A lot of preachers, especially in the deep South, were raised as preachers as a family business, a highly competitive business often wracked by cynicism and greed.
For them, they were showmen, who provided entertainment under the guise of religion. This was often the case, as life in the deep South, from reconstruction to about the 1960s, was impressively boring.
It has even been suggested that the only two entertainments available to many people were tent revivals and lynchings.
The rather crude comedian Sam Kinison was raised to be such a preacher, and just couldn’t stand it anymore, revolted by the entire enterprise. Faith had nothing to do with it.
So I am not particularly surprised that there are those of that type who are atheists. They have rejected what they do as being to benefit others, and is just a profit making scheme.
“The rather crude comedian Sam Kinison was raised to be such a preacher, and just couldn’t stand it anymore, revolted by the entire enterprise.”
And then they move to bigger fish by becoming politicians!
Same as it ever was though. Luther pointed this out about the bishops of his day, and it has never really changed. The life of a pastor is very appealing to a narcissist.