Not absent. Not imperfect. Not occasionally difficult. I mean a parent who has been a consistent source of harm — emotional, psychological, sometimes physical. A parent whose presence in your life makes you measurably worse.
The Nigerian position on this is almost uniformly: no. Honour your parents. Pray for them. Keep trying. Family is sacred.
But I want to push back on that.
At what point does the commandment to honour your parents conflict with the obligation to preserve your own mental and emotional health?
Is cutting off a parent ever the right thing? Or is it always a failure of some kind — of faith, of patience, of forgiveness?
Real answers. Personal if possible. I am not asking about theoretical situations.
The Nigerian position on this is almost uniformly: no. Honour your parents. Pray for them. Keep trying. Family is sacred.
But I want to push back on that.
At what point does the commandment to honour your parents conflict with the obligation to preserve your own mental and emotional health?
Is cutting off a parent ever the right thing? Or is it always a failure of some kind — of faith, of patience, of forgiveness?
Real answers. Personal if possible. I am not asking about theoretical situations.
