Should religion be forced on you, by your parents, school, etc ?

I have 5 sisters & 1 brother. My parents were well to do, but at the age of 13 I was sent to a boarding school, one of the best in the country, run by Irish Christian Brothers. To reach our school we had to spend 3 nights in the train. In the night a senior would have to share a birth with a junior, & this is where all the trouble started. With the excitement of traveling, the sound of the tracks & steam engine & having to sleep clinging to each other otherwise there was the chance of falling from the berth. Things do happen if not on the first night, it could be the second. Moreover the senior boys, who had a lot of muscle, would during the day invite the girlish looking boys to their cabin. Boarding life was really tough especially if you are a Christian. Our Senior Cambridge, syllabus, did not have religion, But we were made to study “The Saviour” by heart, the reason being every year all the schools had to appear for the “Holy Cross Examination”, & it was a prestige issue for the school to see that all the boys passed out with flying colours. It was also compulsory to attend daily mass, while the non Christian boys were allowed to complete their homework. We also had to find time to practice for Sunday mass choir, learn how to serve the Latin mass, etc. Being an average boy I could no cope with my home work, with the result I was beaten very badly. There were different types of Irish Christian Brothers. Some took pleasure beating the boys, by removing your pants & bent for the bottoms to stick out, others were found of taking young boys to their room, & the rest flirting with teachers. I received the maximum punishment, because I felt completing my homework & passing my class was far more important, then leaning about God. To get out of this frustration I used to misuse my body a lot, but since the Roman Catholic Church considers it a mortal sin, & the next day I had to receive Holy Communion, with the result my mind was always in fear, & I was like a nervous wreck, knowing that if I die I would be sent straight to Hell. I faired very badly in my studies & even had to repeat, a class. After I finished my schooling, I went to college. I never ever had a problem. I passed my B.E. Mech. with flying colours. Tell me with such a background, that to at a young age, how can one love or believe in God.