What is your freedom worth?

This is for encouragement, ideas, and support for people going through a faith transition no matter where you hope to end up. This is also the place to laugh, cry, and love together.
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slavereeno
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What is your freedom worth?

Post by slavereeno » Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:14 pm

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
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Kishkumen » Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:32 pm

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.

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jfro18
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by jfro18 » Thu Aug 02, 2018 4:41 pm

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. :cry:

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crazyhamster
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by crazyhamster » Thu Aug 02, 2018 5:07 pm

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.

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Red Ryder
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Red Ryder » Thu Aug 02, 2018 5:41 pm

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.
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slavereeno
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by slavereeno » Thu Aug 02, 2018 7:58 pm

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?

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Archimedes
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Archimedes » Thu Aug 02, 2018 8:35 pm

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??
"She never loved you; she loved the church, her one true love. She used you to marry the church by proxy."

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Evil_Bert
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Evil_Bert » Thu Aug 02, 2018 10:59 pm

Freedom costs a buck'o five.



Could not resist quoting from Team America.
Illegitimi non carborundum.

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Archimedes
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Archimedes » Thu Aug 02, 2018 11:23 pm

Or Janis Joplin:

Freedom's just another word for
Nothin left to lose..
"She never loved you; she loved the church, her one true love. She used you to marry the church by proxy."

-- unknown reddit poster

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moksha
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by moksha » Fri Aug 03, 2018 3:33 am

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.
Good faith does not require evidence, but it also does not turn a blind eye to that evidence. Otherwise, it becomes misplaced faith.
-- Moksha

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slavereeno
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by slavereeno » Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:53 am

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?"

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alas
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by alas » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:01 am

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.

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slavereeno
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by slavereeno » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:07 am

alas wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:01 am
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! :D

Thoughtful
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Thoughtful » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:18 am

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

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Archimedes
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Archimedes » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:27 am

Thoughtful wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:18 am
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.
Last edited by Archimedes on Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
"She never loved you; she loved the church, her one true love. She used you to marry the church by proxy."

-- unknown reddit poster

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Archimedes
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Archimedes » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:29 am

slavereeno wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:53 am
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.
"She never loved you; she loved the church, her one true love. She used you to marry the church by proxy."

-- unknown reddit poster

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Phil Lurkerman
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Phil Lurkerman » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:02 am

Archimedes wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:27 am
Thoughtful wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:18 am
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.
I was once a cafeteria Mormon on a hunger strike. Have since found a buffet elsewhere.

Reuben
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Reuben » Fri Aug 03, 2018 11:15 am

slavereeno wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:53 am
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.
Last edited by Reuben on Sat Aug 04, 2018 1:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Learn to doubt the stories you tell about yourselves and your adversaries.

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BriansThoughtMirror
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by BriansThoughtMirror » Fri Aug 03, 2018 4:17 pm

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?
Reflections From Brian's Brain
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Thoughtful
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Re: What is your freedom worth?

Post by Thoughtful » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:04 pm

BriansThoughtMirror wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 4:17 pm
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.

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