I’m a 25-year-old woman and will soon be meeting my boyfriend’s family for the first time. He is from a devoutly Catholic family and while he is an Atheist and they somewhat tolerate that he is worried they will not accept the fact I’m atheist and he is fairly certain they will ask about my religion when we meet.
He has asked me to lie about my religion and either say i’m Catholic like him as it will make the whole meeting and future relationships go smoother and has tried to tell me he accepts my religion so how they feel shouldn’t matter to me and it doesn’t matter if they know the truth. I disagree with this though and I don’t want to lie as if we end up lasting it’ll be a lie I have to carry for my life and i’m not ashamed of this and don’t want to hide it away like it’s some dirty secret.
He thinks i’m being unfair here and that if I an open about my religion with his family it will only make things awkward or very terse. Frankly if they don’t like me I don’t care but I also accept that’s easier said than done for him as they are his family.
Am I being unfair here when he is only trying to make the meeting easier?
Here are what netizens think:
- You shouldn’t have to hide your own beliefs for anyone. However, your boyfriend isn’t wrong either. He supports you, but he knows his parents will most likely dislike you because of your beliefs and he’s simply trying to avoid that situation.
- Don’t lie, as when the truth comes out it would be a mess. You don’t have to talk religion or religious beliefs at all on the first meeting. If pressured, you can say you are not comfortable talking about something that is devising. Note, if your boyfriend and you are serious, the conversation will have to happen eventually.
- if he asks you to lie about this, what else will he want you to lie in the future