightly, its rays scorching, and all things grow rapidly, basking in the sunlight. Is this a positive thing? (Yes.) In autumn, the scorching heat gradually gives way to clear skies and crisp air; various plants gradually mature, bearing seeds and fruits, yielding a harvest. Is this a positive thing? (Yes.) In winter, the temperature drops, the weather gradually turns cold, and sometimes it snows. Although it’s not as enjoyable, comfortable, or free as other seasons, in winter all things can preserve their energy, and humankind also rests and recuperates. Is this law a positive thing, then? (Yes.) At sunrise, larks sing, early birds chirp, reminding people that it is morning and time to get up, that they must begin laboring for life, for livelihood, and for humankind’s continued survival. Is this a positive thing? (Yes.) Humankind gets up to the calls of early birds and larks and begins a day’s labor. This is a positive thing. At night, various insects and creatures, in accordance with their own laws, engage in all sorts of activities—some emerge to forage and others begin to call. At this time, humankind quiets down and drifts off to sleep. Listening to the chirping of crickets, accompanied by the calls of various creatures and by their nocturnal activities, people drift into dreamland, sleeping so sweetly, so blissfully and peacefully. Is this a positive thing? (Yes.) For people, these positive things are all things that occur frequently. You can receive their various signs and signals, and you can also feel the benefits they bring to your life, as well as the various changes and the influences they bring to you as you go about living. If you have a correct response to and a correct comprehension of the existence of the various positive things around you, as well as a right way to treat these positive things, it shows that you are a person who has some understanding of right and wrong, that you are responsive, sensitive, and perceptive toward the living environment made up of all things created by God, and that you have a grateful heart for the influence of all these things around you or their companionship in your life. It shows that you can feel that God’s existence and all the things He’s created are so undeniably real, and feel the benefits of all things to you and their influence on you in various aspects. If you can obtain such messages and have these feelings, then you are a person who can understand right from wrong and possesses humanity. You can correctly comprehend positive things, can adapt to them, go along with them, and coexist with them. And it’s not just that you’re not repulsed by these things; rather, because you believe in God and understand some truths, you’re even more convinced that all these positive things come from God, from the Creator, and you can be more grateful for the existence of these positive things. Correspondingly, you feel revulsion and loathing in your heart toward negative things. So, what are some negative things? (Polluting the environment, excessive extraction.) Destroying and polluting the environment, indiscriminate logging, excessive extraction and exploitation—these are all negative things. Besides these, what other things do you feel are negative, and have an obvious loathing for in your hearts? Humankind always wants to conquer nature—is this a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) For example, some places frequently experience hurricanes, so some people always ponder, “These hurricanes whip up dust everywhere, destroying houses and fields. We have to try everything we can to build a wall to block them, to show that human technology is advanced and that human capabilities have become stronger.” Is this a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) How do you feel in your hearts after hearing this? (I feel that people overestimate their own abilities.) That’s precisely what it is. Some places are covered with vast grasslands, so some people say, “Herders live a nomadic life on the grasslands, and they barely get any good meals throughout the whole year. For half the year, they are always out in the open, herding cattle and sheep on the grasslands. When will these hard days end? We must find ways to improve the herders’ lives, turn the grasslands and pastures into buildings and cities, so the herders no longer have to survive by herding. Then they will enjoy a better life, and they’ll thank the country and the government.” Is this a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) Can you sense that doing this is a negative thing? Turning grasslands into buildings and cities—this is an erroneous thought and viewpoint; this practice is so absurd! You can’t see through this matter, can you? You think, “This is the government’s business, we can’t do anything about it,” and you feel nothing about it. Also, humankind is always making advancements in space exploration, always wanting to go to the moon, to survey Mars and Jupiter. They even want to explore the sun, but since the sun’s temperature is too high, they can’t go there. So, they build spacecraft to overcome Earth’s gravity and fly to the moon and Mars. Is this a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) This is a negative thing. So, are there any positive things involving science? Are there any claims that are positive and conform to the natural laws of all things created by God? (Some tools invented and manufactured through scientific means, like computers, can improve our work efficiency. These are positive things.) These are neither positive nor negative things. Those are just tools. They don’t involve a particular thought, theory, or argument. The positive and negative things we’re talking about involve the essence and fundamentals of things, and also the motives behind various scientific research projects conducted by humankind. Based on these, we determine whether something is positive or negative. So, what other negative things are there? (Currently, humankind does not follow the laws of growth of all things but uses scientific means to change these laws. For example, chickens are fed hormone-laden feed and can become market-ready in thirty days, and out-of-season vegetables and fruits are cultivated. It seems like science and technology have advanced, but this violates the laws of growth of all things and is to satisfy people’s cravings for food. This is a negative thing.) This is a negative thing. Some people want to subjugate tigers and lions. They see that tigers look formidable—even a yawn from a tiger scares people away—so they want to subjugate them, and then pull out their fangs and keep them in their yards, making the tigers guard their houses like dogs. Is this a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) This is a negative thing. Everything humans do and the various things they invent in pursuit of fleshly enjoyment using various scientific means and in contravention of natural laws are all negative things, not positive things, because their harm to humankind is too great, and their damage to the human living environment is too severe. For example, some places are extremely arid, so the government uses airplanes to disperse cloud seeding agents to induce rainfall. Is this a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) Some places get too much rain, causing floods, so the government deploys airplanes to disperse the clouds to control the rain. Doesn’t this violate and destroy natural laws? (Yes.) Destroying natural laws, violating natural laws, not conforming to natural laws, doing whatever one pleases, showing off advanced human technology—these are negative things. Besides these, what other negative things are there? Is conducting research on biological agents and genetic modification a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) Because of the scientific research into genetics that has been carried out, people can eat more genetically modified foods. So, are genetically modified foods positive or negative things? (Negative things.) Why do you say they’re negative? Some people say, “This is a scientific achievement, aimed at allowing more people to have enough to eat and not go hungry. Moreover, people have been eating genetically modified foods for decades, and grow tall and husky—especially young people nowadays are taller than the previous generation. This is all thanks to the contributions of science to humankind. Since genetically modified foods bring such great benefits to people, why are they said to be negative things?” Can you explain this? (Although people are taller now, their constitutions are getting worse, and they’re contracting more diseases—this is all caused by people eating those scientifically processed things. So, they are negative things.) On the surface, genetically modified foods seem to benefit people—people are taller and huskier—but their constitutions have deteriorated. Overall, they have a negative impact on people, harming rather than benefiting them. Regardless of whether people perceive them as beneficial or harmful, they’re negative things, absolutely not positive things, because they violate the natural laws created by God, and go against the functions that the various original living things created by God were meant to have in the human body. Their impact on people may not be felt at first, but after twenty years, the adverse consequences become apparent: Many people develop all sorts of strange diseases, and even their fertility is affected. This is enough to prove that such foods are not positive things. Although from a human perspective, genetically modified food is a product of technology, a contribution of science to humankind, from the perspective of positive and negative things, it is absolutely not a positive thing.

