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This thing called “Flanbo” has no purpose, while I did not give the first cause a name and its purpose was a first cause. The fact that I object with the same argument to Flanbo as you do to a first cause, however the reason why you object is not the same as mine. If you agree that they’re not the same, you may be able to fathom why the rationale would be different when objecting. Using the same words or phrasing to object to two different things does not equate to objecting for the same reason, but in your mind they seem to be. You got it yet dummy?
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OK, gotcha, it is just a matter of getting our terminology aligned and then we can discuss the two equally valid explanations for the beginning of the universe.
You have, in fact given your candidate a name. For you it is "first cause"; mine is "putrid gunk". Both are claimed to have caused the universe and both are otherwise completely undefined. In order to be the only cause of something, they cannot be something themselves, otherwise something could create something and that is not permitted in your cosmology. Therefore "first cause" and "putrid gunk" are not things; they must be nothings. They cannot exist "outside of space and time" because that would partially define them.
I make the further stipulation without defining either item, that whatever "first cause" and "putrid gunk" are, they are different in every respect except for having caused the universe. I do not think you have any logical basis for disputing this stipulation.
There is then no way to decide which of the two equally valid candidates for creator of the universe exists in any sense and so no reason to believe that either one of them exists in any sense.
So, just as you have reverse-engineered the universe "every effect must have a cause except for those effects which do not have a cause") back in time to reach the point of its creation.
We can consider what capability a creator for the universe would need. It turns out that, since there is zero energy (mass = k * energy), a natural force of exactly zero is adequate to make a universe of nothing out of nothing. That is a consequence of the universe being measurably geometrically flat.
The first cause can be completely natural and it can create a universe as large as ours. A natural creator of the universe does not ask us to worship it and do great harm to our fellow humans at its command. Hallelujah!
