I have always said this myself - from the ones that I have known, they were angry at God or had problems growing up going to Catholic school. Look at Madalyn Murray O’Hair, her problem was because she could not get her lover who was Catholic to divorce his wife.
No doubt about it. Not all atheists, but many who claim to be atheists are anti-God. If they believe there is not God why do they care to hate Him so much and why do they hate believers for loving Him so much.
I think alot of the rabid ones are satanists and/or of other religions who hate Jesus. This happened in the seventies, too, when the left unleashed the dogs on the country.