Atheism is the absence of belief in the existence of deities. It is also defined as the rejection of the belief that any deities exist. Atheism is not a belief system, nor is it a religion. It is simply a lack of belief in gods, and it does not answer any other question about what a person believes. Atheism is often confused with agnosticism, which is the view that the existence of God, or the supernatural, is unknown or unknowable.
Measuring atheism can be complicated, as some people who describe themselves as atheists also say they believe in some kind of higher power or spiritual force. However, the vast majority of U.S. atheists do not believe in God or a higher power or in a spiritual force of any kind. Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.
Atheism is protected by many of the same Constitutional rights that protect religion. However, that does not mean that atheism is itself a religion. Despite the fact that atheism is not a religion, it is often the subject of discrimination and prejudice.
