"God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?"
—?Nietzsche
Why would one need to atone? god lives within us as soon as we let him. god is an energy field that is created through the human will. he is not dead.
Not sure that was him, will have to look it up...
Yes, it was Nietzche, in "Thus Spoke Zarathrustra". So he is making a more nuanced statement than the Christian backlash would suggest.