Atheist religious leaders
The religious prophets of atheistic religion: Friedrich Nietzsche, the greatest atheist ever, Gilbert Lewis, a prophet of modern chemical thermodynamics, the science behind physicochemical atheism, and
Christopher Hitchens, the best atheistic orator ever.
In belief systems, atheistic religion, aka “nontheistic religion”, “secular religion”, or “humanistic religion”, refers to any type of godless "working" glue that binds a group in identity and operational function; the following, generally speaking, are staple components: an atheist’s creed (e.g. Adams creed, 1863), atheistic morality (e.g. moral symbols, 1809), atheist’s bible (e.g. On the Nature of Things, 55BC; The System of Nature, 1770), an atheism genealogy (e.g. Heraclitus to Epicurus to Nietzsche) atheist church (e.g. Church of Elective Affinities, 1816; Sunday Assembly, 2013), atheist prophets (e.g. Goethe, Lewis), atheist popes (e.g. Hitchens, Dawkins), atheist preachers (e.g. Wilhelm Ostwald), atheist sermons (e.g. "Monistic Sunday Sermons", 1910), atheist Sunday school (e.g. Zerotheism for Kids, 2015), children's atheism bible (e.g. Smart Atheism: for Kids, 2016), atheist summer camps (e.g. Camp Quest, 1996), atheist commandments (categorical imperative, gold rule, etc.), evangelical atheists (e.g. Ludwig Buchner, aka the "father of German atheistic evangelism"), schools or centers of training for atheist students (e.g. Appignani Chair of Atheism) with atheist teachers (e.g. Empedocles), atheism communities (e.g. Reddit atheism (Ѻ), 2M+ members), atheist apologists (Ѻ), atheistic holidays (e.g. Darwin Day, Feb 12; Bruno Day, Feb 17, Thomas Paine Day (Jan 29) or birth day (Feb 9) (Ѻ), etc.) and or secular holidays (e.g. 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.) and god replaced with something, e.g. power defined by modern science, but NOT by god-coded conceptions such as "higher powers" or "invisible powers" (Hobbes, 1651), and wherein god theory based principles, such as "soul" or "karma", are replaced with a non-god-based equivalent (see: geniuses on soul), an atheist and or secular dating system (e.g. BG/AG), and last but not least an atheist eulogy (e.g. Aaron Freeman's "Eulogy from a Physicist") to be spoken at the time of the dereaction of a person. [1]

Atheism | Not a religion?
It is frequently asserted, particularly by religious apologists, that "atheism is a religion". This assertion then tends to be countered by the argument that "atheism, by definition, cannot possibly be a religion because atheists do not have to believe in anything to be an atheist" (i.e. "atheism is not a religion"). (Ѻ) When, however, one looks at the specifics of historical atheism types by denial and belief, this latter argument or position falls apart, i.e. unless one is a nihilistic atheist (see: nihilism).

Overview
Historically, beginning in the 19th century, and into the 20th century, many have discussed and referred to Buddhism as an "atheistic religion" (Ѻ); likewise, many have categorize various Abrahamic, e.g. Unitarian Universalists, or Brahmaic religions, e.g. Jainism, or certain “schools” of Hinduism, e.g. Charvaka, as being “atheist” or secular religions, in practice and belief outlook. These classifications, however, is an incorrect play on ideas and mis-labeling on things, as all of these sects are god-based in their respective roots (Ѻ)(Ѻ), as religio-mythology scholarship evidences.

In 1720, John Toland, in his Pantheisticon, proposed a pantheism-based civic religion, with meetings, community rituals, and secular liturgy, generally modeled on the Masonic lodges, i.e. cultish-like nonreligious citizens’ clubs. [2] This, baring digression, would have been a Spinoza’s god (god = nature) stylized religion, which many retrospectively classify as coded atheism, i.e. a worship of nature.

In 1809, Goethe published his Elective Affinities, where god is replaced by the power of nature, as defined by natural science, and where morality is replaced by the moral symbols of physical chemistry. This so-called religion, based in the theory of chemical affinity, is loosely characterized as Goetheanism, albeit this is more of a philosophy; Goethe himself said in his last year of existence: “I have found no confession of faith to which I could ally myself without reservation” (see: Goethe on religion).

In 1816, Percy Shelley, the most-famous of all British atheists, and Mary Shelley were “married”, as the latter retrospectively describes things, in the Church of Elective Affinities, a religion based on the chemical principles of elective affinities or chemical affinities, generally the same as what Goethe, independently, arrived at, previously.

In 1910, German radical atheist Wilhelm Ostwald, building on Goethe, and others, was giving his "Monistic Sunday Sermons", on how energy-based monism replaces theism, and the repercussions and details of this view; a type of natural science based atheism Sunday school, so to say, devoid of any supernatural suppositions.

