asaris

I read somewhere (I think Kip Thorne's book, Black Holes and Time Warps) that an oscillating universe is impossible. Even if the universe collapses into a big crunch, there won't be another big bang. Can't remember off-hand exactly why.

Well...
1. So? The main problem with the universe always existing is that there seems to be a good deal of evidence that this claim is false. Since Theism is not falsifiable, this isn't really a problem for it. (Unless you think it's non-falsifiability is a problem, which is beyond the scope of this thread.)
2. The difference between God and the Universe is that God is supposed to be self-caused. The Universe is not. In other words, God is his own explanation, but the Universe needs some explanation outside of itself, even if it's always existed. (Why is there something rather than nothing?)
3. In traditional Christianity, God is held to be outside time. Within this view, the question "What was there before there was the universe?" doesn't make sense -- there was no 'when' before God created the universe.

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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."

"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."

-- Friedrich Nietzsche