Parental authority over adult children: diminishes naturally with age; adult children make their own decisions while still honoring parents

Mike notes that even in the Old Testament, a father's veto power over a daughter's vows applied to young women, implying it lapsed with adulthood. Parental authority appropriately transitions from authoritarian to counselor/advisor during the teen years. A specific example: a man in his mid-20s whose parents asked him to co-sign a loan despite their bad credit—Mike's counsel was that honoring parents means giving them respect and serious consideration, but the decision belongs to the adult child. Genesis 2 (leave father and mother and be joined to spouse) shows that marriage further displaces parental authority. Authoritarian parenting of adults is unhealthy unless the person has a genuine incapacity.