Finance guru Dave Ramsey made waves recently when he advised a caller on his show to withhold her daughters’ inheritances because they’ve become socialists.
“I've gotten to the point where I don't want to give either of them any money. I feel like I've worked so hard my whole life. I paid for college for them. I've paid over half a million dollars for college for them, and they’ve turned into socialists,” the caller said, noting that she felt “terrible” for wanting to withhold her daughters’ inheritances.
“You shouldn’t,” said Ramsey.
“My children have been instructed since they were small that in order to get the opportunity to manage the money that God gave me to manage … they will have to be people of character. Socialists are not people of character. They’re parasites,” he continued.
“If [my kids] aren’t walking with God, they don’t get to manage God’s money,” Ramsey concluded.
The clip of the call went immediately viral, with many people, including some Christians, angry at Ramsey’s advice.
But is he right? Should parents write their children out of their wills if they go astray?
On this episode of “Live Free with Josh Howerton,” the Lakepointe pastor reacts to the viral Ramsey clip and asks whether Christian parents should ever disinherit a rebellious child.
After unpacking all the ways socialism is incompatible with Christianity, Howerton dives into the scenario of disinheriting rebellious children — whether that rebellion is rooted in socialism or other sins.
“In the Bible, you've got three institutions: family, church, and state,” Howerton says, explaining that there are specific penalties for “high rebellion” within each of those institutions.
“The ultimate penalty for the church is outlined in 1 Corinthians 5, and it's excommunication. If you are a member of a church that's living in open rebellion against God … the Bible commands the leaders of a church to remove that person from the church,” he explains.
“In the state, the ultimate penalty for rebellion is the death penalty,” he continues, noting that “the death penalty is biblical” according to Romans 13’s instructions for the government not to bear the sword in vain.
But what about families? What’s the biblical penalty for children who engage in “high rebellion and open unrepentant sin”?
Many theologians, says Howerton, have arrived at the conclusion that "disinheritance” is a “biblically permissible response from parents.”
Based on evidence in both the Old and New Testaments, Howerton agrees.
“I have decided I am not going to fund rebellion against my Lord,” he says frankly.
However, there are other parts of Scripture, Howerton argues, that must be factored in — most notably the father’s decision to give the prodigal son “part of his inheritance” (a reflection of Christ dying for us “while we were yet sinners”); Romans 2:4 that says “it is God's kindness that leads us to repentance”; and Deuteronomy's instructions not to “revenge-disinherit kids.”
To find out how Howerton and his wife are threading this difficult needle when it comes to their children and their will, watch the episode above.
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