I realized I was or I am

Which of the following is correct, and why?

I was an atheist till I realized I was God.

I was an atheist till I realized I am God.

Quite a few individuals have pointed out the ummm..., role of God in the sentence. The reason is simple. I bought a T Shirt which had (or has ? I guess it is had) the phrase printed on it ("was God") and go around wearing it. Some guys pointed out that it should be "am". I have always felt "was" was better.

Solution 1:

The construction is interesting. Using a slightly less distracting example:

• I was a meat eater until I realized that animals were sentient beings.
• I was a meat eater until I realized that animals are sentient beings.

Both are equally acceptable and easily understood. By using the past tense (animals were sentient beings) for a situation that is ongoing (animals are sentient beings), it doesn't mean you actually believe animals are no longer sentient; it simply means the realization occurred in the past.

By using the present tense, you're placing a bit more emphasis on the importance of the sentience of animals as opposed to your realization.

Examples of both abound. It may be slightly more idiomatic to use the past tense, however.