• Origin of the Universe

In general, theists attribute the origin of the universe to some sort of transcendent, Intelligent Designer. The theory of intelligent design, may well have implications that are supportive of theistic belief, but the theory is not based on theistic belief. It's based on the discovery of digital code in cells, miniature machines in cells, the fine tuning of the laws of physics and chemistry, and standard ways of scientific reasoning about the remote past and the history of life.

Atheists envision a natural, undirected process by which universes spring into existence spontaneously. Prior to the 20th century most atheists believed the universe was eternal. This changed however as discoveries throughout the 20th Century rendered that view untenable. Einstein's theory of gravity (which has been thoroughly validated by extensive experimental confirmation) and Hubble's astronomical observations preclude an eternal universe. We now know beyond a reasonable doubt that the universe began at some point in the finite past.

However, there will always be theories for an infinite universe as many scientists believe this is needed to exclude an intelligent designer. As Stephen Hawking wrote about in his book, A Brief History of Time, unless the universe exists without boundaries or singularities, it appears there likely is a creator. Of course Hawking does not believe there is a creator/designer, so he has been working on theories which hold that the universe is infinite, without boundaries or singularities.