My dad is too strict about who I should date

Dear Pastor,

I am 17 years old and living with my father and stepmother. My father is a very strict man, but he is a loving father.

I am doing well in school. I want to be a medical doctor. There is a guy in the neighbourhood who loves me, but he is afraid of my father. My father told me that I should not have any relationships with guys from the neighbourhood because he does not want them to call my name.

I have another friend who attends the same church as I do. He is 20 years old, but all the young girls in the church are interested in him. He is tall and he has a high complexion. He asked me for a date and I told him that I do not go on dates. He asked my stepmother whether he could take me out and she told him to ask my father. He said he knew what the answer would be, so he would not ask him. If he had asked my father, he would agree because I had already told my father that this guy wanted to take me out. My father told me that I should make my own decision on that, but I should not be out later than 10 p.m.

Don't you think that 10 p.m. is too early for a girl to come home if she is on a date? Why not 11 p.m.? I hope to hear from you soon, Pastor.

R.L.

Dear R.L.,

As I see it, 10 p.m. is a reasonable time for a girl to return home after going on a date. And if you believe that 10 p.m. was too early, you should have said to your father, why not 11 p.m.? You are fortunate that he said 10 p.m.; I think that 9 p.m. is more appropriate if a young man is taking a girl for dinner and it is the first time they are going out. Your father might be strict, in your opinion, but he is trying his very best to protect you.

Pastor