A little help please

[SawGodThere]

Alright, I likely know that I am going to get the responses of: Dad knows best, etc., etc.

Here is the problem: My dad and brother and I have been having disagreements for years. I am a music student, my brother is a nuclear engineer, and my dad is a healthcare consultant. My dad loves to talk politics, so does my brother. Even though I follow politics, I hate arguing over them (its very seldom that you actually change somebody’s mind or get something productive out of it). I am brutally honest. I was at my parents’ house today with my brother. My dad started to talk about the latest reasons why not to vote for Barack Obama. I am not an Obama supporter, but I really hate hearing about this every time I talk to him. Being perfectly honest, I tell him that I am sick about hearing about it. He gets upset. My brother walks in, agrees with my dad and tells me I need to listen and do more research before I speak. I tell him that I am not going to sit and listen to them talk politics for hours and not have something to say (be it right or wrong, at least it provides food for thought). He criticizes me and tells me (again) that I need to do more reasearch before I talk. Anyway, this evolves into an argument where I call him ignorant (not the best idea to call somebody with an MIT engineering degree ignorant). Yeah, that was rude, but he refuses to get over it, and tells me that I am ignorant for not knowing my facts…and again…I need to do hours of research before I have the right to speak. I get furious because of this, and they tell me I am closing them out. In a way I am, but they are tuning me out. My dad tells me that I speak differently to him than I do to anybody else and that he might as well not talk to me, etc. This is not true. The night ends with him telling me what I need to do, etc, etc, etc, how I am solely responsible for ruining their evening. Yeah, I was rude…yeah, I apologized. I’ve prayed to God for years, to help me solve this somehow, and I have no idea what to do. There is no scripture that comes to mind, and I don’t know how to approach this problem from a Catholic Christian point of view. I know to honor him and his requests, but I am not the sole cause of our many disagreements throughout our relationship. Look, I love my dad, he was a great Dad and set me up to suceed in life, and has really cared about me. But, I don’t know what to do. I know that I have some problems to be corrected, but he does too, and doesn’t realize it, and won’t take advice. I want to do what I must to please the Lord and not to tear apart people, but in this problem, I can’t fix the whole thing. I can fix part of it, but not all. I know I am displeasing God when I am involved in things like this, but I have no clue how to solve the problem. Anyone with similar situations, advice, anything?

 

[Claymont79]

My comment is that my Dad and Uncle (Dad’s brother-in-law) used to argue politics when I was a teenage. I hated it as you do now. But now that they are gone, I’d give anything to hear them argue again. (and now I’m kind of a plitical junkie, but don’t argue, just absorb it and laugh a lot about things that get said)

So I guess my advice would be to just listen and let them go on. Don’t comment since they obviously are looking for a fight whatever you say. And if you really don’t want to ‘listen’ sit there and say prayers to yourself while they are ‘chatting’ and be serene that way. It’s not worth it to have it aggravate you all the time.

Probably not helpful, just my thoughts…

 

[InLight247]

I am not going to tell you “Dad knows the best”. But you are only fifteen, you cannot deny you have lot to learn.

You mentioned the communication problems between you and your Dad. While it is true it takes both parties to improve a situation, the best anyone can do is to start from himself.
So my suggestion is to pray for humility in your heart and go from there.

God bless!