I meant that, and moral nihilism as well. Atheists typically think, talk and act as if there are transcendent values, and as if their lives aren't meaningless and purposeless. Note that I'm actually glad that atheists are inconsistent in this way (just to be clear about what we mean by 'should be acting'), but it does rather show that they don't really take their atheism neat.

You illustrate this point in the 'abyss' section of your 'deconversion story'. The reason that atheists don't have to fall into the abyss is that it's within their power to transcendentalise whatever they like. What the author you quote calls 'manufacturing' the abyss, I call being consistent.