Because of it's central role in so many religions, many religious believers confuse theism with religion itself. This is a mistake, though, and no one with a decent understanding of both theism and religion would reach such a conclusion. The best way to recognize how and why it's a mistake to treat theism like a religion is to examine the basic characteristics of religions and compare them to theism.
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Most people in the West today treat belief in supernatural beings — usually, but not always, gods — as the most fundamental and important characteristic of religions. There are few religions that don't teach belief in supernatural beings and most religions are founded upon it. Theism is belief in supernatural beings — gods, specifically. However, being a belief in supernatural beings is not the same as teaching belief in supernatural beings. Theism is merely a state of belief, it's not a system of beliefs.
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Separating sacred and profane objects, places, and times is used by religious believers so they can focus on transcendental values and/or the existence of a supernatural realm. Theism does not exclude or require believing in things that are "sacred" for the purpose of worshiping gods, though if you do believe in gods chances are good you also believe that something is sacred.
What's important here, though, is the fact that believing in sacred objects, places, or times is not necessary for theism because it has nothing to say on the matter.
It can only be a function of other beliefs which a person has in addition to their theism.
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If a person believes in something sacred, they probably engage in associated rituals. As with the very existence of a category of "sacred" things, though, there is nothing about theism which requires having rituals of any sort. Rituals aren't a part of theism itself; as with belief in sacred things, rituals involving sacred things can only be a function of other beliefs which a person has in addition to theism.
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Religions teach moral codes which are usually based upon transcendental and supernatural beliefs. Theists have moral codes and it it's probably common for them to think that those codes are related in some way to whatever gods they believe in. Indeed, it's probably unusual for even non-religious theists to have moral codes that are completely independent of their gods. However, there is nothing about theism which requires this or which requires any particular moral code.
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The vaguest characteristic of religion is the experience of "religious feelings" like awe, a sense of mystery, adoration, and even guilt. Religions encourage such feelings, especially in the presence of sacred objects and places, and these feelings are usually connected to the presence of the supernatural. Theists may or may not experience such feelings, but those feelings are neither promoted nor discouraged by theism itself.
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Belief in supernatural beings like gods doesn't amount to much if you can't communicate with them, so religions which teach that gods exist naturally also teach how to talk to them — usually with some form of prayer or other ritual. Theists believe in at least one god so it's likely that they would also try to communicate with whatever gods they believe in. What's most important, though, is that theism doesn't teach or encourage prayer in any form and it's possible to believe that a god exists without seeking communication.
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Religions are never just a collection of isolated and unrelated beliefs. Religions are entire worldviews based upon those beliefs and around which people organize their lives. Theists naturally have worldviews as well, but theism itself isn't a worldview and doesn't promote any one worldview. Theists have different ideas about how to live because they have different philosophies or religions. Theism is not a philosophy or ideology, but it can be part of a philosophy, ideology, or religion.
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A few believers follow their religion in isolated ways, but religions typically involve complex social organizations of believers who join each other for worship, rituals, prayer, etc. Theists belong to a variety of groups and many may belong to religious congregations if they are religious theists. However, there isn't any one organization which welcomes theists of all sorts — these organizations are based around the additional beliefs which people have in addition to their theism.
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Some of these characteristics of religion are more important than others, but none is so important that it alone can cause a system to be a religion. If theism lacked one or two of these characteristics, then it would be a religion. If lacked five or six, then it might qualify as metaphorically religious, in the sense of how people follow baseball religiously.
The truth is that theism lacks every one of these characteristics of religion except the first. Otherwise, theism is merely associated with the other characteristics. There's a huge difference, however, between being associated with some characteristic and actually having that characteristic.
Theism doesn't explicitly exclude any of these characteristics, but the same can be said for almost anything. Thus, it's not reasonable to call theism a religion. Theism can be part of a religion and is indeed often part of a religion, but it can't be a religion by itself. They are completely different categories: theism is the presence of belief in at least one god of some sort while religion is a complex web of traditions and beliefs. They aren't even remotely comparable.
So why might someone think that theism is a religion? Ignorance, for one. Despite how common religion is most people don't seem to understand it very well as a general subject. There's probably even less understanding of theism, even though most people are themselves theists. You can see this by how many people think theism is the same as monotheism, defining theism as belief in just one god with particular attributes. That, however, would mean that polytheists aren't theists which is just absurd.
This is somewhat understandable because most people don't have any contact with any other sort of theism but the western, philosophical monotheism one finds with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It's also a sign, though, of how little they really understand about theism as a general concept. With so little understanding of theism and religion, it's no wonder that some confuse the two.
