In my opinion, a religion consists of the following:-
1. Belief in the afterlife
2. Belief in disembodied minds, eg gods, souls, spirits.
3. A code of behaviour
4. A stick and carrot to enforce this code
5. A priesthood
6. A set of rituals
So Atheism is not a religion -- Eamonn Shute
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If Atheism is a religion, then I’m going to not collect stamps and call it a hobby.
--Matthew Lehman
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I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you
dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.
~ Stephen F. Roberts 1967