Humankind is always trying to research the moon and explore whether any other planets are suitable for human habitation. Is this scientific research, this viewpoint, a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) Why is it a negative thing? (God created humans to live on Earth; He never intended for us to live on other planets. Humans are always ambitious and want to go everywhere. In the end, it’s a waste of effort, and they can’t go anywhere.) From people’s perspective, researching these things is quite normal; it’s creating living conditions for the future of humankind, which is a good thing. Many of the functions God established on Earth have been destroyed; various disasters occur frequently, Earth’s living environment has been damaged, the air, water, and soil are all severely polluted, and all kinds of living creatures face extinction. It’s become difficult to live on Earth. Some scientific research institutions have thus begun to research other planets, hoping that humankind can go to other planets and settle there. They believe that, for the descendants of humankind to survive, people have to prepare in advance—if they don’t prepare now and humankind cannot survive on Earth in the future, won’t there be no way out for the human race? So, is this viewpoint, this scientific research, ultimately a negative thing or a positive thing? (A negative thing.) On what basis do you say it’s a negative thing? (On the basis that God simply has not prepared hospitable conditions for humans on other planets. Let alone other planets, even very hot and very cold places on Earth are not suitable for human habitation. But humans are always ambitious, always wanting to break away from God’s sovereignty and God’s orchestrations, wanting to go live on other planets—this goes against God’s arrangements and ordinations. Therefore, it is a negative thing.) God created the Earth—a wonderful living environment—for humans, but humans don’t manage it well. They are always developing science and modern industry, and as a result, they have destroyed Earth’s ecological environment and polluted the air, water, and even the land. People no longer have access to organic grains and vegetables, and they get all sorts of diseases. It’s become difficult to survive on Earth, and now they’re thinking about going to other planets, without considering whether their mortal flesh is even able to go there. Humans, these beings of mortal flesh, are only suited to inhabiting the Earth, and can only do so on Earth. This is God’s ordination. Where can humans even go just by relying on their various innate conditions? Birds can flap their wings and fly thousands of meters high, but humans can’t fly up there themselves; they need the help of airplanes. Yet flying in airplanes is sometimes dangerous. Therefore, humans are most suited to living on Earth. Humans’ physical attributes are compatible with the soil of the Earth, and with all aspects of the living conditions on Earth, such as all things, the four seasons, and the natural laws. Therefore, humankind can only be called Earthlings. These laws of human survival and these living conditions were preordained for humans when God created all things. Therefore, humankind is only suited to surviving on Earth, not to inhabiting other planets. Humankind has ruined and damaged the Earth to the point where it is uninhabitable, and they want to just leave and be done with it, always seeking to inhabit other planets. This is a futile struggle. This practice does not go along with the natural laws ordained by God for Earthlings; rather it violates the laws of physical survival for Earthlings and is a very unwise practice. So, it is a negative thing. Even if there are a few planets that have air, and Earthlings can go there to take a look, it doesn’t mean that humankind can survive on those planets. Even on Earth, you can go to the South Pole or the North Pole to have a look, you can set foot there, but if you were to live there for many years, could you bear it? There are also some relatively hot places where it’s over sixty degrees Celsius year-round; those are also not suitable for human survival. Humans are not fit for long-term survival in a handful of places on Earth due to special geographical environments, let alone living on other planets. That is not part of God’s arrangements. Based on the characteristics of the human flesh, this humankind is only suited to living on Earth; this is well-founded. The purpose of God creating the Earth was to arrange a suitable living environment for humankind. If you want to escape such an environment and find another way out, that will only lead to ruin. Therefore, this is a negative thing. If you know that always researching habitation on other planets is a negative thing, but in your heart you still approve of humankind conducting scientific research to find a way to live on other planets, then it proves that there is a problem with your humanity, that you don’t understand right from wrong, and that you can’t discern correct from incorrect. If you clearly know this path is unfeasible, yet you still yearn and expect to be able to live on other planets in the next age, then you are not a normal person—you’re an oddball.

A person who understands right from wrong can, for one, love and accept positive things and have a clear understanding of them. Additionally, they can discern negative things, and because they have humanity and reason, they feel aversion and loathing in their heart toward negative things. Of course, they can also despise, criticize, and deny them based on understanding some truths. If you cannot do this, then you are not a person who understands right from wrong. It can also be said that you are lacking in terms of humanity. If you lack the ability to discern right from wrong in your humanity, then your humanity is missing a very important condition, a very important component. This means you do not have normal humanity, and you cannot be called a true person. Some people might say, “The examples just given involve some things related to the basic necessities of people’s daily lives and also involve science. If those things are negative things and require us to discern them, then should we reject them?” That’s not necessary. Discerning right from wrong means that you have discernment of positive and negative things in your heart. Within your humanity, you have a standard for judgment, and you know what things are positive and what things are negative. You also have a clear attitude, knowing how to treat positive and negative things. You can accept, go along with, and adapt to positive things, and you have no resistance or aversion in your heart toward them. As for negative things, you can discern them from the depths of your heart, and you can despise, be averse to, and detest them, and even have your own viewpoints about them, which you use to criticize them. This is the attitude and manifestation that a person who can discern right from wrong should have. However, suppose that you inwardly despise and detest things that are clearly positive, and even find them unremarkable compared to negative things, as well as too ordinary, too commonplace, and too unworthy of mention. You also inwardly admire, yearn for, and pursue negative things, and even approve of those negative things in society and the world. And no matter how the truth or the principles of discernment are fellowshipped, you cannot take them in or accept them. In that case, your humanity is not normal. If you have no perception or clear viewpoints when it comes to positive and negative things because you are young and lack experience in life or insight, or because these things have not involved you or entered your life, then it cannot yet be said that you are a person who cannot discern right from wrong. However, after fellowshipping on what positive things are and what negative things are, if you still cannot accept or go along with positive things from the depths of your heart, and instead feel aversion and despise them, while vigorously chasing after and yearning for negative things, then you are not a person who can discern right from wrong. Looking at it from this point, it’s abundantly clear that such a person has no humanity. This matter of discerning right from wrong reveals a person’s orientation toward positive and negative things, thereby allowing us to determine what the classification of this person truly is. No matter what they encounter, if they’re inclined toward negative things rather than positive things, then it is clear that this person has no humanity and does not possess conscience and reason. Why do I say this? They yearn for evil things, yearning for the various undertakings, research projects, or certain aspects of technology that Satan and evil humankind advocate, approve of, and engage in, instead of yearning for and following the original rules and laws of positive things, which come from God. Such people, then, are certainly non-human. Is this clear? (Yes.)

We just spoke about the ability to discern right from wrong within people’s humanity, that is, whether people can identify positive and negative things. Not many people are capable of this discernment, yet in their lives, people frequently come into contact with both positive and negative things. For example, are people’s normal emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, happiness—positive or negative things? (Positive things.) What about people’s rebellion against God? Is that a positive or a negative thing? (A negative thing.) And what about the extravagant desires that people direct toward God? Are they positive or negative things? (Negative things.) In their daily lives, people actually have no perception when it comes to many of the things they encounter. Some positive things are always with people in their lives and existence; they play a very important role in their lives, and their positive impact on human survival cannot be replaced by the impact of any negative thing. However, people often overlook these positive things, believing instead that it is many negative things that are always with people, sustain their lives, and accompany them in their existence. From this, it can be seen that many people actually have no feeling for positive things. It is of little consequence if you have no feeling for these things. As long as, upon knowing they are positive things, you are not averse to them, and can even yearn for and love them from the depths of your heart, then this proves that your humanity yearns for what is positive. Suppose that you know what positive things are and what negative things are, but you still cannot bring yourself to like positive things. Instead, you have a liking in your heart for negative things, you are even particularly interested in them, and, going a step further, certain to pursue and try to obtain them if the conditions are right and you have the opportunity. This indicates that when it comes to your orientation toward positive and negative things, you love what is negative and not what is positive. If you do not love positive things, this shows that you are not a positive figure. If you are not a positive figure, then you are certainly not someone with conscience and reason; you are a negative figure. If you are not someone with conscience and reason, then you are non-human, you are not a person. For example, someone grows tomatoes. They hear that once the tomatoes have grown, they can be made to turn from green to red overnight just by applying a chemical agent, and then be ready to sell right away. They then think, “This is great. Everyone else sells them this way, so I will too. This way, I can get rich, and I can also eat tomatoes earlier. This is perfect!” So they sell these tomatoes, and they eat them themselves. Someone reminds them that tomatoes ripened with chemical agents are harmful to people, and that selling such things is doing harm to others, but they refuse to accept this, saying, “How can this be harming people? This is a fruit of scientific research; it is a positive thing. Science serves humankind, and since these things have been invented through science, they should be widely applied to people’s lives. People’s lives cannot do without science; we have to rely on it.” Some people even treat science as the truth, and they teach people to love, learn, and use science, as well as to base everything on it. Some people may have now discovered that science is not necessarily correct, and that some things invented through science are harmful to people—for example, chemical weapons and advanced weapons are capable of slaughtering humankind, and genetically modified foods in particular are an endless scourge to humankind. But many people do not think so, saying, “Can science be wrong? If science were wrong, would the state support it? All of humankind learns and uses science—could all of humankind be wrong?” Is this statement correct? They believe that, since all of humankind reveres and uses science, and this is the societal trend, no matter how negative it is, it can become a positive thing. Are these people who can discern right from wrong? (No.) What are these words they speak? (Fallacies.) They are fallacies, heresies, and twisted arguments. Although most people among evil humankind agree with and acknowledge these sayings, no matter how many people acknowledge and approve of them, what is wrong will always be wrong, negative things will always be negative things, and twisted reasoning will always be twisted reasoning. It is impossible for them to become positive things, nor can they ever become the truth.