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Belief in Supernatural Beings
Most people in the West today treat belief in supernatural beings — usually, but not always, gods — as the most fundamental and important characteristic of religions. There are few religions that don't teach belief in supernatural beings and most religions are founded upon it. Theism is belief in supernatural beings — gods, specifically. However, being a belief in supernatural beings is not the same as teaching belief in supernatural beings. Theism is merely a state of belief, it's not a system of beliefs.
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Sacred vs Profane Objects, Places, Times
Separating sacred and profane objects, places, and times is used by religious believers so they can focus on transcendental values and/or the existence of a supernatural realm. Theism does not exclude or require believing in things that are "sacred" for the purpose of worshiping gods, though if you do believe in gods chances are good you also believe that something is sacred.
What's important here, though, is the fact that believing in sacred objects, places, or times is not necessary for theism because it has nothing to say on the matter.
It can only be a function of other beliefs which a person has in addition to their theism.
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Ritual Acts Focused on Sacred Objects, Places, Times
If a person believes in something sacred, they probably engage in associated rituals. As with the very existence of a category of "sacred" things, though, there is nothing about theism which requires having rituals of any sort. Rituals aren't a part of theism itself; as with belief in sacred things, rituals involving sacred things can only be a function of other beliefs which a person has in addition to theism.
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Moral Code With Supernatural Origins
Religions teach moral codes which are usually based upon transcendental and supernatural beliefs. Theists have moral codes and it it's probably common for them to think that those codes are related in some way to whatever gods they believe in. Indeed, it's probably unusual for even non-religious theists to have moral codes that are completely independent of their gods. However, there is nothing about theism which requires this or which requires any particular moral code.
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Characteristically Religious Feelings
The vaguest characteristic of religion is the experience of "religious feelings" like awe, a sense of mystery, adoration, and even guilt. Religions encourage such feelings, especially in the presence of sacred objects and places, and these feelings are usually connected to the presence of the supernatural. Theists may or may not experience such feelings, but those feelings are neither promoted nor discouraged by theism itself.
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Prayer and Other Forms of Communication
Belief in supernatural beings like gods doesn't amount to much if you can't communicate with them, so religions which teach that gods exist naturally also teach how to talk to them — usually with some form of prayer or other ritual. Theists believe in at least one god so it's likely that they would also try to communicate with whatever gods they believe in. What's most important, though, is that theism doesn't teach or encourage prayer in any form and it's possible to believe that a god exists without seeking communication.
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A Worldview & Organization of One's Life Based on the Worldview
Religions are never just a collection of isolated and unrelated beliefs. Religions are entire worldviews based upon those beliefs and around which people organize their lives. Theists naturally have worldviews as well, but theism itself isn't a worldview and doesn't promote any one worldview. Theists have different ideas about how to live because they have different philosophies or religions. Theism is not a philosophy or ideology, but it can be part of a philosophy, ideology, or religion.
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A Social Group Bound Together by the Above
A few believers follow their religion in isolated ways, but religions typically involve complex social organizations of believers who join each other for worship, rituals, prayer, etc. Theists belong to a variety of groups and many may belong to religious congregations if they are religious theists. However, there isn't any one organization which welcomes theists of all sorts — these organizations are based around the additional beliefs which people have in addition to their theism.
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Comparing and Contrasting Theism & Religion
Some of these characteristics of religion are more important than others, but none is so important that it alone can cause a system to be a religion. If theism lacked one or two of these characteristics, then it would be a religion. If lacked five or six, then it might qualify as metaphorically religious, in the sense of how people follow baseball religiously.
The truth is that theism lacks every one of these characteristics of religion except the first. Otherwise, theism is merely associated with the other characteristics. There's a huge difference, however, between being associated with some characteristic and actually having that characteristic.
Theism doesn't explicitly exclude any of these characteristics, but the same can be said for almost anything. Thus, it's not reasonable to call theism a religion. Theism can be part of a religion and is indeed often part of a religion, but it can't be a religion by itself. They are completely different categories: theism is the presence of belief in at least one god of some sort while religion is a complex web of traditions and beliefs. They aren't even remotely comparable.
So why might someone think that theism is a religion? Ignorance, for one. Despite how common religion is most people don't seem to understand it very well as a general subject. There's probably even less understanding of theism, even though most people are themselves theists. You can see this by how many people think theism is the same as monotheism, defining theism as belief in just one god with particular attributes. That, however, would mean that polytheists aren't theists which is just absurd.
This is somewhat understandable because most people don't have any contact with any other sort of theism but the western, philosophical monotheism one finds with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It's also a sign, though, of how little they really understand about theism as a general concept. With so little understanding of theism and religion, it's no wonder that some confuse the two.
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