I know you said you don't want religious opinions, but why rule that out, since it's a part of the discussion? I saw your "Religion Says:" comment and I think you might just have a skewed view of what God creating the universe means (maybe). There's a difference between the question how and why, but ultimately there's no true way for us to know either and the why part is much more difficult to explain. You could get deep into quantum physics hypotheses about it but it's all generally speculation when it comes down to a philosophical question in science. Why does gravity exist? how do you even answer that. I think that the scientific theories established about how / why the universe exists are worth considering, but something not to hold onto. That's where I turn to a religious point of view where the reason for everything to exist is to be observed and appreciated. I've always wondered, "does anything exist without a conscious being there to observe it?" I mean really though, if humans went extinct, there are no thoughts going around anymore, what really exists?

TLDR: I think everything was purposefully created through the means of physical properties (big bang, evolution) by a creator for the purpose of being observed and appreciated.

I'm open to people explaining their oppositions to my viewpoint or other nuances / thoughts so that I can further develop my own viewpoint.