In my completely unfounded opinion, I think that looking at consciousness as an emergent property is the safest answer. Sure, atoms and molecules aren't conscious and don't have experiences, but it's not so weird to think that once you get enough of them together in a complex enough configuration, such a trait could emerge. There are plenty of other complex emergent phenomena that we observe, such as weather patterns, temperature, fluid dynamics, etc. We have no problem understanding that these properties emerge from constituents that don't possess them. To me, it seems like the obvious answer. To suggest that there's some higher power at play, whether it be God or some computer programmer, seems to be positing plurality without necessity.