I didn't say it did. I said "for example". Let's review. 'For example' is a very common phrase used to introduce something chosen as a typical case or a demonstration. It draws a parallel as an explanation. It's a rough equivalence not an exact facsimile.

🙄

Now that that's out of the way ...

You're conflating meanings of the words opinion and claim and getting in a guff over it when you respond in that way.

There's some overlap in that both are statements typically made without evidence or about which the facts are in dispute.

But they are not exactly the same.

Opinions are more associated with being a view or judgement about something or someone or it's an estimation of the quality or worth of someone or something.

Claims, on the other hand are more associated with making an assertion of truth and there's a hint that you think you are owed in some fashion the right to assert that 'truth' without evidence.

When you demand, for example, that someone provide evidence for what they have claimed directly in response to you having asked for their opinion as though they mean the same thing, you've basically lost good faith because you're accusing them of elitist, supremacist snobbishness for stating an honest opinion and not making a claim.

Before getting your knickers in a twist, you didn't give specifics about the conversation you referenced, so that's irrelevant. I'm speaking in generalities because I've just noticed in commentary....not just you, not even specifically you (your comment just sparked the train of thought)...that these two words are being used interchangeably and they are not interchangeable.

They don't even show up as synonyms to each other in Google (from Oxford Languages). In fact if you do look at synonyms of each of them, you see that opinion tracks as a neutral word but claim tracks as a more aggressive or assertive word. Ergo, there's a weight disparity or lack of proportion.

To use another example of how the slide from one to the other lands and how ridiculous this gets....

Jackass: "Which type of coke do you think is best?"

🎯 🐟 "Dr. Pepper is the best! Definitely!"

Jackass: "You have no proof that Dr Pepper is a Coke! You have no right to make claims without evidence as though they are fact. What are your facts?!?"

🎯 🐟 " Umm...."

. . .

See how that shit works? Clearly asked for an opinion, didn't specify nor consider regional differences in descriptor word use (some people say coke, some say cola, others say pop) and then blasts some innocent fish for their anecdotal opinion that only applies to them and makes further demands of their time based on aggrieved feelings about their opinion. As you can see it's like asking someone to share their thoughts and then hitting them over the head with a sledgehammer for doing so because they dared diverge from your opinion.

Regarding God, beliefs and opinions are not facts. Nor are they evidence. It's arguable if they even require evidence, especially when said "evidence" is really just more belief and opinions or impressions.