The more the better.

thank god science.

I'm an athiest in practice but I still follow god's laws. I follow the commandments as best as I can and I do as much as I can to help others out.

Most of Japan is athiest too, but they still are very shinto oriented, even in atheism.

Atheism a religion?

IMO, Atheism should be called Science.

Glad to hear it.

That's one of the most confusing things I've  read. Excuse my lack of understanding on the subject, but isn't atheism not believing in a higher creation (God) ... or religion for that matter?

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Which is probably the saddest thing about this article. The fact that atheists need to join these groups because they feel they are under-represented and discriminated against. Alone, a single person has no power to stand up for themselves, but couple a group with organisation and you have the power to fundamentally change how people view atheists... for better or worse.

As for the religion vs atheism thing, religion does give you guidelines, rituals (e.g. prayer), things you're meant to have faith in and you will always be able to enter a Church to worship. You don't have to do any of this yet still class yourself as part of that religion of course, but it is implied and recommended. The fact that you are an indivdual and don't do everything you're supposed to isn't really the point. An organisation is present telling you what you should do.

Atheism is the lack of faith and belief in a higher power meaning you don't have any recommendations or rules or rituals or even religious traditions. The fact that atheists are grouping together in the USA seems to me to be out of necessity due to reasons stated in the first paragraph.

I'll start by respectfully disagreeing with your definition of religion.  i just went to an online dictionary and the number 1 definition is:

               a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe

Regardless of how you want to define it, this is basically the definition i go by.  but since you ask, pi day (march 14th) is sort of a religious holiday for me; i eat pie and reflect on my beliefs. 

think of it this way, i'm not like the many people who call themselves atheists because they stopped going to church or don't give a shit. i spent a lot of time researching christianity before leaving the church followed by a lot of time researching other religions (mainly buddhism) before coming to the decision that I do not believe in a God.  I take my beliefs very seriously and I consider it my religion.

In my opinion, as a solid athiest, I'm pleased that this is happening.

In London there was an athiest campaign which was funded by public donations. It was awesome. Wish they'd do it again, i loved the sentiment.

That's my thoughts. I'm an agnostic, and have always found that atheists and christians are terrible about forcing their view points down the throats of each other. The truth of the matter is and will most likely always remain, that the truth is not known when it comes to creation, so why bother fighting about it. Religion divides people and that is the only other truth that I cling to.

Only 15% of the people in the US are atheists?

So, 85% of them believe in some sort of God? Wow. O_O