Aren’t people who always pursue societal trends and love to speak fallacies those who particularly love negative things? (Yes.) Can they accept the truth and positive things? (No.) They cannot accept positive things. For example, some people get sick, and in fact, their illness could be cured through exercise and adjustments to their daily routine, but they insist on using modern, high-tech means and methods for treatment. You might say, “Although medicine is advanced now, and that treatment has obvious results, it will cause residual effects, the ramifications of which will be irreversible. You should use a natural method—such as exercise, adjusting your daily routine, and adjusting your dietary habits and patterns—to gradually get your body to enter a normal, natural rhythm, after which some symptoms will gradually be alleviated.” Some people can accept this kind of view, but others cannot. They think, “That’s an outdated approach. That was the way and the philosophy by which humankind treated illnesses thousands of years ago. The idea that getting better is thirty percent treatment and seventy percent recuperation just doesn’t cut it anymore! Medicine is advanced now, and high-tech treatments bring quick results. The medicines cure you in the blink of an eye!” According to their views, as long as medicine is advanced and can cure humankind’s various illnesses and allow people to live long lives, then medicine has become a positive thing, and people should believe in medicine and believe in science, and let science hold sovereignty over their destinies. They think that no matter how many illnesses people get, there’s nothing to be afraid of—with high-tech means, any complicated, hard-to-treat illness can be cured, and that, even if there are residual effects, it’s nothing to worry about. Are these views accurate? They are fallacies. Tell Me, if you talk to this kind of person about what positive things are, can you get through to them? Can they accept it? (No, we can’t get through to them.) One reason you can’t get through to them is that they themselves are unable to accept positive viewpoints. And another is that all of humankind throughout the entire world is being swept along by evil trends, without a single exception. Although they believe in God, deep in their hearts, they do not accept the truth, they do not accept positive things, and they do not view people and things based on God’s words. Instead, they still use the views of Satan and the evil trends of Satan as bases for viewing or treating every matter. Therefore, although this kind of person has believed in God for many years, has listened to some sermons, and has been doing their duty, and they claim to be willing to accept the truth, the views on things which they hold in real life remain unchanged, nor have they changed in what they choose between negative things and positive things. The negative things they have accepted have already taken root in their hearts, and even if they know that these things are not the truth, they will still hold on to them. This very much shows that what they truly love in their hearts are negative things, not the truth. Even though they’ve read God’s words and listened to sermons on the truth, and they understand in terms of doctrine that these words are correct and the truth, they’re still unwilling to give up the negative things that they’ve long since accepted in the depths of their hearts, and they never use God’s words as a basis to discern negative things. When they encounter specific matters, in their hearts, they still cling to their original, incorrect views, and they still regard negative things as positive things, and incorrect views as correct views. As for positive things, although they do not explicitly say that they are negative things, in their hearts they are unwilling to give up negative things and accept positive things, because they feel that, “Positive things seem to have too little influence, and too few people can accept them. They are not viable in society—this is an objective fact.” This proves that they don’t have the ability to discern right from wrong in their hearts, and that there is a problem with their humanity. This kind of person is not interested in positive things, and often wants to change nature, change the laws of survival of the natural world, change the laws of human physiology, and change the laws of human survival, always wanting to conquer nature and conquer various living beings. For example, they are always pondering things like this: “How can we give dogs the genes of cats, so that dogs can catch mice like cats do? And wouldn’t it be wonderful if cats could both catch mice and guard the house like dogs?” “If hens could both lay eggs and crow, then we would only need to raise hens—how great would that be!” You see, they are always pondering improper things. If it were someone who could discern right from wrong, they would think, “The animals God created are so wonderful! Roosters can crow and keep hens company, and hens can lay eggs and hatch chicks, and humans can eat the meat of both roosters and hens. Dogs can protect the home and keep their owners company, and cats can catch mice, and sometimes they can also become inconspicuous members of the family. These are all great, each has its own function—everything God created is good!” But those who cannot comprehend positive things will use Satan’s views to deny and condemn them, and they will even attempt, based on Satan’s views, to change the laws of survival of various creatures, to change the various laws of the natural world, and even to change the laws of human survival, all in order to let science hold power. Such people certainly do not have normal humanity. Their humanity lacks the characteristic of being able to discern right from wrong. In addition, they do not know how to manage their lives according to natural laws, and they always want to do things according to human will, using technological means or artificial methods to change the normal laws of physical life. For example, a normal person needs seven or eight hours of rest a day to be full of energy and able to sustain a day of living and working, but this kind of person ponders, “Wouldn’t it be great if people could live and work normally each day without needing to sleep or eat? I wonder what high-tech means could be used to achieve this?” Ridiculous and strange ideas can just arise in their minds. They do not ponder how to adapt to and follow these laws from the perspective of normal humanity and thereby correctly handle the various needs and issues of the flesh, but instead always want to change these laws, to be different from ordinary people, to be able to transcend their physical instincts, and to be able to not be controlled or restrained by their flesh. Isn’t this terrifying? They always want to stand out from the crowd. Others sleep eight hours a day, but they want to sleep for only ten minutes, or at most one or two hours, and still have enough energy for the day. This is something that normal people cannot achieve. The natural laws of the human body have already been fixed under God’s ordination. How big a person’s appetite is, what the laws of the functioning of their internal organs are like, how much energy a person has, how much work they can do in a day, how many things their brain can manage to think about in a day, and for how long they can think about them—these are all fixed. From the perspective of humanity, these laws are actually normal, and they are positive things. Only by following certain laws can humankind continue to live year after year, can it continue to multiply and live on generation after generation, and can the survival of humankind continue. This is how it is for all living beings. Only by following certain natural laws and certain laws of life, and by having periods of both rest and activity, can the continuation of their life be maintained. If one violates natural laws, the continuation of their life will meet with problems, and they may not live for very long. If a problem arises with a person’s physical condition, their normal life, their daily meals, as well as their normal thinking, normal judgment, and the amount of work they can do in a day, and so on, will all be affected. Therefore, the natural laws of humankind protect the normal survival of humankind. These are positive things and should not be despised by people, nor should people feel averse to them. Rather, they should respect and follow them. Those non-humans who are of Satan always feel, “Following these natural laws of humankind makes people seem utterly incapable and useless! We’re always being limited by these natural laws—when you’re tired, you have to go to sleep; when you’re hungry, you have to go eat. If you don’t do these things, your mind can’t keep up with your mouth, your hands start to tremble, your heart starts to pound, and your legs become weak and you can’t stand firm. This is so troublesome! Imagine if you could just take some medicine and live normally, or if you could be full of energy even after not resting for several days, which would make you even more incredible than a robot. Or imagine that when you’re hungry, you could just press a certain acupoint and immediately not feel hungry. Or imagine not eating for several days and still being fine, with your flesh not wasting away, your energy not declining, and your body still normal and healthy. That would be amazing!” People always want to change these natural laws. Isn’t this denying and opposing positive things? (Yes.) The existence of these positive things ensures the normal existence of humankind and maintains the normal life of humankind, so people should not only follow them but also treat them rationally. They shouldn’t go against them, suppress them, or put themselves at odds with them, much less should they oppose them. On the other hand, those things that are beyond the natural laws of humankind, people’s imaginings, some of their abnormal ideas and extraordinary behaviors are all negative things. Since they are all negative things, people should discern and reject them, not accept them. If you have discernment of positive and negative things, and can correctly treat and rationally handle them as you go about living, then your humanity is normal. If you often do not feel the positive effects of these positive things on you, and you often want to oppose them and do things that are contrary to them, and you often try to change these positive things based on some negative sayings and viewpoints, violating the objective laws of things, then it proves that, in terms of your humanity, you don’t have the ability to understand right from wrong. Having fellowshipped in this way, do you now understand? (Yes.)

