It is obvious, or at least should be obvious to intelligent beings capable of even the slightest bit of reason that the universe did not cause itself.
And you know this ...
how?
Nothing that we know of in this universe caused itself, and so it is highly unlikely that the universe caused itself.
1.) So you've already made allowances that there may be things
that we don't currently know of in this universe that
did cause themselves?
2.) You're willing to draw conclusions about the nature of the universe itself based on the properties of the contents of the universe?
"All of the books on the bookshelf have numbered pages ... therefore it is highly unlikely that that the bookshelf doesn't have numbered pages?"
Does that follow? Isn't your argument fallacious?
And isn't there a law of thermodynamics that states that matter cannot be created or destroyed?
We know that the universe is not eternal.
How?
It had a beginning. And we refer to that beginning as the Big Bang.
Do we know that the Big Bang was a beginning, or simply a change in the state of the universe's existence?
Is it coherent to say that the singularity from which the Big Bang resulted didn't exist?
When the Big Bang occurred, the first thing that began to exist was light.
Do we actually know that with any degree of certainty? And again: Did the singularity exist prior to the Big Bang … or did it not exist? If it did exist, then why claim that light was the first thing that existed? Or (if you insist on semantic tap-dancing) the first thing that "began" to exist.
What I find most compelling is the fact that the Bible, which many people believe was inspired by God Himself declares that God had spoken, and the first thing that God said was "let there be light". And by God there was light.
The Bible also declares that the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. We know that this is demonstrably wrong.
Since the universe had a beginning, and since the universe could not have caused itself, the only reasonable answer to why the universe exists is that something, or someone created it.
1.) You haven't demonstrated that the universe had a beginning. You've only asserted that it does.
2.) You haven't demonstrated that the universe didn't cause itself. You've only asserted that it didn't.
3.) You seem to be hedging your bets when you say “reasonable answer.” Are you leaving room for the possibility that there may be an unreasonable answer?
While I cannot tell you with absolute certainty that some "thing" did not somehow cause the universe to exist. You cannot tell me with any certainty that it was not God that created the universe.
Aren't you playing with two sets of rules here? In Case A ("thing") you've demanded
absolute certainty and in Case B ("God") you've stipulated
any certainty.
Why not allow the same level of certainty in each case?
This is strong evidence for God.
An argument is evidence?
It is not proof. It is evidence, very strong evidence
Typically, isn't evidence used to support arguments? Again: Where is your evidence?
Consider the argument. Or don't. I don't care.
You've made an argument, but neglected to provide any evidence. So ...
Considered. Dismissed.