"The problem is that everyone (including yourself) subscribes to an "abracadabra" theory of ex-nihilation.
You don't know what I do or don't subscribe to.
I know that in order to even pretend to be an orthodox Catholic you must believe in some sort of creatio ex nihilo, whatever happened afterwards or however long it took. Otherwise you would be denying the dogma of creation altogether.
The argument is on what followed . . . whether or not the formation of the universe followed natural processes, or if natural processes did not assume their current form until after the formation was complete."
Are you implying that anything created by God is unnatural or that anything natural was not created by God?
I am saying (not implying) that it isn't natural for nature to exist. Nature is the creation of an omnipotent, supernatural G-d. This is inherent in the dogma of creation itself. Only G-d Himself exists "naturally."
I notice that your "unalterable laws of nature" never get in the way of the silly little magic tricks you want to believe in.
The unalterable laws of nature are what ever God says they are and are subject to change by the author only.