I think it is important to note that both views are too generalized. Atheism literally means "without a god". Many branches of buddhism are atheistic, in that there is no god or divine creator, just the advancement of creation to Nirvana and a state of being Buddha. Many who do not believe in any god believe very devotedly in aliens, fortune telling, etc. Even non-religious folks still find spiritual connection through nature. Many people may act ritualistic in settings that are not traditionally considered religious, such as in fraternal organizations, concerts, political gatherings and dogma, etc. My point is that atheism is too broad a category to rule it as a religion or not a religion. There are many subsets, and in reality many of those subsets contain elements which could be construed as religious in a sense.