Questions for your Religious friends.

[Angrboda]

That's why people hate, not why they hate atheists to the degree they do.  I don't think anybody lacks understanding about sexual orientation, but gays end up near the bottom anyway.

Your answer doesn't explain why atheists are consistently hated more.

I don't believe they're hated more. Perhaps there's an identifiable victim bias or availability bias you'd like to discuss. I personally, don't hate atheists any more than anyone else, myself included. I get that you might perceive more attacks from your perspective on atheists, you being one. But you can see where I'm having problems with the generalization when I don't hold the views that you're attempting to frame around "All Christians".

Atheists are one of the most disliked groups in America. Only 45 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified atheist presidential candidate, and atheists are rated as the least desirable group for a potential son-in-law or daughter-in-law to belong to.

(Scientific American)

Ten years ago University of Minnesota sociologists conducted research showing that, among a long list of racial and religious minority groups, atheists were the most disliked group of people in the United States. Last month they followed up with new research that shows that Americans still have negative opinions of atheists and the non-religious

(University Of Minnesota)

In the U.S., no major religious group is viewed more warmly by the overall public than Jews. When asked to rate a variety of groups on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 (coldest and most negative) to 100 (warmest and most positive), Americans give Jews an average rating of 63 degrees, and four-in-ten people rate Jews in the warmest portion of the scale (at 67 degrees or higher).

Several other religious groups also receive ratings that are, on balance, more warm than cold. Catholics and mainline Protestants each receive an average rating of 60 degrees, followed closely by Buddhists (57 degrees), evangelical Christians (56 degrees) and Hindus (55 degrees). All of these groups receive more ratings at the warmest end of the scale (67 or higher) than at the coldest end of the scale (33 or lower).

At the colder end of the spectrum, atheists and Muslims each receive an average thermometer rating of 49 degrees from the public. As many people rate atheists at the coldest end of the scale (33 degrees or below) as rate them at the warmest end of the scale (67 or higher). Mormons earn an average rating of 51 degrees.

(Pew Research Center)