Can a relationship with a JW man ever work out? Is it worth getting baptized to be with him if you really love him?
I had a complicated relationship with my neighbor that lasted for years. We’re 29 and 32. He’s a Jehovah’s Witness and very involved in the religion. He’s a Ministerial Servant, does cart witnessing, and sometimes helps out at Bethel in Warwick. We both loved each other that was obvious but whenever we became too close, he would feel guilty and pull away.
That’s how things were between us for five years. We would go out to dinner or take trips together, but afterward he would avoid me and say he didn’t want to be with me because I was Catholic. He would apologize for giving me the wrong impression, then eventually we would run into each other again, start talking and hanging out, and then he would end things once he started feeling guilty again.
I went with him to meetings, Bible studies, and conventions because his family and congregation wouldn’t approve of him having anything to do with me unless they thought I was at least learning about the religion. He also might have lost his standing if people thought he was romantically involved with me, so he kept his distance in front of others and let people believe he was only teaching me.
I think this time we might really be done for good, and apparently he has started seeing someone he met at an assembly. I know this situation isn’t ideal, but I love him, and I know he feels the same way. He tried very hard to get me to convert so we could be together. He fought hard for our relationship, but after years of studying, I just didn’t believe in the JW teachings.
Part of me feels like I should just accept the teachings and get baptized, and that by not doing so, I’m standing in the way of our relationship like we could be together if I just made that choice. But I don’t want to make such a huge decision and commit to something I don’t truly believe in just because I love him. He’s an amazing man, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find anyone like him again. I just don’t want to look back in ten years and regret letting go of the man I loved because I didn’t get baptized.