Because religion isn't belief in a god or gods. Religions like some forms of Buddhism are atheistic in nature.
Theism is the belief in a god or gods. Atheism is the disbelief in such things.
Religions tend to use one or the other as a core belief in its belief system, although what is more usual of religions is to have some form of belief concerning existence, the nature of the universe, meanings, etc. Religions also tend to have devotional rituals associated with them, and are largely connected with groups of people believing together, rather than any individual person's belief.
A person can believe in God, pray to that God, follow the teachings of Jesus, study the Bible, and still claim (accurately) that they are not religious in that their beliefs are personal and not part of some group dogma. They might well fall under the category of religion in regards to their actual beliefs concerning cause, nature, meaning of the universe though.
Theism is the belief in a god or gods. Atheism is the disbelief in such things.
Religions tend to use one or the other as a core belief in its belief system, although what is more usual of religions is to have some form of belief concerning existence, the nature of the universe, meanings, etc. Religions also tend to have devotional rituals associated with them, and are largely connected with groups of people believing together, rather than any individual person's belief.
A person can believe in God, pray to that God, follow the teachings of Jesus, study the Bible, and still claim (accurately) that they are not religious in that their beliefs are personal and not part of some group dogma. They might well fall under the category of religion in regards to their actual beliefs concerning cause, nature, meaning of the universe though.
