Hi everyone. My boyfriend and I are currently 24, started dating at 16, but were really good friends even before we started dating for a couple years. We both have great careers and make enough to very easily support ourselves and live a comfortable life together. Long story short, no one knows about our relationship because we have different religious backgrounds and in our community that's a no-no. Neither of us really mind it, we've had the hard conversations and he's okay with raising potential future children Christian. We chatted about him converting in the past and he was always very open to it. As we got a bit older and I was asking him where his head was at, we had some tough conversations and he ultimately realized he doesn't feel called enough to convert, but still appreciates the faith. This has been a big pill for me that i'm still trying to swallow, I don't love him any less because of our different faiths, I just worry about if he will ever resent me for being close in my faith in the future. We had also chatted about when he would feel ready to even tell our friends/families about us so we could take that next step forward to an engagement, and he said he can't tell when he will feel ready for that. He assures me he loves me and wants to spend his future with me but it throws me off when he says he can't tell the future. He's a great boyfriend I know he does love me, but I can't help but overthink at the fact that he's completely unsure and can't even provide a timeline of when he would want to propose. The fact that he can't certainly say he wants to move forward and seriously talk about an engagement after 8 years of dating makes me worry that I'm just wasting my time. I understand we're both only 24 which is young, but 8 years is a long time. I also fear my family's acceptance, I think they will disown me and be very disappointed in me. If I was 24 and met him, I probably wouldn't have dated someone from a different religion now because I didnt realize how complicated it would be. When I was 16 my brain didn't think that way, I liked him and didn't think about his religion at all it didn't bother me. It still doesn't bother me, I just worry more so about our families getting along and whether or not my family will accept us. It's a very long and complex situation i'm in, I'm not really sure what to do or how to go about it. My therapist has been great but can't really give me proper advice on what to do, I told her if this time next year he still feels that way, that may be my sign to finally cut things off because I'm worried i'm just wasting my time. If you read this far I appreciate you, please be kind and come from a nonjudgmental place. I know it's a sticky situation that probably sounds stupid to many, but I was 16 when we fell in love and I'm still very deeply in love with him, he's a great guy, perfect in every way, the only "con" is religion which doesn't bug me but will be perceived as a huge disgrace to my family and community. Anyways main question how should I handle this situation? Do I wait it out a year and see how things go? Keep praying for him and us? End things and hope to find someone else which sucks because I feel like we're soulmates?? I'm not sure what the right choice is.
TL;DR In a long term relationship of 8 years (16-24y), different religions have forced us to keep secret. Bf unsure when he wants to move forward, I'm ready now, not sure how long to keep waiting considering he ain't sure when he'll be ready, and my parents will prob disown me. He is an amazing bf though, love him so much best person I know. What should I do about all of this though?