What is your freedom worth?

[slavereeno]

What if you had to choose between resignation and a sizable inheritance?

Let's say, uh, hypothetically that a crusty old dude had a few million he was going to dish out to his kids, but this guy is as TBM as they come. He is a bit of a "Red" personality and tries to control people as much as possible. He gets extremely upset and belittling to family members that don't go to church. If you were ready to get out of the church, would you hang on until the old guy took his dirt nap or just take the consequences as they came?

[Kishkumen]

Is there another option? Or is limited to option A or B?

What is the reasonable timeframe for this inheritance to hit your friends bank account? 1 year, 5 years 10+ years. A lot can change with time.

Be true to yourself.

[jfro18]

I suppose the amount of time you'll need to wait is a huge part of the equation. Man that's brutal though -- we've all seen too many examples of people ut out for leaving the church, but I don't know how easy it would be to fake it forever either. Sorry you're in that situation.

[crazyhamster]

Or is it better to leave as soon as possible, and hope that when the time comes eventually that things will have blown over? (Or will they?) It’s such an individual thing, it’s hard to come up with a definitive answer.

[Red Ryder]

For 7 digits my integrity is for sale!

I've heard of conditional wills where one such condition is an active TR that determines inheritance.

Seems crazy to me but fortunately for me my family is giving everything to the church upon death so I don't have to worry or feel bad.

[slavereeno]

Well nobody knows for sure on the timeline of course. There have been no specific threats of getting cut out, but one might be afraid to ask, least giving the idea purchase. Maybe like 5 years?

[Archimedes]

I don't think this is a question of freedom as much as it is one of self respect. You have no right to expect any measure of someone's wealth, whether you meet their expectations or not. Of course I am coming from the perspective of never having any expectation of inheriting from any part of my family tree. I would like to think that even in the face of potential disinheritance I would have sufficient self respect to be honest with the old bastard about my beliefs. If he is that controlling and small minded, do you want his money anyway??

[Evil_Bert]

Freedom costs a buck'o five.



Could not resist quoting from Team America.

[Archimedes]

Or Janis Joplin:

Freedom's just another word for
Nothin left to lose..

[moksha]

Would withholding your thoughts on religion bring him happiness in his last days? How far away from his last days is this "crusty old dude"? Would it cause you great despair if you withheld your thoughts and feelings to him?

Subterfuge for money might weigh on your conscience, but doing so out of respect would be much more palatable. In the end, you need to be true to yourself.

[slavereeno]

It really is a friend and not myself, and he's not asking for my advice. I just got to thinking about it. My current reasons for staying under the radar have to do with social pressure, but I wondered if I was actually in line for some wad of cash, what would I do?

Sure, since I really don't have to make the sacrifice its pretty easy for me to say I would take the high road of integrity, but I am not sure I really would if this choice were actually place before me.

Maybe a better question would be "Would I be willing to pretend to be Jehova's Witness for 10 years for a million dollars?"

[alas]

Yeah, I would stay in to inherit. Then I would turn around and tell my kids to remove their names from the church or they don’t inherit. It would be worth it to get them out.

[slavereeno]

Yeah, I would stay in to inherit. Then I would turn around and tell my kids to remove their names from the church or they don’t inherit. It would be worth it to get them out.

This!

[Thoughtful]

A better question for me is, why might I be more willing to pretend for money then I am for relationships?

[Archimedes]

A better question for me is, why might I be more willing to pretend for money then I am for relationships?

In both cases you are giving you life force, your very being, for something cold that will never reciprocate.

[Archimedes]

It really is a friend and not myself, and he's not asking for my advice. I just got to thinking about it. My current reasons for staying under the radar have to do with social pressure, but I wondered if I was actually in line for some wad of cash, what would I do?

Sure, since I really don't have to make the sacrifice its pretty easy for me to say I would take the high road of integrity, but I am not sure I really would if this choice were actually place before me.

Maybe a better question would be "Would I be willing to pretend to be Jehova's Witness for 10 years for a million dollars?"

Any version of this is just one step away from the world's oldest profession. If your friend wants to whore himself for money, that's his choice. But that's what it boils down to.

[Phil Lurkerman]

A better question for me is, why might I be more willing to pretend for money then I am for relationships?

In both cases you are giving you life force, your very being, for something cold that will never reciprocate.

Yeah - but that sounds like what most folks already do for a living. Big picture, very few people get more than a meager paycheck for their labor and servitude. I don't see this as much different than serving any big corporation long enough to ensure financial stability.

[Reuben]

Maybe a better question would be "Would I be willing to pretend to be Jehova's Witness for 10 years for a million dollars?"

To make it fair, we should suppose that we know how to talk and act like Jehovah's Witnesses. And that we don't have to spend at least 70 hours per week [edit: per month! whoops] pioneering (i.e. tracting), but do have to attend the midweek meeting (to stand in for Mormon activities).

So... maybe? It depends on how it affects my mental health, and that of my family, which I wouldn't know until I tried.

[BriansThoughtMirror]

Didn't the church produce a video in which this actually happened a while back? As in some old guy was talking about how he would only give his kids their inheritance if they were active and worthy Mormons, and if they weren't, he'd give the money to the church? Does anyone remember that?

[Thoughtful]

Didn't the church produce a video in which this actually happened a while back? As in some old guy was talking about how he would only give his kids their inheritance if they were active and worthy Mormons, and if they weren't, he'd give the money to the church? Does anyone remember that?

Yes, the man in the video is named Mellor.