It is indeed possible for religious indoctrination to fade away. Lydia Murphy (a pseudonym) left her faith quite suddenly, just a year after leaving her private Baptist school that used Christian history books, chastised students for committing thought crimes, and encouraged its pupils to attend Bob Jones University. Once she left, she realized that the Baptists had encouraged stereotypes: not all non-Baptists, she found, were evil and, to her surprise, recreational drug users could be quite pleasant people. She drifted away from her religion, an experience she describes as “like coming out of a fog or coming out of a dream.”
Lydia became heavily involved in her university’s secular group once she enrolled in college, creating some of her fondest memories with its members. While she’s adamant that she would not raise her children in a religious institution, she has lost much of her hostility toward religion in general. She recognizes that many people have had horrendous experiences in life, and religion often provides both comfort and a community for them. It may, she thinks, simply be better for some people to be religious. She’s come to believe that being right isn’t everything. Still, she’s happy that she’s left her faith -- and its dogma -- behind her.