A320 FLT CREW IS VECTORED BY ZTL INTO A BUILD-UP. CAPT REFUSES CLRNC AND FLT CREW SUGGESTS ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION.

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TSTM BUILDUPS WERE OCCURRING. WE ASKED AND GOT APPROVAL FROM ZTL FOR DEV L OFF COURSE FOR TWO BUILDUPS (WE WERE GOING TO PASS BTWN TWO). SOON AFTER THAT CTR SAID WE HAD TO TURN TO A HDG THAT WAS DIRECTLY AT THE BUILDUP WE WERE TRYING TO AVOID. WE SAID UNABLE. CTR SAID IT WAS FOR TFC. THE CAPT REPLIED; 'I AM NOT GOING TO FLY THROUGH A TSTM.' INSTEAD OF RECEIVING AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE; ATC WAS SILENT. WE STARTED WORKING TCAS AND THE ONLY TFC OF INTEREST WAS CO-ALT; 25-30 MI AWAY; AT OUR L 10 O'CLOCK POS. AT THIS POINT WE KNEW WE COULD GO UP; DOWN OR TURN AS FAR R AS NEEDED. ATC WAS ADAMANT ABOUT THE NEED TO GO L. ATC EVENTUALLY CAME BACK AND ASKED WHICH WAS WORSE; '...HITTING ANOTHER ACFT OR GOING THROUGH A TSTM.' THEN WE WERE TOLD TO DO A L 360 DEGS. IN THE TURN THAT WAS CHANGED TO A 360 DEG HDG. NO MORE THAN 10 SECONDS INTO THE TURN OR 20 DEGS L; ATC CLRED US DIRECT TO OTK (TO OUR R ABOUT 50 DEGS). BY THIS TIME THE ONLY TFC OF INTEREST ON TCAS WAS 20+ MI AWAY. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE ATC WAS PANICKED; DID A POOR JOB OF COMMUNICATING OPTIONS AND WAS UNPROFESSIONAL TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS WORSE; A TSTM OR MIDAIR. THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE AND WE HAD THE TIME TO SORT A GOOD ONE OUT. ESPECIALLY; IF ATC WOULD REPLY TO OUR CALLS MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 704525: ATC STATED 'HITTING SOMEONE WOULD BE WORSE THAN FLYING THROUGH A CLOUD.' THEN TOLD TO DO A L 360 DEGS. REFUSED AGAIN DUE TO BUILDUP; TOLD TO TURN TO 360 DEGS; 10 SECONDS LATER CLRED DIRECT TO OTK VOR. ATC WAS UNPROFESSIONAL; OFFERED NO ALTERNATIVES; EXCEPT FLYING THROUGH A TSTM. WE COULD HAVE CLBED OR TURNED R; WHICH WAS COMMUNICATED TO HER.