I'm not sure what you mean when you say forces of evil and atheism. The story of the historical King Lear pre-dates Christ. The play is set in a pre-Christian world. If religion did play a part in the play, it would be Druid. Penance is also a Christian concept that would be alien in the world of the play.
It is true that Shakespeare wrote the play during a period when religion played a strong role in everyday Elizabethan life. There is however a difference between reality and the world of the play. When characters do speak of gods, they use a plural reference or in Edmond's case, he calls upon Nature as his goddess.
Do evil things happen in the play? They do. Are Goneril and Regan evil or are they trying to protect themselves against their father who has become a tyrant. (There are no easy answers in Shakespeare.) They had seen how easily he had disowned, Cordelia, his favorite and exiled Kent for his honesty. They had played daddy's game and lost. He was suppose to live full time with Cordelia. Now Lear would be under foot for long periods of time with all his men. If they did anything to displease him, what would the volatile old man do to them? Who of us wouldn't want to protect ourselves under these circumstances. Do they go too far? Of course they do. Once an action like this starts, it is like a snowball rolling down a hill, hard to stop.
More important thematically is how does one be a good king and a good father? At the beginning of the play, Lear is neither. He is a foolish old man who wants to be flattered and ego stroked. He doesn't know how to retire. Both Goneril and Regan understand and give him what he wants. Is this love? Since Lear doesn't know how to love or what is love for that matter, probably not but it passes for love in the Lear household. Do these two women love their father? In their own way they probably do but like many of the father/daughter relationships in Shakespeare, the fathers have difficulty expressing their love.
Does Cordelia know how to love? She does so that when asked how much she loves him she finds that she cannot find the words, "I cannot heave my heart into my mouth."
The storm scene is one of the most amazing scenes in the play as Lear goes mad and challenges the raging storm. Yes, he does mention sin but in the context of that world. It during this that for the first time, the old king thinks about somebody other than himself. He sees the suffering of the Fool. When he encounters poor Tom, he sees the "mad" Edger as a wise man. He strips off his clothing to discover that in the flesh, so to speak, we are all alike. "...man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal..." For the first time he understands suffering and the human condition.
When Lear and Cordelia are reunited, Cordelia's gentle love brings him back not only to consciousness but to sanity. Does the old king learn? Eventually, but their joy is short lived.
Is there a lesson here? There are many. The play is rich with ideas.
We cannot judge the world of the play by today's values and standards but we can accept it and learn from it.
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