It was a slow process of erosion.
Strict Irish Roman Catholic mother, lax father. We used to attend church as a family but I later learned he did so for appearances. A requisite value for a businessman in the community. KG to grade 8 in Catholic school. Hated the nuns. John XXIII's ecumenical council changed things around a lot to make the religion more accessible to the common folk. Backfired. I saw the fallacy of Roman Catholicism as a consequence but could not shake off all those years of indoctrination. Became a phoney agnostic - still prayed to God when my life went into a foxhole. Hibernated during four years of university, enjoying sex, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis. Sported a full beard and shoulder length hair. Met a nice Anglican girl and married her. A year later her reprobate druggie philanderer convicted fraudster brother has an ephiphany and becomes a Jehovah's Witness and a dedicated husband and father. The transformation is so remarkable I decide to investigate. My wife wanted nothing to do with it. This was 1974. Started studying and attending meetings and assemblies. Read the Bible cover to cover then again piecemeal, along with WT literature, of course. Graduated in 1975, clean shaven and short hair. Talked to my father about it and he looked me in the eye and calmly said "There is no god, son". 1976 arrived with no red sky. Started asking my own questions during the book studies, generating heated reactions. Light came on and I fled. By then my wife was hooked. She got baptised a couple of years later, against my wishes. Periodic arguments. Got real busy climbing the corporate ladder over the next few decades. Became a believer in the evolution of species but could not wrap my head around abiogenesis. Professed strong agnosticism but still prayed to Jehovah in my head at night when life got heavy. Prayed to him to take my mother when Lou Gehrig's finally paralysed her completely and she died that morning. Moved cross country to wind down my career and spend time with my dad. One week before I took early retirement he contracted pneumonia. I spent the week by his side and the day after I retired his eyes locked on mine and with a look of serene peace and wonderment he died. The meaning of life and existence of God now had a more urgent quality to it. I picked up the Bible again and put it down before finishing Genesis knowing that I was atheist. Started reading Hawkins, Holloway, Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris. Closed the door, never looked back.