There's a difference between making assumptions about the way things work and how the laws of nature got that way in the first place.
The general assumptin of science prior to quantum theroy was that the universe is a clockwork whose parts could be examined and understood. The observed quirkiness of life was assumed by many to be a special property of living things. Thae particular property of human consciousness was attributed to the soul -- something completely non-physical.
Quantum physics suggests that the quirkiness of nature is an essential property of physical objects. Where this leads requires speculation, but the clockwork physics is obsolete. Anyone who argues that mere matter cannot be conscious is simply arguing from an obsolete notion of what matter is and how deep its properties go.
Some people like to think that we (that is, existence itself) are God's thoughts. Modern physics would not conflict with this.
All this is pure speculation, but it bothers me that people are so unimaginative that they thinks science requires atheism. What science requires is willingness to conform one's imagination and speculation to what is observed.
I wasn't making a statement about science. Besides, quantum physics is just an unknown at this point, but if everything else fit into the puzzle being put together, I doubt its going to end up an anamoly.