[elektikaka]

I guess this can get abstract, when we start talking semantics. Is an atheist simply "without belief" or is "atheism" label strictly "without religion?" I guess the latter would be the common answer, but I don't see it so simply.

I think Atheism is the term that refers to a person without a religion or a person that doesn't believe in GOD or the creator as religion states.

Religion is not just a set of believes it is also a philosophy on creation and the almighty ( GOD )

there are different kind of believes and if an Atheist thinks that creation was done by coincidence and big bang was self initiated and there is no god that means that this person doesn't believe in god and doesn't believe in a religion because religions tell us that there is a god that initiated the big bang and the creation whereas the atheist says there is no GOD and the whole big bang was self initiation like the Mushrooms that don't need to be planted but happen to grow like that.

I cannot separate religion from fundamental beliefs; they're one in the same to me. What do we call a person who believes in a higher being, but follows no religion?

I can, not every belief deserves to be a religion and not every belief is related to a religion, sometimes believes come from our own self and consciousness and what we want to believe or think might be the case for something.

a belief in god also doesn't make you belong to a religion because there are a bunch of Rituals related to religion, there are a bunch of philosophies and other concepts related to religions.

Religion is more like a set of Believes, believing in God, Angels, Heaven, Hell, Judgement day, equality, Humanity etc etc...

Belief =/= Religion

If by religion, you strictly mean those found in a book, regardless of general beliefs or non-religious spirituality, then I'm more inclined to revise my answer and say: "ethnicity is more important in my life, since I don't believe any strict religion 100% at the moment - thus my answer cannot be religion either way."

yes that is exactly what I mean.

well then your answer can't be Ethnicity either cuz you same as me tend to say BOTH and both contradict each other.

I think they're connected, and I can't understand how they cannot be. Consider that "ethnicity" is very loosely defined to begin with, and incredibly inclusive - broadly it is just a common nationality, culture, race, or religion a group shares. Even considering that not all ethnicities are defined by religion (though many are) ethnicity and nationality inevitably influence your religion regardless.

They are not connected, because Ethnicity is about your own culture, traditions, race, customs, language whereas Religion is about the faith in god and that particular religion and Language customs and stuff that Ethnicity is concerned with don't matter AT ALL whereas Ethnicity without those things can't exist.

and as you said not all Ethnicities are defined by religion, many are but many are not, Religion is part of Ethnicity but that religion also will contradict you when it tells you that you are a brother with the one that has the same religion as you and Ethnicity is not important AT ALL.

For example, what are the odds that I, and African American would be a Buddhist versus a Christian, considering history and location? Definitely interwoven, without a doubt, just not strictly so.

I am not talking about the odds that you can be a Buddhist or something else, I am taking about even if you are Buddhist then it will still tell you that a Buddhist is a bro to a Buddhist doesn't matter if that guy is Albo, German, Chinese or Indian, whereas Ethnicity will tell you that you are a bro to the ones that you are related by Culture, Language, DNA, Customs.