If a person has humanity, shouldn’t they understand what positive things are and accept them? (Yes.) And shouldn’t they also be able to discern negative things, while at the same time being able to detest and reject them from their heart? (Yes.) So, what other things are people unable to identify as positive or negative? Is believing in and following God a positive or a negative thing? (A positive thing.) Is God’s sovereignty over man’s destiny a positive or a negative thing? (A positive thing.) God’s sovereignty over man’s destiny is a positive thing. So, what are the main viewpoints underpinning corrupt humankind’s opposition to God’s sovereignty and orchestrations? (People believe that one’s destiny is in one’s own hands, and that knowledge can change one’s destiny.) These are the viewpoints underpinning corrupt humankind’s denial of God and resistance toward God; they are truly negative things. So, how should people comprehend the matter of God holding sovereignty over man’s destiny? Some people, although as a matter of doctrine they acknowledge that the statement “God is sovereign over man’s destiny” is correct and is a positive thing, nevertheless still believe in their hearts that man’s own efforts can change his destiny, that his destiny can be in his own hands, and that he has the final say. They feel that if they do not study hard and apply themselves diligently, they will not be able to get into a good university, and will not have a good job, good prospects, or good living conditions. Are these the kind of people who can discern right from wrong? (No.) Having lived for twenty or thirty years, they still don’t know what the statement “God is sovereign over man’s destiny” means. They’ve believed in God for many years but still think that their destiny is in their own hands, that knowledge can change their destiny, and that if they want a good destination and to enjoy nice things and lead a good life, they must rely on their own striving—just as nonbelievers say, “You’ve got to put everything on the line to win.” Is this the kind of person who can discern right from wrong? (No.) Is a person who cannot discern right from wrong a human being? (No.) They enjoy a good life, eat and dress well, and are held in high regard by others in society, and they feel that the life they have now is all thanks to their own hard work. Therefore, they believe that the statement “You’ve got to put everything on the line to win, and man’s destiny depends on himself, not on others” is true and a correct viewpoint. Is this a manifestation of normal humanity? (No.) Before people acquire knowledge, they do not understand these things, but once they have grasped some knowledge, they completely deny the statement “God is sovereign over humankind’s destiny,” and instead think, “A person’s destiny is in their own hands; one can create happiness with their own hands.” Is this the kind of person who can discern right from wrong? (No.) So what kind of creature is such a person? Are they not devoid of humanity? (Yes.) Such a person is someone without conscience and reason, and someone without conscience and reason cannot discern right from wrong. Even after they have truly experienced the facts of life, they still cannot truly comprehend what positive things are, nor can they truly appreciate what the essence of positive things is. This shows they are unable to discern right from wrong. Such a person has no humanity; they are absolutely not a human being. There are also some people who can regurgitate doctrine, saying, “The laws of all things come from God, they are positive things, they are beneficial to humanity, and they are what humanity should follow, and also what humanity should yearn for and pursue,” but after coming into contact with some high-tech information and high-tech things, their views on these matters change. What kind of views do they change into? They say, “We believers in God are always talking about the laws of living, the laws of all things, and the laws of survival of all things, and we think these are positive things. That’s so backward! This shows a lack of knowledge, like having tunnel vision! Technology is so advanced now; there are many things you don’t have to do yourself, as technological products can do them for you—that’s what’s called advanced! Look, some cars can drive themselves. After you get in the car, you set the destination, and then you just say a word and the car starts driving. That’s truly high-tech, it’s so admirable! Humankind has developed advanced technology, and we have become the masters of all things without doing anything. So, only science is the absolute truth! People who lack education and knowledge and don’t understand science are backward and uncultured!” Their view has changed, hasn’t it? In their hearts, they have not discerned the difference between positive and negative things. There are also some people who, after visiting an aviation museum, exclaim, “Wow, what an eye-opener, science is so advanced! We ordinary people feel totally beyond our depth there—we can’t understand any of it. You can’t even imagine the extent to which science has developed now. We haven’t even come into contact with that modern, advanced technological stuff! And we still believe in God, and talk about natural rules and laws—we’re so backward!” After seeing these dazzling things of modern society, such people completely deny from the depths of their hearts the theories about positive and negative things that they previously understood. They do not more clearly determine what positive things are, but instead believe that positive things are backward and lag behind modern technology and the modern pace of human development. Not only that, but they also particularly approve of and yearn for these negative things, hoping to become one of those who develop modern, advanced technology. Is this kind of person someone who can understand right from wrong? (No.) Given that being able to discern right from wrong is a characteristic of humanity, it follows that it is something inherent and innate to humanity, not something that forms later. That is, being able to discern right from wrong, this characteristic of humanity, will not change with the passing of time, or with changes in the geographical environment or in people, events, and things. No one can change it, and nothing can change or remove it. In the depths of the hearts of people who can discern right from wrong, positive things are always what they yearn for, while negative things are always what they are averse to and detest, and are not what their humanity needs. What do they need? They need things that are beneficial to the laws of physical life and to their physical survival, things that are natural, that make people feel peaceful and calm, and that conform to the needs of the conscience and reason of normal humanity, not things that are grand, lofty, and impressive. You see, when it comes to how one conducts oneself, some people like their lives to be a bit simpler and more low-key; they don’t like living remarkable lives, but just like calmness, and to have peace and joy, to go about their lives very quietly. Other people, however, do not like this; they like living remarkable lives, they like things that are grand, lofty, and impressive, they like to perform, they like to stand out from the crowd and be famous, and they do not like plainness or naturalness. This shows the difference between people’s humanity.

People who cannot discern right from wrong may go along with some correct and positive statements, or outwardly, they may follow others in liking and yearning for some positive things. However, once time passes, the environment changes, and people, events, and things also change, these positive things will immediately become negative things in the depths of their hearts, while negative things, which they truly like, will then become positive things, becoming the objects of their pursuit. That is to say, before they have seen any negative things that they like, positive things are just a doctrine to them, and they can go with the flow and follow the herd, but as they grow older and time passes, the things they truly love in their hearts and their true viewpoints will naturally surface. For example, some people often say, “Believing in God is good; those who believe in God walk the right path and don’t do evil; they are all good people.” But after they have believed in God for a few years and see that all the sermons and fellowships in God’s house tell people to be honest, to pursue the truth and submit to God, and to do the duty of a created being, they become averse to it, and feel that believing in God is pointless, and want to leave the church and return to the world; their hearts are not in the church. This is how people who don’t love the truth are. In fact, this kind of person does not love positive things, and they have many twisted reasonings and heresies in their hearts. To them, these twisted reasonings and heresies are positive things, while in the depths of their hearts, they are averse to, detest, and despise truly positive things, and never accept them. It is precisely because they never accept positive things, and because what they like are negative things, that this kind of person’s humanity does not possess the ability to discern right from wrong. It’s just like some people who, when they first start believing in God, are just in it for the blessings. After listening to sermons for many years, they finally understand: “Believing in God means that people are required to be honest, to be devoted and willing to pay a price in doing their duty, to be sincere toward God, to not act recklessly and willfully, and to uphold the interests of God’s house. Especially when the interests of God’s house conflict with their own, they must uphold the interests of God’s house and forsake their personal interests.” After learning about all the different aspects of the truth, they regret believing in God, saying, “I thought believing in God meant having a large group, a powerful force to rely on, and that as long as people forsook a lot, suffered, and paid a price, they could enter the kingdom and have a good destination, and roar into the next age, be its masters and reign as kings. But it turns out that’s not the case. Believing in God is all about teaching people how to conduct themselves and how to submit to God and shun evil. In particular, if people believe in God, they’re always being asked to be honest and speak honestly, and always being asked to practice the truth; they’re not allowed to have the final say. What’s the point of believing in God then?” They then develop grievances in their hearts and want to withdraw from their faith. But then they think, “I’ve believed in God for several years; if I stop now, won’t I have believed in vain?” At that point, they feel reluctant to give up. But if they continue to believe, they aren’t interested in the truth. God’s house is always talking about pursuing the truth and entering into reality, about submitting to God, seeking the truth, and acting according to principles. They’re tired of hearing about these things and don’t want to hear about them anymore. Especially when God’s house talks about practicing the truth, they feel distressed and pained