My reason for believing that a Deist, non-interventionist God created our universe, is that, while no evidence for God has been found within the universe, there are enough reasons to assume one created it. This is because:

The universe is too precise to be accidental. Numerous, fundamental conditions of the universe appear to be fine-tuned to very ‘special’ values, where even small deviations from these values would have detrimental effects.

The universe has great value. The inception of the universe was a purposeful, positive, creative act. Atoms were created in the Big Bang. Matter, water and elements were created in the first supernovae. Galaxies, solar systems, cosmic structures and the basics of life were formed. It is built on positive matter, rather than negative antimatter. It was not a negative, destructive act, like that of a high velocity explosion. It created life, it is structured in a functional manner, and displays behaviours such as the flowing of galaxies along routes and pathways.

The creation of the universe was a sophisticated, orchestrated event. The Big Bang required a faultless balance of forces (e.g. gravity, dark matter, quantum fluctuations, plasma cooling, radiation, particle formation,) acting in just the right manner, at just the right times. It was not a failed, incomplete, or a partially correct process. It happened exactly, synchronously, and perfectly. This could not have happened in such a short time period, and on such a humongous scale, without intention and deliberation.

The idea that the universe has no cause is unlikely. It is implausible that such a vast, cosmic organism, displaying function, motion, action and dynamism, came about by itself, for no reason. To suggest life is meaningless is nihilistic. God brings meaning and purpose to existence, even if you reject orthodox religion. 

The creation of the universe was ‘miraculous’. Billions of light years of stuff, from a pin prick of matter, in a split second. This is extraordinary, fantastical and transcendent. To all intents and purposes, the universe appeared in an instant, out of nowhere, and it didn’t even take six seconds, let alone six days! 

The universe is highly organised. It is a vast cosmic web of galaxies and galaxy clusters, tied together by filaments that distribute matter, dark matter and gas. It has an uncanny resemblance to a living organism. The universe is not chaotically arranged, disorganised, accidental or random, but rather it is homogeneous and isotropic.

Its sheer size, and scale. The universe is so unimaginably vast and complex. That something this vast and substantial could come into existence of its own accord and for no reason, is implausible.

The originality of it. Nothing like it has been observed anywhere in science, or has occurred since. It is a unique phenomena.

The ingenuity of it. The incredible sophistication, ingenuity and massive scale of the universe suggests a higher intelligence must have caused it. 

The axis of evil. Fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation, left over from the Big Bang, point roughly along the plane of the Solar System. Instead of pointing in random directions, these large-scale patterns appeared to share a common axis relative to ours. This pattern has been jokingly dubbed ‘the Axis of Evil’, and it has withstood constant scientific analysis for over two decades.

Postscript: The creation of the universe is not a binary argument between science and religion. We must consider other options. I’ve written other blog posts about the implications of Deist, non-interventionist God. It is not, as some people have claimed, a fruitless, pointless belief system. Deism adds purpose to science, and centres religion in virtue and morality. What I hope it brings is a deeper understanding about the nature of the universe, free of superstition and nihilism.