Isn't there a limit to this ''honor your parents no matter what'' phrase?

[Anonymous]

I'm expecting at this moment but honestly just becoming a mother alone wouldn't make me special. I will obviously raise my boy with good examples, be the mother a child looks up to and is very proud of.

The hispanic/latino community still seems too religious to the point they think you're suppose to honor and respect your parent no matter what, even if they were abusive in the past. I find this ridiculous. Well I'm atheist and find their thinking of honoring your parents and how you must never ever hit them, not even if they have beaten you before and are still being abusive pure nonsense.

If someone is beating me or chasing me with an object and have to hit back to get them to stop, I'm going to defend myself. Just like I think a woman should have an abortion if her own life is at risk and she'll die giving birth, I believe that there are exceptions to every single rule.

What do you think? Isn't there a limit to this ''honor your parents'' phrase?

[Orion84]

As far as I'm concerned, respect and/deferrence must be earned, even by parents, and are subject to forfeiture at any time.

Just because someone is a parent, that doesn't automatically make them good at it, and in many unfortunate cases, they do not deserve the respect of their children.

Case in point: I looked up to my father when I was younger, but as I got older (teenage years), he got violent and abusive. As far as I was concerned, the first time he tried to hit me, he relinquished his right to be respected.

[Asker]

Exactly. If a parent gets aggressive and trying to beat you that's the opposite of asking for respect. Why would I still respect that parent? Makes no sense.
I'm Latina myself but honestly can't understand their logic of ''you must honor your parents'' and that you'll be cursed for life if you ever lay a hand on your parents, even if it were in self-defense. If my parents were really trying to beat me up or coming after me with a weapon, my life and safety comes first. This whole ''but you'll be cursed for life for ever hitting a parent'' bible fanatics can take a hike with their pathetic double standard.

[jennifer_bloom]

Not even Jesus honoured his parents all the time, he abandoned them to teach in the synagogue when he was 12 years old. Even Jesus chose his religious loyalties over his loyalty to his parents. He also abandoned his mother and brothers verbally when they asked for privileged consideration, time, and attention from him while he was busy teaching the bible to people outside his family.

[Asker]

That proves that there are limits.

[Ironic_Method]

You know who came up with that rule? Shitty parents.

[Asker]

Exactly. Respect is earned by good examples, not just for existing. I'm Latina myself but really hate that mentality (the overly religious latinos) of respecting your parents even if they were terrible. Then a parents being abusive but them thinking it's the greatest sinner (base on the bible) to even think about laying a hand on a parent, even if it really was a case of self-defense. That to me sounds like a double standard and I ain't buying it.