In 1817, Vladimir Lenin launched Marxism, an admixture of Friedrich Engels’ term “scientific materialism” and Karl Marx’s conception of “historical materialism”, itself a mixture of Adam Smith’s theories and Epicurean philosophy, as a form of utopian-idealized forced godless religion in Russia and related communist countries; Yuri Tarnopolsky (1993), in reflection, as a scientist, i.e. self-defined “human chemist” (or pattern chemist), on his time as a Russian citizen (1936-86) and Siberian concentration camp days (1983-85), prior to his 1987 immigration to America, amid the eventual “fall of communism” in 1989 (Ѻ), summarizes this “religion” as follows: [3]

“Soviet orthodoxy [1917-1986] was shaped as a quasi-religion with Marx as God and the Spirit, Lenin as God the Father, and the party as collective God the Son.”

This religion, however, “fell” off, in 1986, after some 100-million died (dereacted), from starvation (bread lines), and other atrocities, per reason of its structural tenets, in particular its "equal works and a workers state" ideology, which goes against the general Pareto principle distribution of wealth rule of nature, as evidenced by the lazy ant study.

In the 21st century, of note, the effects of hydraism, have barred the formation of any sort of cogent "atheistic religion", in short. The only thing remotely like an "atheistic religion", seen of recent, is the Internet-based following of so-called "new atheism", the popes comically defined as follows:

“After Harris came high pope Dawkins, then cardinal Hitchens, the bishop Dennett, and then the lower and more moderate figures in this new atheist priesthood: Krauss, Stenger, Atkins, Shermer [and all the rest] e bella compagnia.”
— Bo Jinn (2013), Illogical Atheism (loc. 286)

This new so-called sect of atheistic religion, while commendable for its public openness, with its derisive mud-slinging techniques, lack of religio-mythology fundamentalism, and theory vacuity, however, has left many "embarrassed to be an atheist".

In 2016, AnswersInGenesis.com (Ken Ham) produced Atheistic and Humanistic Religions, volume three of their World Religions and Cults series, edited by Bodie Hodge and Roger Patterson, wherein they attempt to step through the various atheistic religions and humanistic religions of history, e.g. Epicureanism, materialism, naturalism, dualism, communism, to scientology; a book aimed at teaching the theist how to be “able to spot their tenets and oppose them instead of allowing them to subtly infiltrate Christianity and undermine us from within”. [4]

Jedi religion
Examples of "atheist religions". e.g. Jediism and Pastafarianism, shown on dog tags.
Jediism | Jedi religion
In 1977, George Lucas released Star Wars, with its force-based philosophy of the universe; this, soon thereafter, spawned a practiced religion called “Jediism” (Ѻ). While this "force" is fictional, e.g. based on the idea of "midichlorians", it is a step above monotheism, in mental appeasement.

Pastafarianism | FSM religion
In 2005, Bobby Henderson posited the parody god "flying spaghetti monster", and was thereafter considered the founder of parody Pastafarian faith: Pastafarianism, which he outlined in his The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (2006).

Quotes
The following are related quotes:

“I agree with those legislators and philosophers who think that some religion is necessary in a society.”
— Anon Theophrastus (c.1659), Theophrastus Redivivus (pg. 541) (Ѻ); compare: no religion

“My father’s religion was of the same kind with that of Lucretius: he regarded it with the feelings due not to mere mental delusion, but to a great moral evil. His standard of morals were Epicurean, inasmuch as it was utilitarian, taking as exclusive text of right and wrong, the tendency of actions to produce pleasure or pain.”
— John Mill (1873), Autobiography

“Cosmology is a kind of religion for intelligent atheists.”
— Stephen Hawking (c.1962), description (Ѻ) to his wife, when they first met, about himself

See also
● No religion

References
1. Thims, Libb. (2016). Smart Atheism: For Kids (pdf | 309-pgs). Publisher.
2. Hecht, Jennifer M. (2003). Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas (pg. 335). HarperOne.
3. Tarnopolsky, Yuri. (1993). Memoirs of 1984 (Amz) (pg. 135). University Press of America.
4. Hodge, Bodie and Patterson, Roger. (2016). World Religions and Cults, Volume Three: Atheistic and Humanistic Religions. New Leaf Publishing.

Further reading
● Ostrofsky, Richard E. (2003). Theology for Atheists (pdf) (Ѻ). Publisher.
● De Botton, Alain. (2012). Religion for Atheists: a Non-Believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion. McClelland.
● Buczkowski, Tom. (2016). “What Are Some Examples of Godless Religions?” (Ѻ), Quora, Jan 25.

External links
● Nontheistic religion – Wikipedia.
● Secular religions – Rational Wiki.
● Whoever said “atheism” isn’t a religion? (2017) – Reddit.

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