From the article...
My belief in God didn't spontaneously combust—it faded. I lost my virginity at 16. I stopped going to church. I snuck out past curfew. As punishment, my mom made me memorize Bible verses, and I recited them like recipes.
I stopped believing in god (which god, by the way?) and my brain started to function. Too easy!
I never believed in an invisible deity. IQ: 147. Master degree.
Lucky you. Some of us were worn into religion, and went along even though we had doubts to keep family harmony.
From Google: "A study published in the journal Neuropsychologia has shown that religious fundamentalism is, in part, the result of a functional impairment in a brain region known as the prefrontal cortex. ... Fundamentalist groups generally oppose anything that questions or challenges their beliefs or way of life."
A link between brain damage and religious fundamentalism has now been established by scientists
So when you stop, you begin to heal.