Communism would still be evil and vile no matter what. Erecting a replacement for God in the form of the socialist state is worse than not erecting a replacement for God but letting people find their own way for either good or ill.
Yes Whittaker Chambers left the world of communism, and he explains why it was a spiritual transformation, not merely political or economic change of heart.
He points out that the West’s secular victory over totalitarianism, does not necessarily represent a true break from the system. By rejecting God, Westerners end up resembling what we were supposedly fighting against.