Yeah forgive me if I don't believe you. I could list here all the wonderful things religious people invented (printing press, hospitals, natural philosophy [biology], etc), all the theories they came up with (gravity, human rights, exploring G-d's world through scientific theory etc.) but I won't, since it would just wash over you.
Perhaps some took this as implying that religion was a factor here rather than just being incidental. I've seen it before - claims that religions were the causes of so many achievements when it might not have been the case. And being critical thinkers in one area hardly means one is in all areas.