Excuses for Atheism Wear Thin
"I used to go to New York University a long time ago, which is in Greenwich Village...I was in love in my freshman year, but I did not marry the first girl that I fell in love with, because there was a tremendous religious conflict, at the time. She was an atheist, and I was an agnostic. We didn't know which religion not to bring the children up in."
— Allan Stewart Konigsberg
Anyway, atheists are full of excuses for their disbelief. In a discussion on the "Unbelievable?" radio show/podcast a few months ago, I heard an atheist saying that he decided God did not exist was because he had prayed for something silly, like a new bicycle, and was disappointed. Others have rejected God for somewhat less ridiculous reasons, including praying for a healing that did not happen, having absent or abusive fathers and so on.
The problem with praying and being disappointed is that these people were expecting God to be some sort of vending machine or cosmic butler. No, he's the Creator of the universe. He has revealed himself (Rom 1.19-22) and we should find out what he has to say. Is it their fault? To some extent, yes (Rom. 1.18-19). Circumstances, bad education, conditioning also contribute.
But further, these misotheists have suppressed the truth and continue to justify their self-deception and hatred of God. Ridicule is a frequent tool for those who are intellectually lacking. Arguments of atheists are are constantly being refuted. For that matter, when challenged, atheists cannot give cogent arguments for atheism, they just spew excuses about why they hate God, "religion", Christians and so on. And the aforementioned ridicule that they readily embrace when their popes advocate it. Ridicule does nothing to advance atheism. In fact, their lack of logic and vituperation work against them.
As for disbelief in God...the excuses are not fooling anyone.