I am sorry, joedirt, but you are telling "materialists" to be humble, that they don't know anything. Yet, you are the one saying you know that there is something outside the boundaries of the material world!

As for the idea that "something beyond the material realm had to exist before the material realm came to be"... It is unfounded:

If you take Time out of the equation, then there is no logic in searching for a cause, reason, or creator (cause/consequence being an atribute of Time). Since Time is a result of the movement of matter/energy, then there is no presence of Time outside of the material reality.

I am not saying there can't be a creator (or something outside of the creation). It is still possible, although I doubt it... but saying there HAS to be something "beyound" our Universe is ridiculous.

It seems to me that it is exactly what is magical about our present experience: that it is (probably) a processus of self-creation! You don't have to look for God in an external world. It is here, everywhere, unfolding itself.

In all honesty, I don't believe in the duality of spirit and matter. You can debate wich one is real, or predominant (spirit or matter)....but in the end I think you are talking of the same substance with different languages.