I’m 27, a vegan, and I’ve never had a serious long-term relationship. I’m a vegan because I grew up in a conservative Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Christian household. Long, story short, SDAs, especially more conservative ones believe in a prophetess named Ellen G. White and she has a health message where she encourages believers to be vegan and not drink coffee. My parents imparted these ways on me. I’ve tried eating meat here and there, but it’s rarely tasted good or I’m slow at eating it.
The one short-term relationship that I’ve had was with a fellow vegan in the church, but on the 2nd date she ate my food and she never showed me any affection (we never held hands or kissed).
Other girls in the church either had more liberal parents that let them eat meat, or they want a guy that’s not in church, or they want some extremely long courtship process and have ridiculously high standards.
My parents projected a lot onto me growing up. They wanted me to be this superstar academically and stressed education. I never went to any SDA schools because my parents thought their education standards were too low. Part of me regrets not going to one because I feel like I could’ve met a girl who’d like me. But now at my church, there’s barely any girls.
When I look outside on dating apps like Hinge & Bumble, I rarely get matches and dates, but when I do it’s like they can sense something’s wrong with me. For instance, I went on a date with a girl and ordered a chicken pasta out of fear of being rejected for ordering something vegan. I didn’t finish it and she thought that was weird. She ghosted me after the date.
Even had a friend in church recommend her friend outside of church to me. We had a lot in common from liking the same basketball players and teams to traveling to different countries. But she said she doesn’t date any kind of vegetarian.
I feel so behind socially and hopeless. My parents say I’m suffering for Christ so it’s ok. I think that’s a load of crap.
