I think the Christian mindset behind this kind of thinking is that we atheists have brought this upon ourselves. By rejecting god we deserve their condemnation. Don't forget that in America we are one of the few minorities that it is still socially acceptable to be prejudice against. In fact, I just recently saw something saying we are perceived as the least 'American' minority behind even Muslims.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
