Q - I'm a divorced woman living with a divorced man for the past five years. Our relationship is comfortable, but I have no intention of getting married again. The main reason is that his family are Jehovah's Witnesses and do not accept our relationship.
They exclude us from all their gatherings and make me feel very uncomfortable if I happen to be around them by chance.
One family member is a realtor and helped us purchase a house and gladly took the commission, only to cut us out of her life again. I also have a business and two of the sisters call me to request my services, which are financially beneficial to them. How do I handle this family that criticizes me, yet wants to do business with me because they can profit from it?
A - Discrimination of any kind is hurtful and hard to bear , but discrimination in the name of serving a religion is even more upsetting.
So long as you haven't badmouthed their beliefs and practices, they owe you normal respect and common courtesy. Perhaps they feel your unmarried relationship is the biggest problem. But whatever their reasoning, you and their son deserve an explanation and decent manners. Your guy should be saying this to his family, and pointing out that you've been more than gracious to help them commercially when they've been so rude.
If there is no change, it's up to you whether you want to continue your kindness to them. I suspect that you'll do so, because it's the kind of person you are.
(bold, italics, underlining mine)
BB