-...No, many atheists believe the universe "began". Some scientists have apparently recently proposed that corrections to the theory of relativity suggest that it has always existed and always will - but this has yet to be either verified or disproven. That's the thing about science. It doesn't assume anything to start with and builds its conclusions on evidence.
"Aaah, but it is the Explanation for "amazing" that counts. :-)"
Ignoring the passive-aggressive smilies that the OP uses to back up assertions they can't prove... Why does the "Explanation" matter? Can't people just appreciate what they see around them? Sure, the *scientific* explanation may be more interesting and amazing, but YOUR "Explanation" isn't, because it's illogical, unfounded, and based on conclusions you were aiming for from the start. It's invalid.
As for the last bit, about the "firing squads" being "rigged", I'm willing to bet this conversation was about evolution. In which case, again, the problem is you assume that humanity was always meant to be THE conclusion, and that any other universe, be it devoid of intelligent life, have intelligent life in wildly different forms, or have only slightly different life, is "wrong". The idea that our world is the TRUE world, built for humanity alone. ...Besides how unbelievably arrogant that religious view is, I'll just say that there was always going to be a result of evolution. It's not by pure "chance" that this one happened either. Nature was left to take its course, and we came out more or less on top for now. That's like saying the Broncos won the Super Bowl purely by chance. "Oh, there's 32 teams, they must all have a 1/32 chance of winning!" No. Nobody thought the Lions or the Buccaneers were going to win at the start of the season. (And honestly I think the NFL is more likely rigged than evolution was.) But A result was inevitable. Was this one? Probably not, but it happened.
-About theists having no say in science, that isn't ENTIRELY true. The problem is that too many theists these days are simply content to ascribe anything they don't understand to God, ignoring the possible scientific explanations or outright denying them. And if there is satisfactory proof of an "earthly" cause to what was observed, they simply move the goalposts back, praising God for that earthly cause, in an infinite regression. More on that later. A great example: the inimitable Bill "You Can't Explain That" O'Reilly. Doesn't personally know how tides work? Goddidit!
The problem with this mindset is that it ironically ignores the real explanation. You know, the part you said that really "counted" earlier?
-Prove that it's the secular scientists that are relying on miracles and hand-waving to explain anything. ...That's just pure projection, because it's actually the religious folks who rely on "miracles". In fact that's your entire argument is that "The world is the way it is now because God is a miracle worker and made it so!" Please, pull your head out of your arse, or you just end up talking shit.
"Ad hominem. One cannot do away with his argument based on his degree."
...Except that since you're relying on his status as a Nobel laureate to back up his assertions (classic argument from authority) without checking to see that his Nobel prize and educational background are in physics. Which means that he probably had little education in evolutionary biology and probably doesn't know what he's talking about when he makes claims regarding it. Just because somebody is educated in one field and makes statements about others, that doesn't make them a Renaissance man.
-Again with the passive-aggressive ":-)" face. You say the evidence for your theistic view is "everywhere". Then for the love of your God, SHOW US. Otherwise we all know you're full of shit, because you have the evidence but won't show us. That suggests you know the evidence is faulty or doesn't actually exist, and are just trying to pull a fast one so you don't look like the moron you are.
"Yes, indeed, and thank God for the Big Bang - literally! :-)"
Again with the emoticons... Would those be taken seriously in a technical paper? Anyway. As I said earlier some models suggest the Big Bang never happened - what about your God then? And beyond that this is literally just that moving-the-goalposts issue I addressed earlier. "God created the universe!" "No, the Big Bang did!" "Of course, that's just HOW God created the universe!" "...Actually, there may not have been a Big Bang, and the universe always existed..." "Aha! That proves it! God has always been there!" If you fit the evidence to an unchanging conclusion rather than drawing a conclusion from the evidence, you can't be proven wrong, but that doesn't make you right.
In short, the world hasn't gone crazy - the OP has.
