Commonalities Between Religions

I was thinking yesterday about the requirements for something to be a religion.  I don't know if they are requirements but it seems that all religions have certain commonalities.  For instance they have an explanation for how we all got here, a moral code, and an explanation of what will happen after we die.  Past, present, future. They have sacred scriptures in literate societies which are the codified versions of the stories and laws which were originally oral.  There is (almost?) always a single person who is held up as the best of the ancestors. 

So far, I would say that atheism fits this description fairly well.   I'd imagine that most atheists would dispute that the Origin of the Species is a sacred text, but that's because they can't call anything sacred.  If anything were sacred, that would be. 

My question is about ceremonies.  In part of our need for worship and continuity with the past, we have a built in need for ceremonies.  Does atheism have ceremonies?  What other commonalities are there?

The Rich Young Man

Yesterday I read Why I am a Christian by John Stott.  I thought he did an excellent job of summarizing some of the main reasons to be a Christian.  At one point he mentioned CS Lewis' description that Jesus was Lunatic, Liar, or Lord and how Jesus didn't leave open the option of being a good moral teacher.  I wonder if Jesus is directly addressing this question in Mark 10:18?  I also saw three other things when I reread the story (it's always interesting to find new things in a passage you've read so many times before).  First, the young man just called him 'Teacher' the second time he addressed him (thanks, Anna, for pointing that out).  Next, I hadn't noticed the NIV footnote on verse 24 making the distinction between those who have riches and those who trust in riches.  Third, Jesus mentioned fields in v 29, 30.  Does it count if we've left the fields of Oregon for the urban jungle of  Mexico City?