I would like to briefly discuss what I believe to be a serious logical problem for theism, and I would be interested in reading responses. The problem lies with the answer to the question "Who created God?" The most common answers I hear from theists is that God is uncreated, or that he is somehow "the uncaused cause of the universe." But, if it is the case that God does not need a cause, then why does the universe need a cause? In other words, why not just save a step and state that the universe is uncaused, rather than arbitrarily declaring that an uncaused metaphysical entity caused the universe? Essentially, I am illustrating how the First Cause argument for God's existence fails. In this sense, atheists and theists hold a fairly similar position. Atheists must deal with the problem of what caused the universe to come into being. Theists, however, in attempting to resolve this conundrum, have only created more difficult problems, now needing to deal with the conundrum involving the cause of God. It is quite obvious that there is no end to this conundrum, we could continue to invent an infinite hierarchy of "supergods" that caused each other, but in the end, we would be left with an infinite regression of causes which is illogical. To me, the simplest answer to the question about our ultimate origin is that we don't know. But, if we are to state that any entity is uncaused, it seems to me to be most logical to avoid any suppositions, and just regard the universe itself as an uncaused entity.
Actually, while you think it a serious problem, it is no problem at all - except in the way you perceive things, and usually perception is where the crux lies always.
First, on an aside, if you communicate with your parents, and ask your father by phone, e.g., to go to your aprt and do something there for you that you cannot do for yourself since you are on a distant vacation, you will know that this was your father having done this when you come home and find the assistance rendered. Won't you! Similarly, we get specific, as in per request as asked for, assistance at times when we pray. In this we know that God exists. Aside end.
As to your statement that either the universe always existed being as likely as God having always existed there is this to think about:
since we exist and can think and act, this implies, is evidence for in a cause and effect reality that there is a cause having effected our existence. Once this is admitted, the cause may be seen to extend into a past that is infinite.
This brings us down to the nitty-gritty. We now agree that for us to exist we have a causality extending into the infinite past without any beginning. I believe firmly in a cause and effect; i.e. if I see a toothpick on the beach lying in the sand, I know immediately it is manufactured (it even carries the imprint of manufacturing) even when it is in this simplest of forms. The organisms that manufacture things on earth are humans, thus it is obviously of human origin with a purpose designed for human use. If then our biological forms also carry the 'tool-marks' of ID, then it must be so; it just isn't done by humans and for human use (so to say) but is by an entity exist before us. We believe this entity has given us revelations to show us that He is God and what His purpose is.
If you want to dismiss cause and effect - that is your problem, not mine. My logic does not permit it. Here a pertinent question might be: what does this gain you? Except the approval of your peers that toot the same, that is. My beliefs carries clear and demonstrable gains personally and for others. The dismissal of divine morality and of God's wrath for doing evil - is at the root of the evil we see in the world today, terrorism, the killing of so many innocent in other manners, etc.
