I do not want IMessage on my IPad and my messages are not syncing. Apple is forcing me by creating a pop-up box that tries to make me sign-up. Help!

An iPad has no ability by itself to send or receive SMS or MMS messages. Those require a cellular telephone voice connection, which no iPad is capable of. So yes, to send or receive SMS texts, an iPad must be paired with an iPhone.

Apple isn't forcing you to do anything. It’s inherent limitations of the technology of cellular texting. When you send or receive SMS texts from an iPad, it is the paired iPhone that actually sends and receives those texts, using your cellular telephone‘s text messaging service and plan. The iPhone then shares those to the iPad via their common wifi intranet network.

Without being paired to an iphone, an iPad is restricted to internet messaging services like iMessage only (i.e. non cellular voice channel messaging)

Hi. I'd just like to add, you need to set up Continuity so the iPhone can relay SMS from/to the iPad. See this link: Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch - Apple Support for details. As already explained, it has always been like this.