If I were an Atheist

[Tonus]

Most atheists in my experience don't defend or support theory 2. Instead they bash, marginalize and demonize theory 1 in an attempt to make it look foolish and then claim we don't know how the universe came into existence.

Slight correction: few atheists attack theory 1 as much as they simply point out that there is no evidence to support it.  Theists want to force theory 1 into acceptance because it fits into a gap in human knowledge.  But as history has shown, whenever we learn anything about our world or universe that previously had a supernatural explanation, the actual explanation is natural.  The attempt to create a single alternative that is easily debunked is a transparent attempt to support theory 1 by implying that the only possible alternative is less probable.  This is far more dishonest than admitting that we don't know.

The "looks designed" and "fine tuned" arguments are quite poor in determining the possible existence of a creative force.  And as was pointed out, those arguments only get us to "a creator" at best.  If a believer in a particular god is reduced to word games and logical fallacies simply to get to "god has to exist," he has already marginalized his own theory and does not need any help from an atheist.