During my first intern job (around 1999 or 2000) I was outed as an atheist.
I worked at a engine manufacturing company in their design and prototype team. Anyway, I got along great with everyone and really enjoyed working there. One day after work a woman who I worked with had a flat tire and I volunteered to put on her spare for her. She thanked me and told me I was a "great kid."
The next day she came into work and wouldn't talk to me. She actually wouldn't even look at me. I thought that was kinda weird, but thought maybe she was just having a bad day, so I let it go. The day after that she still wouldn't talk to me so I asked another co-worker if they knew if something was wrong with her. They told me that after I had changed her tire, she went home and called her work friend to tell her what a swell guy I was and her friend said, "Yeah, but you know he's an atheist, right?"
That's all it took. From that moment forward I went from being a "great kid" to being someone not even worth talking to.
Why do some religious people hold such disgust for atheists?