We Broke Up Due to Religion. Can We Still be Friends? L&L Q&A Ep. 343

Question:
I met this guy when I was 18 and he was 19. Three years later, I’ve chosen to break it off after realizing that no matter what, my family won’t accept us as a couple.

For context, I belong to an ethnoreligious group—marrying outside the faith is frowned upon, as we work to preserve our identity and heritage. He was raised Christian, but he’s not devout.

We never met each other's families, I would always be the one to talk about the future, while he just wanted to ''take it day by day.” He never talked about us with his parents or family.

I had several conversations with my mother and because I knew my family would never accept him, I decided it would be best to break it off. When we broke up, he started saying we would probably clash in the future since his family attends Christian church and believes in Jesus.

We chose to remain friends because we value our hobbies together and have the same interests. However, it is sometimes hard to set boundaries when it comes to romantic feelings.

How do I know if I made the right decision? Would it have been a mistake to leave my family, community, religion, and identity for my boyfriend?

Answer:
Listen to this week’s episode to hear our advice and recommendations for this listener!

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Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott Anderson
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