The absolute absurdity of God

[Angrboda]

Pure speculation. There is not enough data to show that the way things are is the only way they could be. Conversely, there is not enough data to show that things could be other than what they are.

Two points here:

1. There is absolutely no physical or metaphysical reason to think they could not be different. The objection seems manufactured only for the purpose of this argument.
2. Postulating that the initial conditions had to be as they are leads to the question why was the cause of the universe so constrained? This is just kicking the can backwards. At some point you have to address the issues.

There's no reason to think that things necessarily had to be the way they are, but there's equally as well no reason to think that things could have been arbitrarily different, either. Both are examples of ignorance and assumption masquerading as knowledge and fact. While some atheists may maintain that things could not have been different than what they are, I find that view rare, and more commonly atheists simply contend that we don't know. On the other hand, theists commonly appeal to the implicit assumption that things could have been arbitrarily different in making the fine tuning argument. So contrary to your assertion above, it happens to be the case that it is the theists who frequently profess to know something they do not because doing so allows them to reach the conclusion they desire. The atheist does so far less frequently.

Science attempts to answer that question, and not just kick it down the road. Religion, on the other hand, prefers to assume what is convenient to its own interests and incentivizes remaining ignorant.