What do atheists think was the first cause of everything?

Question

What do atheists think was the first cause of everything?
We know from the law of cause and effect, and commonsense, that every effect has a cause, and that the effect cannot be greater than the cause. So if we go back far enough into the past, there had to be an original cause, a first cause which must be greater than all other causes and effects, and itself uncaused. So what do atheists think that first cause was? Logical answers only please.

andymcj66 . . . . .
A super condensed particle of matter and energy exploded and set the universe in motion = valid theory supported by evidence.
So where did the super condensed particle of matter come from? This is no answer at all.

NH Baritone . . . .
So it is unfair to ask this in R&S? Ah diddums! So all the atheists who populate this site have no explanation for their beliefs then? Thank you for making this clear. And they have the audacity to call Christians illogical.

bpbjess . . . .
andymcj66 is right and it came from other matter and other matter and other matter. In the beginning there was the tiniest particle and it just happened. That simple

Oh yes! and I suppose that tiny particle contained the inherent potential to produce: the blueprint for life, including the DNA code and the information carried by it.
Anyone want to borrow my copy of Alice in Wonderland?
I asked for logical answers, all I seem to have got are cop-outs and pseudo-scientific nonsense.

corona001... .. ..
Of course I have heard of the 'singularity' called the 'Big Bang', the event where, it is said, very conveniently, the usual Laws of Science did not apply!!!!
Yes indeed, I have heard that nonsensical explanation ad infinitum, but since you mention it again, It is very funny that atheists can accept such a magical event just because it is promoted as scientific.
In any case, the so-called Big Bang is irrelevant to the question, because it could not be a first cause, if you must go down that route, just tell me what came before this 'cosmic egg' that exploded? Where did it come from? The best explanation I have heard is that a cosmic chicken laid it. Have you got a better one?
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neil s . . .. ..
For instance, there is nothing about the universe that implies a personality (for instance, goodness) should be attributed to any such source. Second, we have no reason to believe that source to be singular. It could be a group of barely competent deities who are the "source". Too many assumptions, buddy.
O.K. buddy! there is goodness in the universe, therefore a first cause would have to encompass that (and everything else that exists in the universe) as one of its attributes or potentialities.

IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE FIRST CAUSE IS ONE AND ONLY ONE. FOR A BEING THAT IS SO PERFECT THAT IT MUST EXIST MUST HAVE THE FULNESS OF PERFECTION, IT MUST HAVE PERFECTION IN A WHOLLY UNLIMITED MANNER. WHY? BECAUSE SUCH A BEING IS SELF- EXISTENT AND WHOLLY INDEPENDENT OF CAUSES. CAUSES DO TWO THINGS: THEY MAKE AN EFFECT WHAT IT IS, AND THEY LIMIT THE EFFECT SO AS TO MARK OFF ITS PERFECTIONS FROM THOSE OF OTHER THINGS. HENCE A BEING THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF CAUSES, AS A NECESSARY BEING IS, IS INDEPENDENT OF THE LIMITATION WHICH CAUSES IMPOSE. THUS THE FIRST CAUSE IS FREE FROM LIMITATION; IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS INFINITE. NOW AN INFINITE BEING IS UNIQUE; THERE SIMPLY CANNOT BE MORE THAN ONE SUCH BEING. FOR, IF THERE WERE MORE THAN ONE, THERE WOULD BE A DISTINCTION OF BEING BETWEEN OR AMONG THEM; THIS DISTINCTION WOULD BE ITHIS DISTINCTION WOULD BE ITSELF A LIMITATION, AND SO NONE WOULD BE INFINITE.

Answer 1

amen to that