inside; when positive things are mentioned, they feel aversion and despise them in their hearts, and are unwilling to listen. Some people, upon realizing that they won’t gain the truth or a good destination even if they believe to the end, simply stop believing. Some of them go find a job or do business, and some go back home to get married. They stop believing in God because they do not love the truth. God’s house is always talking about the truth and fellowshipping on the truth, which they are particularly averse to. This shows that this kind of person has no conscience and reason, and cannot discern right from wrong. Being unable to discern right from wrong means that in their humanity, they do not have the standard and ability to identify positive and negative things; this is something they don’t have. So, does this kind of person have normal humanity? (No.) They are non-human. If someone truly has humanity, one thing can prove it: They love and yearn for positive things in their heart. Even when they do not understand the truth, they yearn for a just society that is free of darkness, yearn for positive things, and yearn for the truth to hold power. But this evil society does not provide this space for them, and people are excluded and suppressed if they reveal something that’s positive. Under these circumstances, people with humanity cannot gain the positive things they like and yearn for, so they feel vexed in their hearts. But after they believe in God, by reading God’s words and listening to sermons, they understand many truths, and these truths are consistent and match up with the positive things that their humanity loves, precisely satisfying their needs for positive things. Therefore, their hearts yearn for positive things even more. Although they cannot fully put the truth into practice now—due to environmental limitations, their small stature, or being constrained and bound by certain corrupt dispositions—they nevertheless have the resolve and desire to be able to someday fully practice according to the truth and God’s words, thereby achieving submission to God’s words and satisfying their needs that arise from their love of positive things. Such people are those whose humanity possesses the quality of being able to discern right from wrong; they are people with humanity. If you only claim that you love positive things and verbally acknowledge that everything God does is good, this is just speaking doctrines and shouting slogans. Saying pleasant words and correct theories, or spouting high-sounding words—anyone can do that. This does not show that you truly love positive things. But if, when you hear the truth, you can love and yearn for it, and the more you hear the truth, the more you yearn for the truth and the greater your drive to seek it is, and the firmer your faith in following God and attaining salvation becomes; and if in the process of believing in God, you realize gains in your various pursuits, your corrupt dispositions are gradually being cast off, and your acts of resisting God and rebelling against God become fewer and fewer—then you are someone who loves positive things, you are someone who possesses the truth reality. Such people bear fruit and realize gains in their belief in God. You can feel that you have changed, and that your attitude toward God and the truth is different from before. Previously, you rebelled against God and did not submit to God, and couldn’t practice the truth even in very small matters. But through these years of pursuit, through these years of doing your duty, and through your efforts in all aspects, you have understood some of the truth, and when you encounter matters, you can seek the truth and rebel against the desires of your flesh. In some major matters involving principles, you can also adhere to the principles and not act according to your own will, and you can uphold the interests of God’s house and uphold the church’s work. This means that you have a certain stature, that you have some practice and entry in rebelling against yourself and accepting and submitting to the truth, and that your various corrupt dispositions have also changed to varying degrees. This is the manifestation of discerning right from wrong in people who truly have humanity.

People who cannot discern right from wrong may also want to accept the truth and be willing to pursue salvation, but when they encounter things, they cannot put the truth into practice. They still live by their corrupt dispositions, often rebelling against and resisting God without any awareness that they’re doing so. They rebelled against God in this way ten years ago, and ten years later, they can still do so. They neither accept nor practice the truth. There are two reasons for this: One is that they do not understand what the truth is at all, and just cling to their own reasoning, their own sayings, and their own views. The other is that they are not at all people who accept the truth. Whichever way they rebelled against God ten years ago, that’s still the way they’re doing it ten years later, with no change. No matter how many years they have believed in God, they have no testimony of accepting the truth and submitting to God, much less any testimony of rebelling against the flesh and their corrupt dispositions. This shows that they are not people who accept the truth. Such people are not those who discern right from wrong. It can also be said that they are not people with humanity—to put it plainly, they are not human beings. Some people, after hearing these words, feel unconvinced in their hearts. They say, “I’ve believed in God for over ten years and have always been doing my duty. It’s just that I occasionally make some mistakes and undergo some pruning. Isn’t that very normal? Everyone has corrupt dispositions; who doesn’t make mistakes? In any case, I am a true believer. How can You say I have no humanity?” It is true that you are a true believer, but does being a true believer mean you can accept the truth? Does being a true believer mean that you can rebel against the flesh and that you will not be willful? Does being a true believer mean that you can submit to God? It does not. Being a true believer isn’t everything, and it does not mean that you can attain salvation. Attaining salvation crucially depends on whether your humanity can accept the truth, and whether you can discern right from wrong. Being a true believer is not the most important condition for people to ultimately attain salvation, nor is it a basic condition. You say you are a true believer, but how much truth have you understood and gained? When it comes to the interests of God’s house, on how many occasions have you upheld them? If you think that you are a true believer, that you have conscience and humanity, and that you are a true person, then, in the same matter, if you could rebel against God ten years ago, can you still rebel against God now? Have you changed? Have you rebelled against the flesh? If you haven’t rebelled against the flesh, can you do so in the next ten years? If you still cannot rebel against the flesh and can still rebel against God, then it shows that there is a problem with your humanity. You cannot practice the truth, so even if you say you are a true believer, it’s useless. You say you are willing to suffer and pay a price, and are willing to devotedly do your duty, but this willingness is worthless. This is just a prerequisite for you to be able to practice the truth and submit to God, but whether you can ultimately put it into practice depends on whether you have humanity. If your heart is forever unable to restrain and control your corrupt dispositions, and you choose to uphold your own interests, and choose negative things instead of positive things, then it shows that your humanity does not love the truth and does not have the ability to control your corrupt dispositions. If you didn’t have the ability to control the revelations of your corrupt dispositions when you did not understand the truth, that is excusable. But it’s different now. You have listened to the sermons about truth for many years, yet you still cannot restrain your corrupt dispositions so that you can practice according to the truth principles and make correct choices when you encounter things. You clearly see evil people disturbing the work of the church, yet you cannot stand up to defend the interests of God’s house. But when someone harms your own interests, you can do everything in your power to defend them. This is enough to prove that there is no conscience or reason in your humanity to regulate and restrain you so that you choose the correct path and principles of practice. If you do such unreasonable things yet still claim you are human, it shows that your conscience and reason are no longer functioning. You are not a normal person, then, because in your humanity, there is no conscience and reason, nor is there anything that can enable you to make correct choices. Understand? Some people say, “My stature is small now. Because of my family environment and upbringing, I am willful, self-indulgent, and prideful. But in real life, I know what positive things are and what negative things are, and I know what I should do and what I shouldn’t do. It’s just that since my stature is small and I haven’t had someone who understands the truth to enlighten, supervise and urge me, I haven’t put the truth into practice and have committed some transgressions, and feel a bit regretful inside.” In real life, such people can use their conscience to regulate their conduct, and to restrain themselves so they walk the right path. They are people who can be saved. This is because they can accept the truth, can put some of the truth into practice, and have undergone some changes. It’s just that their pace of progress is a bit slower than average, and their growth is somewhat less extensive, but they are changing. It’s just like how some seeds grow quickly in good soil, while others grow more slowly and with greater difficulty in sand or rock crevices; but as long as there is life in them, they will grow. It is the same with people. As long as their humanity possesses the conscience and reason that people should have, it proves that they have human life—after they accept the truth, they will change. Even if the change is slow—others make great progress in ten years while they only make a little in twenty or thirty years—despite the slowness, they are developing in a positive direction, they are changing, and their life is continually growing. No matter how fast or slow they grow, this kind of person possesses the quality of humanity. However, there is another kind of person who has believed in God for many years but has realized no life growth at all. No matter who fellowships on the truth, they feel a sense of aversion and are unwilling to listen. No matter what environment God sets up, they do not seek the truth and cannot learn lessons from it, and cannot gain positive guidance and help from it. They are averse to positive things in their hearts. Their disposition and lifestyle of doing whatever they please have never changed. Such people are those without conscience and reason. They are not human—they are non-human. As I explain it this way, is it becoming clearer and more understandable for you? (Yes.)

