I recognize that it's poor form to make a statement without a legitimate source at hand, but there have been studies that most atheists actually know more about religion than their believing counterparts. Why this is remains a mystery--I would say that it's because without having a dog in the fight, so to speak, atheists can be more open-minded about the study of all religions--but it is the truth.
As for providing examples with Christianity, you need to remember that a large portion of our members live in English-speaking countries where Christianity is the dominant religion. It's like Victor said: when you're arguing with a Christian, you don't point out how silly it was to believe in the Olympians. If someone were to argue with Sunny/Solar/bonk-you-I-have-a-symbol-for-a-name up there, it would be important to have at least a cursory knowledge of Islamic beliefs; the argument has to be specific to the person that you're arguing with.
[As an aside, I recognize that there are certain logical arguments that are valid or invalid without a context, but when dealing with actual people a context is embedded and can't be ignored.]
It's also important to remember that just as the members of the various religions are different in their beliefs, so are those that define themselves as atheistic/agnostic/some combination of the two. There are those that base their (lack) of belief on the lack of empirical data (see Victor and Orion above) and there are others that simply don't care whether there is a Creator. Others, still, look at the cruelty of the world and decide that no Supreme being would allow such injustices.
Beliefs, like everything, are part of the overall context. We are creatures of our environment, creatures of separate physiological, psychological, and physical makeup, creatures grappling with the concept of free will and the mind-boggling expanse of the universe. There won't be a satisfactory answer to everyone's questions--including yours--because as humans we often find it impossible to accept the ideas of others.
As far as my own, personal evaluations of different religious philosophies--or just philosophies in general: I'm unsure. For a long time I was convinced that calling myself an atheist was the simplest way to explain a rather complicated set of (or lack of) beliefs.
I do believe that there is, or was, some greater force. I can't grasp infinite density and infinite mass expanding into the universe as we know it today, without some form of trigger. Whether this trigger is sentient or not I'm unsure of, but I do believe (Postscript: I originally wrote 'know' here, which just about proves the beginning of my post) that there was something.
I've had trouble coming to terms with this lately, as I've been finding it hard to define myself. There are certain things that I take from Taoist and Buddhist philosophies, but those are largely for physical reasons and a desire to experience a more 'zen' way of life. I also, however, find myself seeing the appeal of Christianity in very many ways, with a large exception--I do not have concrete faith that Jesus Christ was the child of God (or, for any of you other religions in the trio, YHWH, Jehovah, Allah, etc.).
In regards to studying other religions, though, I've always been particularly fascinated with the Greek and Roman pantheons. There's something appealing about their large numbers of gods that lived in an earthly-yet-unearthly place. [Anyone that knows me or has followed my blog knows that 'something like rome' has been a big thing of mine.] I've made a large effort to understand Christianity, but haven't yet begun more than a quick glance at Judaism and Islamic beliefs.
More than anything, though, I believe that I will follow with Buddhism/Taoism or something along those lines, simply because I would like to enrich my life and have a more mindful, purposeful existence on this Earth. Despite grappling with a desire for Christianity lately I believe that those ideals will last longer than what seems to be a passing fancy.
Time will tell, though. As my context changes, I will change; there is no knowing what I will believe a year (or hour) from now. It's part of the human experience.