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How Can I Keep My Mother's Estate Out of the Hands of a Cult?

By Billy Graham, Tribune Media Services

Q: My sister is a very zealous member of a religious cult, and recently she got my mother (who's in the early stages of Alzheimer's) to change her will and sign all her property over to her, and says it'll all go to her cult. Is there any way to get this reversed? Mother would be horrified, because she has always been a devout Christian. -- Mrs. A.S.

A: Alzheimer's is truly a cruel disease, with its tragic loss of memory and its long descent into incapacity and eventual death. But it becomes even crueler when someone takes advantage of a person's diminished ability and cheats them.

I am not a lawyer, of course -- but it may be that your only option is to seek the advice of an attorney who is knowledgeable about estate law. I wish you could avoid it, of course, because the Bible urges us to avoid conflict whenever possible (particularly in a family); it says, "Make every effort to live in peace with all men" (Hebrews 12:14).

But sometimes conflict can't be avoided, particularly when something has been done that is clearly wrong. When Paul -- a Roman citizen -- was beaten and imprisoned by the authorities in Philippi, he demanded an apology from them after they released him; he knew it was illegal for them to beat a Roman citizen without a trial (see Acts 16:22-40).

Pray for your sister, not only that she will admit the wrongness of what she has done, but that she will realize she is on a wrong road spiritually. Only Christ can satisfy the spiritual hunger in her heart, and only Christ can give her the lasting peace and joy she seeks.

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Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.

(c)2008 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

This news arrived on: 07/19/2008

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