There is another kind of person: They know that believing in God is good, but they don’t understand what positive and negative things are; additionally, they are nowhere near using their conscience to regulate or restrain their speech and actions. Such people are easier to discern. They are nowhere close to loving positive things, nor do they come close to understanding the sense of things. All of this is a muddle to them. If you ask them what positive things are, they will speak in terms of doctrines and say that what God says and does are all positive things. What they say sounds quite nice, but when they encounter things, they cannot correlate them to God’s words or discern them; their minds become like mush, they become muddleheaded and have no clarity about anything. If you ask them what truths they have gained from their believing in God for so many years, they say, “God holds sovereignty over all things, everything He does for man is good, and God loves man. Satan resists God, and Satan harms, persecutes, and abuses man.” If you ask them what else they have gained, they say, “We must do our duty well, suffer more and pay a greater price.” If you then ask them what principles one should follow in doing their duty, they say, “We should listen to whatever the higher-ups say and do whatever we are asked to do. Even if the work is dirty and tiring, we must do it well; we mustn’t disrupt and disturb or cause trouble. We must do things that are beneficial to everyone and to God’s house.” All these doctrines they speak are correct, there is not a single wrong word in them. However, when they encounter things, they reveal nothing but some distorted and foolish viewpoints, and no matter how many times you correct them, they cannot change. What sorts of wretches are such people? (They are muddled people.) Are muddled people human? (No.) What are muddled people? (Beasts.) The civilized word is “animal,” and the colloquial term is “beast.” No matter how many sermons they listen to, they do not understand what the truth is, what positive things are, or what negative things are. No matter how many things they do that rebel against God, they have no awareness of it in their hearts and still feel that they are naturally kindhearted and have a sympathetic heart. When they see someone suffering, they feel pained in their hearts and wish they could suffer in their place. When they see someone without anything to eat or wear, they want to give them their own clothes and food. No matter how many of God’s words exposing the corruption of mankind that they listen to, they still feel that they are very good, better than anyone else. No matter how many wrong things they do, they don’t know where they went wrong, and they never admit that they have a corrupt disposition. If you ask them, “Are you a corrupt human? Do you have a corrupt disposition?” They say, “Yes, I do. Everyone has corruption, how could I not? You’re speaking foolish words!” They even call you foolish. But when they do something wrong, they do not admit it, and they even shift the blame onto others. No matter what wrong they do, they don’t admit it, and no matter how serious the misdeeds they commit are, they always have excuses and reasons to justify themselves. Do such people have any reason? Are they people who can discern right from wrong? (They have no reason and cannot discern right from wrong.) They seem to put in a lot of effort every day, listening to sermons and reading God’s words from dawn till dusk, but they cannot understand a single sentence of the truth, cannot do a single thing that accords with the truth principles, and cannot speak a single word that accords with the truth. Let alone words that accord with the truth—they cannot even speak a word that accords with the conscience and reason of humanity; they only speak muddled and absurd words, and only spout twisted arguments. Such people fall far short of having conscience and reason; they are just muddled people, brimming with twisted reasoning. After listening to many sermons, they can speak some spiritual words. When you hear them speak spiritual words, you feel they are quite proficient and articulate, but when it comes to handling matters, you find them to be both muddled and absurd. When they spout twisted arguments, they can leave you speechless. What does “leave you speechless” mean? It means that you cannot imagine that someone could say such absurd words or have such a way of thinking, that it is simply inconceivable to you, and that, in the end, you can only respond to them with silence, which is the best way to deal with them.

If one is human and possesses normal humanity, then being able to discern right from wrong is crucial. When they have not received the supply of God’s words and do not understand the truth, they can use their conscience and reason to understand some simple positive and negative things. They have certain discerning and cognitive abilities when it comes to some positive and negative things they come into contact with in real life. They are able to have some discernment toward the things that fall under basic human common sense, toward the laws of human survival, and toward some people, events, and things they often encounter. They are not someone who lives in a muddled way, but have discerning and cognitive abilities when it comes to the positive and negative things in the human world, and of course, they also have certain thoughts, stances, and correct attitudes toward these things. After the age of thirty, such people begin to gradually encounter various matters of life. Even if they have not read God’s words or received the supply of God’s words, by the time they are in their fifties or sixties, they can gradually summarize what positive things are and what negative things are, and then live according to those positive things they can comprehend, and follow some of the laws of positive things. As for some negative things, besides being able to discern them, they can also distance themselves from them from the depths of their hearts. When they have no choice but to follow worldly trends or some philosophies for worldly dealings and sayings that circulate among people, they feel that they are going against their conscience, and their conscience will reproach them. From the depths of their hearts, they do not accept such views; they only act this way for the sake of survival or temporary benefits. It is not their original intention to do these things; rather, it’s a choice made against their will. After such people believe in God, they are more concerned with what exactly God’s words say about all kinds of issues, such as those concerning human life and survival, what exactly God’s accurate statements are regarding difficult problems in human life, and what exactly God asks people to do when they’re confronted with them. They yearn for the answers to these questions. When they receive the answers, they do not feel that practicing according to God’s words is too difficult or too contrary to the needs of humanity. Instead, they feel that only these truths are the right path, what people should possess and achieve, and the likeness people should have in life. They feel that if people live this way, it can truly satisfy the needs of their conscience and humanity, and that only by living this way do they not go against their will, and only then can they feel grounded and have joy and peace. They also feel that only then will people have hope and be willing to live on, and that only then can they break free from various evil forces, various evil trends, and the hollow state in which humankind lives. Under the influence of their conscience deep within their hearts, they have a liking for the various statements, teachings, and provisions in God’s words, and they embrace them from the depths of their hearts. They have the desire to pursue gaining the truth. Moreover, as God’s words are expressed more and more, and the supply of God’s words becomes more and more practical and detailed, their yearning for the truth and for positive things is increasingly satisfied. It’s not that the more they listen, the more restless they become, the more they find it to be overly-detailed, or the more muddled they feel. On the contrary, the more they listen, the clearer things seem, and the more they feel they can see through things and have a path. They feel that there is hope ahead, that they see the light and have a path to practice the truth and attain salvation. Their hearts feel more and more grounded, and they feel more and more that the path of believing in God is correct, and that the price they have paid and the energy and heart’s blood they have expended, each day up to now in believing in God, have all been worthwhile and meaningful. This is affirmed in the depths of their hearts. Although their wish has been fulfilled, and their yearning for the truth has been somewhat sated, people who truly yearn for the truth will set their resolve and make plans, requiring themselves to practice and enter into all aspects of the truth, to implement God’s words, the various truth principles, and God’s various requirements in themselves, allowing God’s words to become the criteria for their actions and self-conduct in real life, and to become their life reality. In the past, when they did not understand the truth, they could only speak some words and doctrines. When they encountered things, they only had a one-sided view of them, like in the parable of the blind men and the elephant; they were unable to see the essence of the problem and did not know what to do. They felt that life was very boring, with no goals to strive toward and no hope, and they lived in a muddled way. But now it’s different. God’s words are spoken more and more clearly, and the truth is fellowshipped more and more clearly. They feel that the path is becoming brighter and clearer, and that there is a way forward. And they have God’s words to follow as a basis for every word they speak, every thing they do, and every type of person they encounter. They feel that God’s words are so practical and so good, and they have affirmed that believing in God is the right path, that believing in God can lead to salvation, and that believing in God in this way can enable them to live out a human likeness, and that it’s so meaningful and valuable! While yearning for and practicing the truths, they are also continually entering into these truths and continually reaping good harvests. As the yearning and need for positive things of their conscience and humanity are satisfied, their life is also gradually changing. Although they often reveal corrupt dispositions and rebel against God, and often—despite themselves—act according to their corrupt dispositions, their flesh, and their foolish, fallacious thoughts and viewpoints when they encounter things, at the same time there is also a good phenomenon: When they do this, their conscience frequently feels uneasy, and they feel that their corrupt dispositions are deeply rooted and difficult to change. Then, under the influence of their conscience, they frequently feel reproached in their hearts, feeling guilty and regretful. They frequently reflect on where exactly they went wrong, and they often repent. These are all the effects of conscience. If people have conscience, they will have these feelings and these manifestations; if people have conscience, this is how they will live, often reflecting on themselves, and often repenting and reversing course. Although they frequently face failures and setbacks, and frequently face pruning, judgment and chastisement for doing wrong, because they often repent and