“God! Am I glad I left the church forty-five years ago.”
I left 48 years ago, but I went to a nondenominational conservative Christian church.
As have I.
http://ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/hidden-exodus-catholics-becoming-protestants
One in three people in the US raised a Catholic no longer identifies as so. But I left 20 years ago and became a born again Christian because as a Catholic I had zero relationship with Christ, and I had never really accepted Him. I went to CCD for years, was baptized, confirmed, and married in the Roman church. I went to confession. I attended Mass every week. I said the rosary. I had prayer cards. I wore medals around my neck of dead people. I went through the motions.
But I wasn't living life as the Bible said, and sure had not accepted Jesus. I was going to Hell - and I knew it. It was very real to me, and terrifying.
When I finally accepted Christ and realized what Biblical Grace was (not the Catholic definition of grace), I was overjoyed, relieved, humbled, and awed beyond measure. I had starred at crucifixes and paintings of Christ on the cross for decades. I never put 2 + 2 together and realized what Salvation was really all about. To this day, when I see depictions Jesus being crucified, I still am awed that He did that for us.