I read a few of the posts prior to mine and found some of the responses really interesting. I see ex-JW's posting here and others trying their best to give you advice. Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is a choice. I don't know if your boyfriend was raised in the truth. I was not. I was a single mother 20 years old when I came into the truth. My daughter at that time was 20 months old. She is now 19 years old. I don't really have an opinion about being married one way or another. As a single woman I learned to survive on my own. I went out and got my education and am working a job I really love (IT trainer/Project Manager)
I can tell you at 38 years of age I have met some men, both witnesses and non-witnesses that I have had feelings for. Most recently a man that I cared very deeply for that I worked with. I truly believe at some point he had feelings for me too. I did us both a favor. I chose a long time ago not only to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but to remain one too. I couldn't ask him to change his life in order to be with me. I also would not have wanted him to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses to satisfy me. That is a personal decision that an individual has to make for the right reasons, not in order to be in a relationship, which truly is the wrong reason.
Now I know a lot of people think we are a cult and I am not here to argue with them. Personally I have learned to live a happy life without worrying about the opinions of others. I am educated and I consider myself a well rounded person. I was a Witness almost 10 years before getting my Bachelors degree. I have had a lot of exposures to different things in life and I am convinced that my lifestyle is no less rewarding than anyone else's out there that has a different option....but what I will tell you is that your boyfriend should have made a better decision and not started dating you in order to save both of you a lot of pain, especially if your in love with each other. Love is a difficult subject. You have to ask yourself not if you can live with that person, but if you can live without that person...and if you can't...then it is better to marry than to be inflamed with passion.
If you love him simply ending the relationship is not going to be easy. We can all tell you, your better off but we are not in your shoes. I have been in your shoes, but I made a different choice than did your boyfriend not to get involved with someone who was not a witness. If the two of you do reconcile...remain chase and not commit fornication. If the two of you do decide to marry, make the choice to start a study of the bibile. Find out what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, pray sincerely to God Jehovah and ask yourself if you can live our lifestyle. In some ways it is already too late to go back and change this. If your boyfriend has cut ties with you for good and asked you not to contact him.....follow his wished. If your strong enough to walk away from the relationship then try. If not then ask God how to help you cope...don't listen to Witness bashers...find out for yourself what we believe. Do what I did. When I first started studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. I used my own bible. The one I got when I was baptised in the Baptist church at the age of 12 (King James). Use your own bible before you start to accept any other literature from anyone else.
You will see very soon after studying that the biggest different between the King James Version and the New World Translation is the era in which both were written. One is 14 century...kinda Shapespearean the other 20th Century.....I came to the conclusion after studying with JW's that they were one religion that not only really read and studied the bible, but that they were a religion that actually practiced what was in "MY" bible...so I decided I wanted to be a part of this religion and 15 years later I have no regrets. Take care!
