A pantheistic argument.

[Edwardo Piet]

The word "deity" derives from the Latin "dea"-"goddess", and "deus"-"god"[...]

Okay then we'll assume that "god" and "deity" are completely interchangeable then, rather than "deity" being a particular definition of god. It's irrelevant anyway because it doesn't actually change my argument.

[...]perhaps you just "believe" that the universe exists..and that leads me to ask you why you deigned to call it god in the first place?

I believe that the universe exists. So, if god is the universe I'm a theist. If god isn't the universe I'm an atheist because I don't believe in any other kinds of gods.

Not if you're calling that thing a god.

I'm not calling "that thing" (the universe in this case) a god. I'm calling god the universe. I just label it as "god" in one case and don't in the other. In both cases I'm simply believing in the universe. My beliefs are identical. So, since my beliefs are identical, and since atheism and theism is a difference of belief, there is no difference between my theism and atheism they're just different labels.

I think your beliefs are confused.

See above.

Which is god.

No, I'm not saying the universe is god. I'm saying god is the universe.

I think that it would make a hell of alot of difference if we were interested in consistency.

There is a difference in the labels but I already admitted to that, there is no difference in the belief and that is what I am saying, and that is what I'm explaining.

In god....which you believe in, yes?

I believe in god if god means the universe. If god means the universe then I also assume that you believe in god, correct?

You don't seemed to have removed god in the argument you offered.....

Then I believe you have missed my logic. I have changed the labels but not the definition because the fundamental difference in the definitions have been removed because they're both dependent upon a difference of belief. If there is no difference of belief then there is no difference because that is the fundamental part of the definition required for there to be a difference.

If all the atheists started defining god as a carrot and professing belief in it they would be theists.

Not if they are believing in the same thing as theists, i.e carrots.