So this guy I found on YouTube put it so well that I have to steal it: Atheism is a religion as much as not collecting stamps is a hobby. So to answer the question, no, atheism is not a religion as it's the complete lack of it.
When I say God is cruel, etc, I mean were he real, the bible outlines (in my view) times in which he is cruel, unjust, merciless, and inconsistent, but I was always told he was none of those things.
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Nah, I wouldn't consider myself the least bit agnostic. I still find myself wondering if there's a higher power causing bad things to happen to me, but really, I know there isn't. This is what I consider magical thinking left over from all my years being in the church. They get you when you're young and your mind is malleable and spend years brainwashing you. It's work to deny God every day, lol.
Hey, no worries! We're all only human here.
I don't hate religion, btw. I understand it gives people hope thinking that there's something on the other side. There's something greater than this. There's not, but if that helps someone carry on another day and gives them purpose (without infringing on the rights of others, I might add), then power to them.