I, too, was struck by the anger and shunning. Most of my friends just dropped me like the plague when I left and said the worst things about me. And I left quietly, I was not outspoken like I am now.
And SZ is right, there was no effort to persuade from a theological point, it was just condemnation and accusations about what ‘sin’ I committed, or how I must have decided I wanted to sin, or I never really was faithful.
It hurt, big time and they didn’t seem to care that I had genuine questions.
Shunning and condemnation like you experienced is a common control that cults use to keep the ‘sheep’ in the pen. Keep them in using fear.
Once it is reveled to some one that the Emperor indeed has no Clothes, it does little good to try and sure them that he is not really naked...
Then all you can do is try and make the one who now knows the truth look the fool...