Pegged, by a Bronze-age Book

"Someone else being punished for your crimes is not 'justice.' ...I am quite familiar with the Doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement, and I find it to be an unethical doctrine, and an unjust one." Lurker

Look at how the "bronze-age book," written thousands of years ago, puts its finger on the motives of the professed atheist:

"The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God [so He never punishes]. His ways are grievous [or persist] at all times; Your judgments [Lord] are far above and on high out of his sight [so he never thinks about them]; as for all his foes, he sniffs and sneers at them. He thinks in his heart, I shall not be moved; for throughout all generations I shall not come to want or be in adversity" (Psalm 10:4-6, Amplified Bible).

He is wicked--filled with lust, ingratitude to God for the gift of life, denial of God's existence, failure to seek after Him, willful ignorance--he "will" not seek after God.

He thinks that there is no God, but notice why. It's because of moral responsibility towards Him. The atheist has no understanding of eternal justice--God's judgments are far above out of his sight. His attitude is one of condescension towards the thought of divine justice, and he lives in a dream-world of thinking that life will never send him the ultimate curveball.