Does capitalizing "atheism" affirm religious people's assertions that it's a...

[MellamMeru]

Because it's a proper noun...meaning the name of a person place or thing which in the english language is capitalized. Your name is one example, so is the name of a country, the title of someone, buildings, monuments, documents, holidays, week days, languages, religions, vehicles, brand names, groups and scriptures from all religions.

[Strange]

...religion? Why do people capitalize it if it's a lack of belief? These same people seem to get irritated when others say, "That's your religion." They say "It's not a religion!" and go on to capitalize the word as if it's a religion. Can you elaborate?
I'm not insulting atheists in any way. I'm just saying that it seems counterproductive to their cause to capitalize a lack of belief.
I understand it's not a religion. It also should not be capitalized. We capitalize Catholicism, but not apathy. We capitalize Islam, but not agnostic. You see?
Capitalization doesn't always mean something's a religion, but in the R&S section, it seems useless to the cause.

[ReflectingontheForce]

I don't get it. Its not a religion because the definition of religion is (1 belief in a supernatural phenomenon and 2) custom, tradition or conduct carried out in observance of that supernatural phenomenon. Atheism denies the supernatural and accordingly it is not a religion. Nevertheless, it is a belief system if you want to poke fingers.

[PirateAM™]

I only capitalize it when it starts a sentence. I rarely see atheists capitalizing it on R&S. And it does not have to be a religion in order to capitalize it, it could be considered a proper name (which it is).

[childofatlantis]

By the act of capitalization they are giving it some significance, since for most religious people it is a big deal that someone would not believe in God. I almost always capitalize words of importance to me, such as Truth, Love, Faith and God.

[BillM]

Are you suggesting that capitalization implies religion???

[TheDevil'sReject]

Perhaps or perhaps they are just not aware it shouldn't be capitalized unless it starts a sentence.

[Pheonix//Coro]

Why do we capitalise names? Or words at the start of a sentence?

By capitalising it, it is given some importance, as if it were the name of a group of people or something like that. No, by making an 'a' into an 'A' we do not suddenly change it into a religion.

Please think about what you ask before you ask it. Atheists do not have a RELIGION. They have their own set of beliefs outside of religion, however. Why when we use the word belief do we assume it has to be religion or nothing?

[treppab]

it is a religion, because it is a set of beliefs on non-beliefs

[AB]

They need someone to persecute, hate, feel morally superior to.