In the same way bald is a hair color.
No it is not. It is the exact opposite. It is an exuse for religus people to have a come back that dosn't make sense like their own religion
I think it can be used as a kind of religion. Because, religion is often there so that a person can sort of "meditate and reflect" on what they take to be true deep down. If a person deep down takes there to be no God, and they use atheistic material to sort of "affirm" their self, then I think they are acting quite sort of "religiously". Whatever you think at the deepest-most level, there isn't any real need to constantly go over that thing that one thinks deep down. Its unnecessary because, life goes on without the need for constant analysis or appraisal of what the higher reality of life and the universe might be. Some people are very enthusiastic atheists. Either they are just into expressing what they feel deep-down, or they just enjoy thinking and re-thinking on the subject of the improbability of God. I've dabbled in non-belief recently, and it's definitely a boost to how one feels to take there to be no afterlife to worry about. It took a lot of effort on my part however. It required faith. Not that all atheists are coming from a place of "faith". They might genuinely not fear the possibility of their being a God (or an equivalent belief like karma/retribution).