"When you don't believe in God..........

[maurile]

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In other words, there are more categories than just those who believe in a distinct supreme being authority and those who only recognize their own "authority".

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Of course. My post about Britney Spears earlier in this thread was not a joke.

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couldn't we say that these Buddhists don't believe in a supreme being sort of god, but do believe in a power outside of themselves

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Not in my opinion. The fundamental way to judge whether or not a view is an accordance with the Buddhist doctrine, regardless of the tradition (well, in most cases) is the recognition (note I intentionally do not use believe here)of the three main "marks" or aspects of existence: dukkha, anatta and anicca (roughly translated: suffering, no-self and inpermanence).

To expand a little: "all life is suffering" (in the widest meaning of the word), "there is no such things that corresponds to a concept of enduring self" and "everything is subject to change".

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In other words, there are more categories than just those who believe in a distinct supreme being authority and those who only recognize their own "authority".

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Indeed a consequence of 1) above, in the sense that deepening a Buddhist understanding, is the shedding of all beliefs to get to a point of no beliefs, where the question of authority, internal or external, does not even come into play.

Hope this clarifies things,

Kind regards

MidGe