B_D,
A couple of thoughts. As an Evangelical, I define an atheists as a person who has proof that God does not exist. Is this accurate and if yes, what proof was the clincher for you?
I'm personally amazed that anyone who comes out of the WT would have any belief in the God of the Bible or not be bitter towards anyone, especally a person who claims to be a Christian. Freedom of religion is actually very important to me.
In the case of Raymond Franz, from my reading of C of C and In Search of..., Ray left the WT because he started on his own to develop a real interest in the Bible, studied it and then compared WT teaching to the Bible, finding that the WT had strayed a considerable distance from the baseline of the Bible. For me it is somewhat of a paradox, the WT and JWs state that the Bible is God's word and the basis for the faith but when you show a JW where the WT teaches contrary to the Bible they side with the WT. But one of the teachings of the New Testament is that when a man comes to God in true faith and places his or her trust in Jesus and His work on the cross for salvation, this action is all of God. In other words, I cannot beat you into submission to a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus, that is God's job.