Ahh yes, what is consciousness or will? Do cells, that have no will on their own, create will? Maybe. We're still finding that out. But cells do indeed play a part. Take away these cells, like a lobotomy, and will slips away too.
An athiest is not cold or empty. On the contrary, his mind is full of curiousity and awe as he opens it to other possibilities of existence of himself and the universe. Just because he is not satisfied with religion, which is just basically words, it doesn't mean that he will never accept a reason for being. An athiest is like a scientist. And scientists can be a happy bunch on their quest for quantitative truth.