And I do term it an article, because this is somehow worthier than being called a blog (that word conjures images of being smashed over the head with a large object).

I think your article can best be summed up by the question that you ask, "After all, if God is Ethics, and you have no God, how can you possibly have ethics?" My response would simply be- IS God Ethics?

You see, if someone knows the difference between right and wrong, and they choose right, this is ethics. And then of course, you have to declare what is right and what is wrong. Each and every religion, including atheism, has a variance of the Golden Rule (which I believe predates Christianity). For some it is "Play nicely with others so they will play nicely with you." For some it is "Don't screw with me or I'll cut you, just like I expect you would do to me if I gave you half a chance." Therefore, I would have two answers to the question, "Is God Ethics?" First, if an atheist can act in a manner which is "right" then A does not equal B, and Ethics exists outside of God. Second, if the followers of whatever God can act in a manner that is "wrong" then God exists as a separate entity from Ethics. The Christians recognize this as "free will".

And I do term it an article

Well, thanks. I guess the kind of "this is what my fish did to me today" blog content one often sees just isn't me.

a variance of the Golden Rule (which I believe predates Christianity)

That is my understanding as well. It is present in Judaism and other middle Eastern religious systems, if memory serves, and is an inversion of the principle of retaliation ("an eye for an eye" - which I gather is to be read as "ONLY an eye for an eye" ...)

you have to declare what is right and what is wrong

This, I think, lies at the source of a religion's power. Because you don't have to work out what's right and wrong all the time. You have somebody, some group, some Book, to tell you. Thus, God may not BE Ethics in the sense I think you mean, but if you accept that Flavor X of God IS Ethics, then you've just saved yourself a whole lot of work. All you have to do is follow. And hope the leader doesn't decide to try to fly from a cliff. :)