A Small Census

[jstrodel]

Secondly, there are no practical effects stemming from 'atheism'. Atheism is simply a small aspect of a person's philosophy and that is not the same for all atheists.

This is self evidently wrong. De jure is a legal term but it is widely used in philosophical contexts. The question of what something is by law or by definition is important, but the question of what something is in fact, is also important.

To become an atheist obviously is one of the most important decisions that people make in their whole life, that will vastly affect the way that they see their responsibilities to others and the role they have in the world, which virtually every society in history has considered to be the most important part of being human.

Do you really think that atheism has only "a small" effect on peoples understanding of the world? I would guess that this is common in people who do not emphasize daily practice and integrate their worldview in what they do, and who do not make serious efforts to ensure that their morality is always adhered to. Obviously the decision to reject God as a justifying principle for morality is one of the most important aspects of atheism, whether it directly specifies an understanding of morality or not.