change, their goal of pursuing the truth remains the same, and in the end, they will have a good result and a good harvest. They often feel reproached and guilty, and they often reverse course and repent. This is a good phenomenon—it shows that they are already on the right path, and ultimately they will have real gains. For one thing, their corrupt dispositions have been somewhat alleviated, and their rebelliousness toward God has diminished. Previously, when they encountered things that did not align with their notions, they would complain, but now they no longer complain and can seek the truth; they know that treating God and God’s work based on notions and imaginings is absurd, ridiculous, and incorrect. Additionally, while previously they would be negative when encountering difficulties, now they are no longer negative; they can treat them correctly and submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements. Although sometimes they may be negative, it does not affect the performance of their duty, and they have become devoted in doing their duty. Their conscience will tell them that doing so is right. When they act this way, they will have peace in their hearts and no sense of accusation, and they will increasingly feel that this is how they ought to act. The more they practice this way, the more they realize the importance of seeking and practicing the truth in all things, and the more they feel that they should seek the truth and practice according to the truth principles, that this path is right, and that practicing this way yields gains. When people have such gains, they find that their relationship with God is changing, that the life within them is changing, and that their corrupt dispositions are increasingly losing hold, the bondage and constraint these dispositions have over them diminishing; they also find that their desire to pursue the truth and their yearning for it are growing stronger, and that their strength to practice the truth and overcome their corrupt dispositions is also increasing. In this way, people will have a certain kind of feeling, which is that there is hope for them to cast off corrupt dispositions and attain salvation, that the path they are walking is right, and that accepting, practicing, and submitting to the truth is right. This is the attitude that people who possess the conscience and reason of humanity have toward the truth. This is the manifestation people have as they gradually accept the truth. This is the most normal manifestation. For those who do not have this manifestation, their conscience cannot play any regulatory role—that’s at the very least. If you have conscience, your conscience will certainly play a regulatory role. If your conscience cannot play a regulatory role, then that conscience of yours is not a conscience—you do not have a conscience. If people have conscience, they will be able to discern right from wrong, discern positive things from negative things, and will choose positive things and abandon negative things. If people have conscience and can discern right from wrong, they will choose to accept, practice, and submit to the truth, and act according to the truth principles. If they do not practice the truth this time, their conscience will reproach them, and if they do not practice the truth next time, they will be reproached again. If you have a sense of conscience and understand right from wrong, then, having heard so many truths, when you repeatedly do wrong, your conscience will reproach and accuse you even more, and you will be able to submit to the feeling of your conscience and make the right choice. Some people say, “My conscience also reproaches me when I do wrong, but even after being reproached for ten or twenty years, I still don’t want to choose to practice the truth.” Then I say that conscience of yours is not a conscience. You say you feel reproached by your conscience, but for so many years you have been unable to reverse course or repent, and your so-called conscience has failed to regulate you so that you choose the right path. Then your conscience is not a conscience, and you have no humanity. You say, “I know what’s correct and what’s incorrect—how can You say I have no conscience?” That can only mean that your heart is too intransigent, and your conscience is no longer functioning. If you truly possess the conscience of humanity, when you do wrong and your conscience reproaches you, your humanity will have an inclination toward the positive, and your conscience will accuse you from within, saying, “This is wrong, this is so lacking in humanity!” If it always reproaches you like this, what kind of person would you have to be to have no perception of it? Only those without a conscience lack this perception. If you truly have a conscience, when you are reproached by your conscience, can you remain intransigent? If you say, “I’ve been reproached for ten or twenty years and haven’t felt anything in particular,” then you are not a person with a conscience. Isn’t this so? (Yes.) You have no conscience, yet you claim to have humanity—isn’t this deceiving people? If you have humanity, how can you have no conscience? If you have no conscience, then you have no humanity. A sign of having no humanity is not understanding what positive things are and what negative things are. You say you have a conscience, so why are you unable to discern right from wrong? You have heard so many sermons, so why do you not yearn to pursue the truth? You say, “My heart is willing to pursue the truth, and willing to practice the truth”—what truths have you practiced, then? Where is the evidence? If your heart loves the truth and is willing to pursue the truth, then why do you not practice the truth? Isn’t this deceiving people? Isn’t this just like the lies of a deceiver? It’s just like the great red dragon, which always proclaims that everything it does is to serve the people and to enable them to live happy lives, but when people believe in God and walk the right path, it frantically arrests and persecutes them. It doesn’t allow people to follow God, doesn’t allow them to accept the truth and attain salvation—it only allows them to follow the Party and obey its commands, leading them to end up in hell and being punished, which delights the great red dragon. So, are the words of the great red dragon that it “serves the people” true or false? Satan always says that what it does is for the benefit of people, but it cannot supply people with the truth, nor can it guide people onto the right path in life. It only inculcates people with heresies and fallacies, getting them to indulge in a life of debauchery, to walk the path of evil, to pursue the world, pursue fame and gain, and to fight against and harm each other, not allowing people to walk the right path, and snatching people away from God’s side. In the end, people realize fame and gain, but their bodies and minds are completely ruined; they are filled with Satan’s heresies and fallacies, God is absent from their hearts, and they no longer believe that humankind was created by God. They begin to deny God and become hostile to Him. Is Satan doing this for the benefit of man? Isn’t this harming and ruining people? Yet people who are not able to discern right from wrong cannot see through these things.

Some people say, “I have humanity and can discern right from wrong, and I have more of a conscience than most people.” Then compare yourself with the content fellowshipped today and see if you have a conscience, if you can accept and practice the truth, if you feel remorse and guilt when you do wrong, and whether you have truly repented and changed. If you don’t have these manifestations of life entry, it proves that your conscience has not functioned despite having listened to sermons for so many years since you started believing in God. What is behind your conscience not functioning? There is only one reason that can explain this problem: You are a person without a conscience. Some people say, “Although I don’t have life entry, I understand all truths.” If you understand the truth, why don’t you practice it? Why haven’t you had any entry? How come even now your life still hasn’t changed? You understand the truth but don’t practice it—where is your conscience? Some people even argue, “I’ve believed in God for so many years. If I had no conscience, could I have forsaken so much, suffered so much, and paid so great a price? Could I willingly do my duty?” If you have a conscience, then what effect has it had after you’ve listened to so many truths? Can it restrain you so that you act according to the truth principles? Can it govern your behavior and your thoughts? You have listened to sermons for so many years, you can speak many doctrines, and you have suffered so much and paid such a great price—then why doesn’t your conscience play a role in governing your behavior, making you act according to principles, and preventing you from violating principles? If you have so much conscience and humanity, and you’ve understood so many truths, why can’t you put them into practice? How can you openly violate principles and openly disturb the church’s work? If you have a conscience, has your life changed after doing your duty for so many years? You haven’t changed, and you have no entry into the truth whatsoever; this shows that you have no conscience. Some people say, “Could I do my duty if I didn’t have a conscience?” You are not doing your duty; you are laboring. Laboring does not require conscience; exerting a bit of effort is enough. This precisely confirms the saying: People who labor are people without conscience; they do not pursue life entry or the truth, and they only seek to labor and are willing to exert effort. What are the characteristics of laboring? Being willing to suffer hardship and pay a price, looking for one’s joy, sense of importance, and value in suffering hardship and paying a price, trying to satisfy one’s desire for blessings and one’s ambition to make deals with God, and trying to gain blessings in exchange for their suffering and sacrifice. If you ask them to exert effort in work, suffer hardship and pay a price, they have plenty of vigor for this; but if you ask them to act according to principles and practice the truth, they become listless, perplexed, and don’t know how to practice. Some people even feel they’ve been put in a difficult spot, thinking, “It’s fine if you ask me to exert effort, suffer hardship, and pay a price. I can endure any amount of hardship, and I won’t complain no matter how tired I am. But asking me to act according to principles—isn’t that making things difficult for me? Being able to exert effort, and to suffer hardship and pay a price without complaints is already quite good—why do you still require me to act according to principles? Your demands on people are too high! Let people do things however they want; as long as the work gets done, that’s good enough. If it’s not done well, it can just be corrected over time!” They are just willing to labor, and they are very energetic when laboring, but they become listless when it comes to practicing the truth, and they become even more confused when it comes to life entry. Yet they still think they are good people. They often say, “I am a person with a conscience and I am kind. I put all the energy I’ve got into doing my duty and never hold back. I can forsake my family and career to expend myself for God. How can I be so driven? I am naturally a good person!” In fact, they do not understand any truth, much less can they act according to the truth principles. They only know to use brute force, yet they still think they are good. Even