I really enjoyed your post - thanks for sharing. I had a similar experience with the birth of my son.

You mention "opiate" and though I haven't read Marx, I came to realize that religions are a psychological tranquilizer to all the stress that life has. Religions (1) allow believers to share their worries with various gods on hope that their problems will be resolved, (2) give hope for an ultimate justice to those wrongs that go undiscovered and unpunished, (3) give hope for an escape from death and reunion with loved ones in an afterlife, (4) provide for regular socialization and support with church activities, and (5) tell us that this life is temporary and therefore so are our very real concerns and problems. Religions provide stress relief, so it is no wonder they are so attractive.

Having left religion for so many reasons, I parted with it much as someone who is curling let's go of the stone (not my original thought). I then found myself wanting to understand what morality was, on a journey that took me briefly back to the Greek philosophers. It's funny that I did not find my answer there, but rather in the Ten Commandments; why do people consider these to be moral? And then it struck me - they reduce emotional and physical suffering - don't murder, lie, steal, commit adultery. But then I also realized that there were a few religious rules that were mixed in (idolatry, keeping the Sabbath holy, etc.) that had nothing to do with real suffering at all and in fact people were conditioned to become upset if these rules were broken. True moralities cross all lines of age, occupation, religion, status, wealth, culture, etc., and religious rules only mean something to that particular culture. What a freeing moment. Religions teach us what to think morally, but not how to think morally; I now have an moral philosophy to bring even greater harmony with everyone I know.

Good luck to you in your continuing search for truth, and thanks again for sharing your story.