When another does something you feel damages the relationship, open your mouth and TELL 'em.
I confronted my dad one day as a young woman, and lovingly but firmly told him he was at risk of losing me as a daughter. My father had become quite vehement about his religious beliefs, and they'd infiltrated his life to the extent I couldn't share anything with him, without his bringing Jesus Christ in to the dialogue.
I loved my dad, but I'd grown myself to a point where I felt no obligation to maintain a bond that felt distancing~ much less, abusive. I sat him down one day and conveyed that every time he 'proselytized' to me, it pushed me further away from him.
I told him I respected his beliefs and understood they served him, but I was long past letting anyone shove their ideologies down MY throat, and if this continued, he would not see me anymore.
Two days later, my father (to his credit) called and thanked me for having delivered that message to him. The upshot? He NEVER engaged in that behavior with me again.
My dad SHOWED me I was important to him and that he truly loved me. I could now talk with him about my visit to a hardware store, a movie I'd seen, or whatever, without him launching into a monologue about Christ!
My father was a wise and loving man, but had some unresolved issues that tended to distance people he loved. Nobody else in the family confronted him when he triggered their anger. They simply cut off contact, and this was confusing and hurtful to him.
I was willing to terminate MY relationship with my father, but only after I'd sensed there was no hope for change. I think we must all reach a point where we can realize we don't NEED someone, and can actually thrive without them, if they fail to be a nourishing presence in our life.
I've been practicing confrontation with tools I invented for myself, since I was a young woman. I always teach my clients how to use these tools, for they are GOLD~ and make it far easier for one to state what they're feeling and thinking to another, and not have to procrastinate until they're basically a bull in a china shop~ which is never an effective communication strategy.
You'd be surprised how many people have poor communication skills, and are terrified of speaking their mind. It's best to get help with this, as what's still very true is, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil."