Is atheism a belief?

[Amarok]

Atheism is absolutely a belief.

Nope 

Those who say it is a mere "lack" of a belief do not know what they are talking about.

Yes they do 

Actually, atheism can be just as dogmatic as religion if not worse.

No it can't 

If we lived in a universe, in a Reality, in which there was no God, no religion, no theistic notions of any kind, then perhaps people there could be said to be atheists in the sense that they lack belief in a God.

Utter nonsense 

Problem is, this isn't that kind of universe.

Assertion 

Instead, we live in a universe where we have to "pick a side" in a sense, and order our belief systems accordingly.

Nope

Those who adopt atheism, adopt also the things which go along with atheism and the rejection of beliefs and values that don't go along with it.

Assertion 

Now, I'm not saying that materialism and atheism, for example, go hand in hand by a strict logical necessity, but a disbelief in God still carries with it a "casting off" of many notions which "gell" with it.

Again nope 

I would say that atheism in itself is not religious in anyway, but in it's relationship and application to people, it has religious overtones. At least in potential.

Not even close 

I don't know how to put this exactly. But the fact is, everything is in relationship to everything else, and atheism is not exempted from this fact. Sure, one can say it is a "lack of a belief", but it is a "lack of a belief" in-the-face-of various theisms practiced by people of respective religions, some of which religions view infidels as worthy of death. Religions that may teach that everyone has a religion in a way because we are made in the image of God except that human nature has been distorted/disfigured by sin, etc. So atheism is therefore an idol of man, hence religious.

A giant block of nope 

So already here you have a division of 'us' against 'them.' And this is incontrovertible in my view. Everything is in relationship to everything else. At least conceptually. And I think... socially, psychologically, and many other ways as well.

A giant block of nope