Final answer:
The theistic belief generally holds that the universe was created by a deity, which aligns with the philosophical argument that the universe must have a cause and that cause is perceived to be God.
Step-by-step explanation:
Theism is the belief in the existence of a god or gods, specifically of a creator who intervenes in the universe. The question asks whether theism implies that the universe has always existed, was created, or neither. Based on the ideas presented, including philosophical arguments such as the Kalam Cosmological Argument, it is suggested that theism aligns with the belief that the universe was created by a deity. This argument states that since the universe exists and nothing comes from nothing, the universe must have a cause, and that cause is God.
Moreover, Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God also alludes to the necessity of God's existence both in the mind and in reality. Similarly, the notion that everything that exists must have a cause supports the theistic view that a supreme being is responsible for the creation of the universe. Thus, the correct answer to the question is: B) Was created.
Importantly, other cosmological views and traditions such as those from Eastern philosophies consider the possibility that the universe or the energy within it could always have existed in some form, without requiring a personal creator deity. Yet, in the context of traditional Western theism, the creation of the universe is central to its viewpoint.