Oh, gosh, I feel for you so much, Sean. I can sympathize with this a lot-- I have only ever been in one long, serious relationship, and similar feelings on the part of his parents really put a lot of unwanted pressure on me-- for me to be acceptable to their son, I was expected to convert to their religion and raise their children exactly the way they wanted. The fact that I didn't want to get married was call for a Family Meeting of Great Proportions where I was bullied and shamed. It was utterly horrible that this was more important to them than just being happy and sharing a life together.
I've also been dumped by friends because of religion. I had a friend here in New York-- someone I had gone out with a couple of times, but didn't yet know super well. I came home from a vacation with a gift for her, and IMed her to ask if she wanted to get together to give it to her. She said she was really busy. I told her that was okay, I could mail it to her instead. What was her address? I'd been to her apartment building once, so I didn't figure asking for her address would be stalkery. This was the point where she told me she was no longer comfortable being friends because I wasn't Jewish and she felt that she was breaking her parents' trust by having friends they wouldn't approve of.
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I've also been dumped by friends because of religion. I had a friend here in New York-- someone I had gone out with a couple of times, but didn't yet know super well. I came home from a vacation with a gift for her, and IMed her to ask if she wanted to get together to give it to her. She said she was really busy. I told her that was okay, I could mail it to her instead. What was her address? I'd been to her apartment building once, so I didn't figure asking for her address would be stalkery. This was the point where she told me she was no longer comfortable being friends because I wasn't Jewish and she felt that she was breaking her parents' trust by having friends they wouldn't approve of.
Anyway, yeah. I am sorry. <3