star wars - Why were the ways of the Force considered a "religion" in the Galaxy Far Far Away during ANH by non-Force-users?

For some reason, the ways of the Force are nearly universally considered a religion in the Galaxy Far Far Away during year 0 BBY by "laymen" (e.g. non-Jedi-nor-Sith):

Han Solo: Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

Motti: Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels' hidden fort- [grasps his throat as if he is being choked]

Tarkin: The Jedi are extinct. Their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion.

Why exactly was it considered "religion"? (by people who were not Jedi or Sith who had no idea about the spiritual components of it).

There was no deity nor worship which usually define religion. As a matter of fact, aside from the Jedi and the Sith internal beliefs themselves, there was no spiritual angle at all (this is an important point. Yoda may have known about spirituality and life after death thing. But Han Solo couldn't have known, neither did Motti).

The way I see it, to the rest of the galaxy, the ways of the Force were more akin to magic as practiced by Uri Geller or Houdini - a somewhat supernatural-seeming set of tricks with no spiritual component. Nobody ever referred to such people/movements as "religions" in real life.

Answer

The entire galaxy seems to have suffered an immense bout of amnesia about the Jedi - people who could have and should have known Jedi act as if they have no knowledge of them at all.

All that most people know of them, especially people who never saw or interacted of them before the Empire rose, is what they've heard.

The Jedi were an exclusive order, known for being wise. They could preform miracles, and professed a faith and belief in something that the average person could not see or feel.

They promised a form of everlasting life after death (becoming 'one with the Force'), lived in a massive Temple, and the meaning and reasons for much that they did was non-obvious to most people.

In short, the Jedi were all followers of the same religion. The Sith were followers of a different version of this religion. The only difference between their religion and the religions we have today are that the Jedi and Sith can use their belief to preform repeatable, measurable actions.

Give it a generation for the rest of what they said and did to fade into the mists of time (you can bet the Emperor didn't let much in the way of official records remain) and 'religion' becomes a very apt description of them.