Atheism doesn't necessarily means you have to leave religion. Atheism is simply a belief that there is NO GOD. If you are from Abrahamic religions, then you are abandoning your religion if you chose atheism.
If you are from a religion that don't allow atheism, then you can't practice atheism while in that religion. In other words, you have to leave religion. However, there are some religions that allow atheism like Hinduism.
Buddhism is purely atheistic religion since it's completely relevant to what atheism means. So you can be in some religions while practising atheism.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.