So atheists have no way of ever understanding religion? I know there are good religious people and there are bad religious people, just like there are good and bad atheists, I also understand religion for what it is. I have never been religious though I was raised in church, reading the Bible. My little five year old head did not grasp a concept of any one god, and fourteen years later it still doesn't. Can I dislike religion intensely and not want it in any way, shape or form involved in my day to day life? Yes. Can I still understand religion? Yes, and you can't tell me any differently. I've been through both ways, and while there are good theists, I believe that religion is outdated and more or less bad mojo in the modern world even though I understand the mental security that it provides theists.

That's like saying a vegan doesn't understand anything about meat because they don't partake in it. You can be vegan and still know the magic of bacon, but decide that it's not for you. Can they dislike the meat/animal byproduct/etc. industries? Yes, intensely because they have obvious ill effects in some cases. Does that mean that they can't think that there's such a thing as "humane" conditions under which to keep/harvest animals? No, but they're deciding not to contribute either way. Saying that atheists can't understand religion is incredibly small minded and generalized, you're basically saying that we can't research things and comprehend them on a level outside of our own involvement which is bollocks.

Edit: And by your comment, I could argue that someone's "personal experience" of a god of their choosing is a sure way to misunderstand reality. This is why I dislike religion, because a disconnect with reality, when paired with the wrong person, is dangerous.