at this stage, they have no feeling in their conscience and reason at all. If you truly had a conscience, how could you have spouted such twisted arguments? How could you not have a pure comprehension of the truth? If you had a conscience and humanity, how could you have not listened attentively to God’s words, to what God’s required criteria for people are, and to what principles should be followed in each thing you do? If you listen but don’t understand, and you’re numb to the truth, then you are someone without conscience and humanity. Do you think you can exchange your brute exertion for the truth and life, for salvation? This is impossible; that path does not work. Even if you are willing to exert effort, toil with sincerity, and can suffer a bit, and in people’s eyes you are somewhat devoted, it’s still hard to say whether you can be devoted to the end. There’s no telling when your beastly nature will flare up, and you’ll cause trouble and create disruptions and disturbances, and then you will have to be cleansed away. Weren’t a few people just cleansed away from the church recently? People like this say very pleasant-sounding words, and anyone who hears them thinks they understand the truth, but they simply do not practice the truth. They say nice-sounding things but do not do real work. Not only do they set themselves against people, but they also set themselves against God’s house. Isn’t this resisting God? Can God’s house accommodate them? If they are willing to do their duty, they should do it compliantly and in a rule-abiding way, but they do not do so. They try to be in charge and hold power, and they even cause disturbances and destruction. To what extent do they cause disturbances? Even when I’m doing something, they try to meddle, critique this and that, and obstruct and disturb. They try to disturb My actions—could I show them mercy? If you were only disturbing My personal life, I could put you aside and ignore you, but I am doing work in God’s house, doing some real work for God’s chosen people, and you still try to disturb and undermine it. What is the problem here? What should be done with such a person? (They should be cleansed away.) God’s house has principles for handling people, and such people should be cleansed away. Some people say, “I have been wronged! I didn’t know this was offending You. I didn’t know this was defying the Above and defying God. I didn’t do it on purpose.” The fact that you could do such a thing shows you were acting purposefully. How many years have you listened to sermons? Do you have a conscience—do you have humanity? If you were human, if you had humanity and possessed conscience and reason, you would not do such things, whether intentionally or otherwise. I am doing work, and they deliberately disturb it and try to undermine it. Are they even human? Are they not devils? If people truly have conscience and reason, and truly have humanity, even if it’s an ordinary person doing something, so long as it’s beneficial to the church’s work and to the brothers and sisters, they know they should uphold it and not undermine it, let alone if it’s something I’m personally attending to. Yet they insist on causing disturbances and trying to sabotage it, and no one can stop them. They’ve become thoroughgoing devils, haven’t they? I say such characters’ evildoing is serious—we mustn’t be lenient with them; God’s house has principles for handling people, and they should be handled by being cleared out. Is this an appropriate way to treat them? (Yes.) If it’s only in their everyday lives that they follow their personal preferences, that is acceptable. For example, I might say, “I like to eat noodles,” to which they respond, “I don’t like to eat noodles. When I cook, I’ll make some noodles for You, and I’ll make rice for myself.” This matter does not involve the church’s work, nor does it involve any truth principles, much less does it involve one’s humanity or conscience. Following your personal preferences here is fine, but when it comes to matters involving the church’s work, it is not acceptable. If you recklessly commit misdeeds and cause disruptions and disturbances, you’re violating the administrative decrees. What kind of person can brazenly violate the administrative decrees? What kind of person can openly defy the truth and God’s house? (Devils.) Those foolhardy muddled people and beasts can defy and disturb in this way, and devils are even more capable of doing so. No matter what God’s house does, devils always try to disturb it—they cause disturbances as if they were possessed, without any regard for the consequences. They can disturb to such an extent and still not realize it, still feeling that they have not caused disturbances, that they are totally innocent, and even defend themselves. There is no need to fellowship anything with such people; just clearing them out is the right thing to do. People like this, who have no conscience and reason of humanity, are bona fide devils; they will never change. You are not required to pursue the truth, nor are you required to practice the truth in all things, but at the very least you must know to follow the rules. If you don’t even understand the rules, and you don’t understand the administrative decrees of God’s house, and you don’t even know it when you violate administrative decrees, then do you have humanity? You have no humanity; you are a devil. When devils do evil, they cannot help themselves. Their resistance to God, their judgment of God, and their blasphemy against God are natural revelations of their nature. Without anyone egging them on or indoctrinating them, they can naturally do evil like this. This is because they’re dominated by their devilish nature.

Today, we fellowshipped on the issue of discerning right from wrong, which is part of people’s conscience and reason. Through this fellowship, do you now see this aspect clearly? A true human has a conscience and can discern right from wrong; their conscience is functioning. No matter what people, events, or things they encounter, and no matter what issues arise, their conscience is, at the very least, the first line of defense. For one thing, your conscience will help you make judgments about and discern which things are positive and which are negative; for another, it can help you carry out vetting and check the path ahead of you so that you do not fall below the minimum standards of self-conduct, and ultimately it will help you make trade-offs and choose the right path. Naturally, people who understand the truth or who have believed in God for many years and have a foundation in their belief will, under the influence of their conscience, ultimately choose positive things, and choose to seek and accept the truth. Therefore, conscience plays a leading role within humanity; it plays the role of guiding people toward the right path and regulating people so they choose positive things. If a person has no conscience, then it goes without saying that not only will they be incapable of choosing positive things and the right path, but in anything they do, they will lack the minimal restraint and regulation of conscience. Such a person is in great peril; they are very likely to do evil and resist God. If they are the reincarnation of an animal, they might do the things that evil demons do, and people who are evil demons and devils can do even greater evils, which is very frightening. So, possessing a conscience is very important. Is that clear? (Yes.) If a person has no conscience to regulate their behavior and guide them to walk the right path, then the path they choose will inevitably be a wrong one, and what they do will be negative things—the consequences will be unimaginable. If they can brazenly violate the truth and the laws of the development of things, and also recklessly blaspheme, judging the truth and all the work God does, even openly resisting God and violating God’s administrative decrees, and audaciously cursing, condemning, and blaspheming God, then they are exactly the same as devils and Satan. They can commit all the evil that devils and Satan commit, do all the things that devils and Satan do, and utter all the fallacies, heresies, and twisted arguments that devils and Satan utter. These people are bona fide devils and Satans.

What have you understood from today’s fellowship? (I’ve understood that people with humanity possess conscience and reason, and can discern right from wrong. Regarding discerning right from wrong, God, using different examples, explained with utmost clarity what positive things and negative things are, so that when we encounter things, we can make accurate judgments and at the same time have the correct perspectives behind our pursuit—we should yearn for and pursue positive things, and hate and reject negative things.) The conscience and reason within humanity are the most basic conditions for a person to attain salvation. If you possess these two basic conditions but do not pursue the truth, and do not practice the little bit of truth you understand, and ultimately cannot achieve submission to the truth, then you will still be unable to attain salvation. Conscience and reason are merely the basic conditions for salvation; as for what path you walk, that depends on your own choice. If you are a person who truly has conscience and reason, you will have the opportunity, under the regulation of your conscience, to choose to embark on the path of pursuing the truth. If your conscience regulates and guides you so that you choose the right path, but you are unwilling to suffer and pay a price, unwilling to rebel against the flesh and let go of things related to your fleshly interests, and you have not embarked on the path of pursuing the truth, then you will still have no hope of gaining salvation. The hope of gaining salvation is, for one thing, directly related to the conscience of your humanity; for another, it is also directly related to the price you can pay in pursuing the truth, and your determination and desire to practice the truth. Conscience merely gives you a basic condition for being saved, and it also creates many opportunities for you to practice the truth, giving you the chance to embark on the right path under the regulation of your conscience. That is, your chance of embarking on the right path will be relatively high, and your hope of gaining salvation will also be relatively high, more than fifty percent—it will not, however, be guaranteed. Therefore, even if you feel you have a conscience and humanity, do not be complacent about it, thinking that just having a conscience and reason means you are a good person and can attain salvation, that it’s in the bag. If you think this way, then I tell you that there are deviations in your comprehension of this matter. If you possess a conscience and have humanity, this only confirms that you are someone God has chosen and called. However, the most important determining factor in whether you can ultimately attain salvation lies in your own pursuit. Even if your conscience is typically active, often regulating your behavior and regulating you so that you choose the right path, if you often violate your conscience and do not choose the right path, and do not choose to practice the truth, but instead frequently safeguard your personal interests, your personal reputation and pride, and often consider your personal prospects, ambitions, and desires, then your hope of ultimately attaining salvation will be very slim—little by little it will have been ruined by you. This would be a very tragic thing. Do you understand? (Yes.) Alright, that’s all for our fellowship today. Goodbye!

March 9, 2024