This is a continuation of a post by intjsegry. I thought BC's
response was awesome but sometimes it's helpful to have several different takes so I'm adding in mine:

Here is the original letter from intjsegry's dad:

My letter will be short and to the point. I miss you. I have not heard from you since your grandfather died, almost two years ago. I have left phone messages and emailed you but you have not responded. I know the path you have chosen differs greatly from mine and your path may include you cutting yourself off from the Church and maybe God. Does it also include cutting your ties with your father? If so, I am sure my contacting you is annoying. If you have chosen to cut me out of your life and you do not want me to contact you let me know, otherwise, I will continue to try and contact you and hope you will respond some day. You need to know that your ignoring my efforts is hurtful but I will honor your desires. So let me know. If you have chosen to cut me off, please be aware that you cannot cut off the love a father has for his daughter.


My response:

Dear Dad:

Why is it you claim to miss me, but make no effort to find me?

Several years ago I told you I no longer believed in mormonism. Since that time you have judged me, preached at me, questioned my character, and spoken in endless condescending tones.

But what have you done to understand me? What efforts have you made to even understand why I rejected mormonism in the first place, let alone to investigate for yourself whether or not the church is true? Nothing. You just presume I am wrong and that my thoughts, my feelings, my reasoning for believing the way I believe aren't worth even a minimal effort on your part to discover, let alone to investigate. You say you love me, but your actions speak contempt. What I really want is respect.

I want you to stop presuming to preach at me. I want you to stop looking at me like I'm another one of Satan's lost souls, and I want you to START treating me like a person who has had the courage to stand up to family and friends and tell the truth, regardless of the consequences. These are my new rules. If you cannot abide by them then you and I will have to part ways.

I wish you well in the life's path you have chosen.

Am I missing something? I don't see anywhere in the initial letter where the dad is preaching, or judging. Nor did I read the initial post, can you link it? Was there another letter from the dad?

My opinion, off of the letter you posted here, is the dad dearly misses his daughter, and wants nothing more then to talk to her. Wish my dad showed that love to me.

You are missing the context of the 5 years proceeding the letter. The letter, is extending the olive branch somewhat. However, the annoying thing is that the letter implies the blame is on intjsegry for the distance between them when it has been his bad behavior the the last 5 years that has caused the distance.

If you want to get the full story then go to the post "Letter to my dad; I wrote it". Pretty epic.

TY, have started work again, and can't check in too often.