Why do atheist ridicule Christians?
I believe that, subconsciously, they fear they may be wrong, and would like confirmation in the here and now that they are right.
Ridicule can make some hide or change their beliefs.
Pascal’s wager...
atheists typically view the Christian god in the same manner as Zeus, Thor, Ra, Krishna, Set..they all come from the same pot. There is no turmoil or fear of being wrong. Of course, there are atheists that become religious and the religious that become atheist. Those types may qualify under your statement, but generally speaking, no.
Yes, they are fighting against themselves as human beings. Belief in God or some form of spiritual transcendence is built into people (maybe through evolution???). Humans with conscious minds are spiritual; they don’t really believe in a pointless, purely-mechanical universe.
Even Mao Ze Dong spoke of God, and even atheists, though they wouldn’t admit it to themselves, believe in their hearts that at least they, as individuals, are transcendent.
As things get tough for humanity or for individuals, they turn to something beyond tangible reality and beyond the ever-changing formulations of science. The atheists know, despite book sales, that they’re playing a losing hand, so they turn to the refuge of all weak debaters, ridicule.
Ah, the same reason that homos seek to have the government criminalize Christian beliefs -
it’s that internal voice, the law written on their hearts (Rom 2:14-15) that is constantly nagging at them,
and if ONLY there were no Christians, they believe, that voice would stop.