Thanks George for this thoughtful response. You are right to mention that there are various ideas regarding the origin of the universe including ones questioning the very idea of a beginning, as in the eternal inflation idea. I wrote an earlier post about questions around the very nature of space time which you might find interesting.

https://medium.com/@gerald-baron/is-space-time-really-doomed-16b14815b84a

I'll point out that the ideas of multiverse, eternal inflation creating infinite universes lacks any empirical evidence and likely will escape proof because these worlds remain outside of our reach. The fact of the beginning of our universe seems without too much question, even if there are more ideas about what came before other than a creator who stands outside spacetime.

I think the curretn scientific evidence suggests this statement you made is wrong:

Everything we think of relating to characteristics of personhood and intelligence are features that evolved over millenia to favor survival

Science has no answer for the existence of consciousness (you quote Dennett whose ideas about the delusion of consciousness have been very widely panned.) The evidence nature presents us points to design and intention, and it is not possible to conceive of design or intention as a random act. It requires intelligence and agency. If there is intention, there is an intender and it is not off base to call such an entity a person.