Religion ruined my childhood with the church's preaching about hell and damnation. I've been brainwashed and only just started to realize within the past 10 years how evil all religion really is.
Glad you made the transition from the darkness of superstition to the light of reason.
My parents had some grounding outside the evangelical world and came to it later in life, and their unconditional love inadvertently inoculated me against the worst effects of the hellthreat / guilt / shame doctrines. But I've met many who weren't so fortunate, or who are more constitutionally vulnerable, and who really struggle with these teachings and their after-effects.
@Clare07 During my time in the faith I was not aware of anyone who left. My guess is that those who leave tend to be like me ... I moved away, went to school, life happened, and no one who knew me personally back in the day who is still there, knows what became of me. I'd long since lost touch with all of them. In the small country town I grew up, I doubt anyone would openly leave the faith unless they moved away. They'd lose all their social support and exchange it for social shunning.
So that the son you describe above couldn't "force himself away from the church" makes total sense.
Sometimes I wonder how many people live "lives of quiet desperation" like that.