I don't know that atheists are less likely to envision the universe in a way that makes it more palatable. How many are convinced that science will, eventually, solve all social problems and lead to a kind of paradise on earth? How many honestly believe that near eternal life is just around the corner? How many think that there is some kind of cognitive continuance after death, something along the lines of reincarnation or being part of a universal, deep consciousness? We know that our perceptions of the cosmos are drastically limited by our biological evolution. We barely understand just how much we don't understand.
Atheists are often thought of as being the hardest of hard core materialists, and that is certainly true for many. But the hardest of hard core materialism can be a dry and dreary place for others, and there are reasons to suspect it might not describe the cosmos as it really is. Still, at this point in human evolution, pretty much any ideas of what "reality" really is, is mostly speculation. Many religious speculations have proven to be utterly wrong, and it is quite legitimate to reject any of the god ideas human kind has invented. But that still leaves a lot of room for imagination when it comes to what the cosmos might really be, and what our place in it might really mean.
Atheists are often thought of as being the hardest of hard core materialists, and that is certainly true for many. But the hardest of hard core materialism can be a dry and dreary place for others, and there are reasons to suspect it might not describe the cosmos as it really is. Still, at this point in human evolution, pretty much any ideas of what "reality" really is, is mostly speculation. Many religious speculations have proven to be utterly wrong, and it is quite legitimate to reject any of the god ideas human kind has invented. But that still leaves a lot of room for imagination when it comes to what the cosmos might really be, and what our place in it might really mean.
