"It is then that I *realized* the existence of God ..."

(My **) ...Not a good word, as it implies finality, absolutes and dogma.

A few years ago, that judge in Alabama had the stone monument with the 10 commandments installed in city hall.... to, as he put it, *acknowledge* God. Another word which implies there is NO freedom to doubt. It is entirely possible to appreciate the wonders of Nature and the majesty of the Universe without making any absolute judgment about ultimate beginnings or any metaphysical creator. It is a personal thing, and freethinking gives everyone the same freedom.

True free will, even IF a god granted it, means one can doubt.
(My masters thesis in Philosophy was on how to deal with free will)