[quote=@Host] What? That's a stupid rule. [/quote] I know a lot of families who either used to or still have that rule. It's sad. [quote=@Host] It doesn't matter how important they are. Just because something is religious doesn't make it the best option. At best, his dad would get mad. At worst, it would make his dad go out of his way to make it painful for him. [/quote] Well, I meant that he would be obligated to listen to them. This wasn't made out of a religious bias, it was made out of my observation that normally, people consider the word of the leaders of a church to be important. But I would suppose that if it makes him mad it's not the way to go. This is really a bad position. A father should never be so adverse to listening, but when he is, your options for action besides prayer deplete to almost zero. EDIT: Okay, that sounds depressing. Wow. But, I mean, there has to be something. To be stuck in a position like that for another whole year won't be good at all. Have you and your mum tried approaching him constantly? Like, say, every day? As in the parable, the most unjust judge bowed to a widow's demands when she wouldn't stop asking him about it. How much more if your father's own wife asks him every day? Eventually, he will be forced to listen.