Sub-Optimal Design

Arguments against the existence of an All-Powerful, All-Loving God, All-Knowing God annoy me.   I don't understand why anyone would altogether reject the possibility of an omniscient, omnipotent sidekick who, no matter what we do, stands right alongside us for all of our lives?   Yes, I understand that God is far more than a sidekick, but the term helps make the point about an endearing God who is never too busy to love even the smallest and most insignificant of creatures.

One of the arguments against the existence of God is the "argument from poor design". Some folks argue that an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God would create things that have an optimal design. Since so many creatures and ecosystems on this planet have sub-optimal design, there must (therefore) be no God.   

Oh Brother.

Let's examine that argument.   Consider this sunset:

This sunset would be much brighter and our daylight would last much longer if God hadn't placed a plethora of particles, like nitrogen and oxygen, in the atmosphere.  The nitrogen and oxygen particles scatter blue, purple, and green light and what remains to reach our eyes are oranges, reds, and some yellows.   It's really too bad, because, according to the argument of poor design, if He were indeed perfect, He would have given oxygen particles no mass, no volume... so that they didn't scatter light from the setting sun and the sunset would be the exact same color as the noonday sun. Then, and only THEN would this sunset be truly beautiful, truly optimal. Perfect.  

And, what's up with the clouds anyway?  Are they really adding anything to this design? They have no useful function and as a wasted feature, they must therefore make the design even more sub-optimal.  

Right.    

Does that not make the imperfect human the judge of the perfect?   Who thinks themselves so knowledgeable that they can adequately assess the optimal?   

Not me, for certain.   Even as a highly trained engineer, I can't imagine having or believing I have perfect judgement of an optimal design.  By definition then, this flaw in my abilities must make me also sub-optimal.

Or maybe, it makes me just the way that God designed me to be.