Reverend, I think that whether or not atheism constitutes a system of belief depends entirely on how you come to it.
If you are an atheist because the existence of God cannot be proven from observable, repeatable experiments, then I don't think that makes you much more than an empiricist. It could be possible to "believe" (I use the word colloquially here) in only things that are demonstrably factual (vice true).
Note that being an empiricist in this sense is fraught with its own problems....nor does being one imply a greater or lesser sense of reality or reason than somebody with a different viewpoint.
Folks are certainly free to disagree with my comments above. Such is the nature of argumentation.
However, the most accurate explanation of faith and belief has always seemed to me to be Kierkegaard's; belief is something you maintain in SPITE OF THE ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE, or EVIDENCE AGAINST IT.
I realize this all butts up against the absence of evidence/evidence of absence argument, but, ultimately, really, who cares?
Only apologists and atheists ;-)
"In the world of martial arts, respect is often a given. In the real world, it must be earned."
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"A conservative government is an organised hypocrisy."--Benjamin Disraeli