Hi @rynow,

I wanted to elaborate on your comment about atheism and hopefully engage in a discussion. I found a good article that might help explain the relationship between Buddhism and the belief in God. Here is the excerpt, link below:

"If atheism is the absence of belief in a God or gods, then many Buddhists are, indeed, atheists.

Buddhism is not about either believing or not believing in God or gods. Rather, the historical Buddha taught that believing in gods was not useful for those seeking to realize enlightenment. In other words, God is unnecessary in Buddhism, as this is a practical religion and philosophy that emphasizes practical results over faith in beliefs or deities.

For this reason, Buddhism is more accurately called nontheistic rather than atheistic."
Link: https://www.thoughtco.com/atheism-and-devotion-in-buddhism-449718

So it's not that Buddhists do or do not believe in God, but rather, they do not see it as a necessary precondition for achieving lasting peace. Buddhism does not focus on any sort of deity as a result. So while you are correct that a Buddhist who doesn't believe in God is an "atheist" in the literal sense, the description doesn't necessarily accurately represent Buddhism or its core teachings.

Let me know your thoughts!
Cheers.