Actually, I did sort of believe in religion even without god for awhile. I assumed that all good people had a religion, so I went and found one that wasn't theistic.

Now, I've dropped the whole religion thing all together.

I know of a Catholic Atheist. Don't ask me how or why, but he doesn't believe in god, but likes to go to church and do the churchy things. I also know what you're talking about with the 'relationship' with god "religion" like they don't like they don't do the organized thing. I personally believe those people are freethinkers too. They came to there understanding through thinking about things and believe in a god or force without being converted or brainwashed. Their "religion" is personal and no one else's but their own. They define what it is to "believe",so are as free as any other freethinker.

I think it could probably go either way, and it depends on how you defien religion. Does religion mean going to church, or just continuing to adhere to the doctrines? If the latter, which makes mroe sense to me, then I think a lot of people lose god before tehy lose religion. If the former, most would probably lose religion far before god. But it probably depends on everyone's unique perspective on it.

I personally never went to church much, and never became REALLY indoctrinated at all, so I suppose I 'lost' that first, because I never had much of it to begin with. God fell apart quickly thereafter.