In Surfer magazine they had an article asking if surfing was a religion. they asked priests, people, even a rabbi. they all answered no as you would expect, but the surprising thing is that they all agreed that surfing is only missing one thing to be a religion which is; worshiping a being or having a god. Thereʻs a practice, surfing, we have a place of worship, ocean. Just no higher being. Atheists have no ruler and donʻt believe in a god. They could not worship anybody or anything in any matter because it would then turn it into a religion. so no, it canʻt be a religion. And for the people that are religious i donʻt hate you guys just donʻt try to push what you were taught and forced to listen to as a child on me. My people, Hawaiians, are not from Europe therefor my ancestors were not christian/catholic and neither am I.....