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Okay... atheism is a rejection of religion. Perhaps atheism doesn't have all the trappings of religion.

Good, glad we can agree on something.

What it has is the psychology of religion: The belief in a certain way that the universe works. A range of strength of belief from those who it matters little to, to those who believe so strongly that they see anyone who disbelieves as foolish or evil.

What in the heck do those things have to do with "the psychology of a religion"? *Everyone* has some sort of "belief in a certain way that the universe works" -- that isn't "the psychology of religion", that's universal human nature. Nor is "a range of strength of belief" in [any particular idea] any kind of hallmark of "the psychology of religion", because that *too* is a universal trait -- just about *all* ideas are believed over a wide range by different people. The things you point out have nothing to do with "religion" and everything to do with ordinary human behavior.

Religion is the way many (most?) people organize their sense of morality and their expectation of how themselves and others should act. When they are atheists, some other set of beliefs must fill the role of religion.

For some, that belief system could be called Darwinism. Yes, I know, evolutionary theory has passed beyond Darwin. But Christianity, likewise is practiced, in its various forms, as per the teachings and modifications of St. Augustus, Martin Luther, Joseph Smith, etc. etc. etc., while still being Christianity. Other atheists choose other guiding principals than Darwin. Other theists choose other religions that Christianity. For that matter, some people work with a mishmash of sometimes conflicting beliefs.

So atheism is not a religion, per se, any more than theism is. Both are classes of belief systems. However there are certain atheistic beliefs that fill the role that others fill with theistic beliefs that are classed as religions. These atheistic belief systems that fulfill the roles of religion -- Dare I call them atheistic religions? Is there another term that could be used? -- are as potentially subject to closed-mindedness, doctrinairism, fundamentalism, and being used as an excuse for tyranny, as theistic religions.

Is is possible to believe in evolution without it taking on the role of a religion. Heck, I believe evolution at least played a major role in the development of life on Earth. But is also possible for a scientific belief in evolution to become the atheistic religion of Darwinism. And for some Darwinists to become fundamentalists, in the manner that Richard Dawkins has.

In that, I consider Johnson's article to be on-target.