Isn't ethics by itself, religion?

In a Facebook post comment exchange I had responded:

I think India needs to have more of religion and ethics in the public sphere but in such a way that all religions including ethical people who do not follow any religion feel honoured. That may be easier said than done.
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That resulted in a question being posted to me:
Don't you think that ethics by itself is religion?
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I responded as follows:

No brother. Religion, IMHO, necessarily involves belief in life after death (of the body) and a divine power (an "unseen" power) which in some sense judges people (e.g. Karma in Hinduism (and also, I guess, Jainism & Buddhism)). As an example of "ethical people who do not follow any religion" you may want to see the British Humanist Association (BHA) website, https://humanism.org.uk/. I think a few top scientists in India working in institutions like Indian Institute of Science, especially those that did some higher studies in the West (e.g Ph.D. in science), are very supportive of ideas & lifestyles promoted by BHA.

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