^{The Existence of God and the Beginning of the Universe by William Lane Craig
The Kalam Cosmological Argument by William Lane Craig}


Spacetime is an aspect of the universe, and "before time" is incoherent. Causation is temporal, and "a cause of causation" is incoherent.

1. whatever begins to exist has a cause of its existence
2. causation began to exist
3. therefore causation has a cause of its existence ⚡

Such ↑ lines of reasoning obviously requires delineation.

An atemporal, "eternal" cause of a universe that has a definite age (like 14 billion years) is incompatible with the principle of sufficient reason, since such a cause lead us to expect an infinite age of the universe — there's no sufficient reason that the universe is 14 billion years old and not some other age, any other age in fact. Therefore, the principle of sufficient reason and the like are not applicable in this case. Premise 1 is a special case of the principle.

If there was a definite earliest time (or "time zero"), then anything that existed at that time, began to exist at that time, and that includes any first causes, deities, or whatever else. Otherwise, time is unparsimoniously multiplied, perhaps adding ("orthogonal") temporal dimensions.

How, then, shall I respond to him who asks, "What was God doing before he made heaven and earth?" I do not answer, as a certain one is reported to have done facetiously (shrugging off the force of the question). "He was preparing hell," he said, "for those who pry too deep." — The Confessions (400) by Augustine

"Atemporal" mind is incoherent in the first place. In fact, findings go roughly in the exact opposite direction, mind (experiences, un/consciousness, etc) is temporal. Mind "creating" time/temporality is nonsense.

1. if some deity could create something out of "nothing", as it were, then ex nihilo nihil fit is already violated, and we might as well dispose of the principle, in which case said deity is an extraneous hypothesis
2. if some deity created the universe from something already existing, then whatever comprise the universe "always" existed, perhaps "eternally" (to the extent that's meaningful), and we might as well dispose of the extras, including said deity
3. therefore said deity is neither implied nor necessary, and may be disregarded by parsimony as a matter of faith alone (which is fine for what it is, anyone is free to believe whatever)

↑ Special pleading no good. Unless something else is supposed (cf Bible Genesis 1, Quran 2:117)?

Supernatural magic could (literally) be raised to explain anything, and therefore explains nothing. Might as well be replaced with "don't know", which incurs no information loss. Cannot readily be exemplified (verified), cannot derive anything, and has been falsified in plenty cases where it was raised in the past. A non-explanation in the first place.

Causation grants no extrapolation to any "beyond", which would be a sleight of hand move.

every physical effect (i.e. caused event) has physical sufficient causes — On the Causal Completeness of Physics (2006) by Agustín Vicente

Sumerians Look On In Confusion As God Creates World:

Sumerians [...] were working on their sophisticated irrigation systems when the Father of All Creation reached down from the ether and blew the divine spirit of life into their thriving civilization

a Sumerian who appears to be scratching his head [...] "A booming voice is saying, 'Let there be light'"

Sumerian farmers, priests, and civic administrators were not only befuddled, but also took issue with the face of God moving across the water, saying that He scared away those who were traveling to Mesopotamia to participate in their vast and intricate trade system.