I get annoyed by staunch materialists myself, but I think it's important we don't paint atheists with
too broad a brush here. There've been plenty of atheists who could still regard the universe with love and wonder, even if they didn't credit any particular force with its creation.
I mean, just listen to Carl Sagan describe the universe in Cosmos. He
loves the universe - it's clear from his every word. He just didn't see the need for a creator-figure. He talked with wonder about us being star-stuff, and to star-stuff we return. He clearly Got It, in his own way. He saw the beauty and romance in the great cycles-within-cycles of creation and destruction that play out across the stage of the stars.
Another thing is that... in many ways, atheist-materialism is the easiest path. It's the shortest route to a cohesive worldview - believe in nothing except what is directly in front of you, and can be seen and felt. It's straightforward, to the point, and doesn't require much thought to maintain or bring about many ontological crises. Not to mention that the shouting babble that has become the world's religions is pretty much incomprehensible to someone who doesn't feel in some way "called" to investigate such philosophical matters.
As Ra said, those who know not, care not. It's not their fault, per se. They're just on different paths. Some atheists are selfish, some aren't. Some embrace the wonders of creation in their own humanistic/3D way, others follow the path of manipulation and destruction with atheistic nihilism as their excuse. It's really the same dance we've been calling for the past few thousand years, just in slightly newer clothes and a different variety of "faith" being used or abused.
It's certainly worthwhile, I think, to discuss these things with atheists who are at least willing to discuss them politely, but there's no point forcing the issue or getting upset with those who don't want to hear it. Basically, that just means they aren't
ready to hear it, and that's not something you or I can bring about.
When they're ready for higher knowledge, it will come to them. It's nice to occasionally be the light-bearer, so to speak, but it shouldn't ever be an expectation. It's more an unexpected bonus.