Intelligent Design and Parasites

A substantial percentage of life is parasitic. While some parasites form symbiotic relationship with their hosts, the majority are antagonistic and live off the host until the host dies or causes immeasurable pain, anguish and misery during the process.Some of these parasites have methods and life cycles that are nothing short of diabolic and horrific, if not creative.For example there is a crustacean that eats the tongues of certain fish and then claps down and forms a replacement tongue! Positioning itself to be first in line for dinner.Invasion of the Tongue Snatchers! • Damn InterestingAnother graphic example closer to home is the Guinea Worm. A quick look at the images of will turn your stomachHere is a creature that has a complex life cycle finely tuned to the host and has the "appearance" of design. These creatures are very specific to the task and are not some otherwise benign organism that took up a diabolic lifestyle after some alleged "fall". Of course there many more examples like the Guinea Worm such as Hookworm, Tapeworms, Trichinosis, Pinworms, Liver Flukes, Roundworms, Heart Worm, Blood Fluke, Intestinal Fluke, Lung Fluke, on-and-on. Many of these cause severe sickness and death and can make Swiss cheese out of your organs.If life is intelligently designed what does this parasitic nature of life say about the designer? Edited by iceage, : No reason given.

Heavens no I don't want that.Simply, did the Intelligent Designer specifically design the Guinea Worm and the testes consuming Botfly, in addition to butterflies, hummingbirds and kittens?If someone wants be believe that liver flukes are not evil but all part of some loving plan then ok - I do not wish to debate that.Thanks for highlighting this.

Are you saying that there was a second creation at the Adamic fall that created all these horrific parasites that have complex life cycles and morphology that are specifically adapted to their hosts?

Yes yes Adam CAUSED all the evil but he did not create parasites - I know the apologetic standard line.ID posits that nature was actively designed.So the question is - did God specifically design these parasites?As stated earlier these creatures have very complex life cycles, sometimes involving more than one host, and very specific body forms very well adapted (or designed if you will) to the host. These are not creatures that had some benign life style, such as slurping algae and then suddenly "turned evil" at the fall. A fine and honest assessment - if one takes on the view that the God is as described in the Bible then there really is not much leeway. I have spent considerable energy and time arguing this point with other Christians who are unwilling to accept that the caricature of God in the Bible actually ordered genocide, slavery and the taking of young virgin girls as booty.However as a personal disclosure, for myself it would take considerable physical evidence before I would willing and publicly ascribe such actions to God and believe that these actions actually describe the nature of God, the creator of all. If not true such views would be blasphemy. Whoaa! This is significant. This would mean that there are multiple active designers in nature. Interesting hypothesis. Does this mean that we should looking for ways to classify which are created and designed by God and those by Satan?These parasites have the appearance of remarkable good functionally designs. If this is true that Satan has creative design capability, I would say Satan is as good at design as God!Edited by iceage, : No reason given.

I am asking, given that good percentage of life is parasitic (living off the flesh of a living host) and with a good number of those parasites have the side effect of causing serious pain, suffering and disfigurement, what does this say about the nature of some alleged Intelligent Designer? Are these creatures intelligent designed or not?Most Intelligent Design adherents don't think the whole issue through to the logical conclusion. I have listened to many sappy Christian creation radio programs for kids where they dramatize talk about the wonderful creator and the magnificent migrating birds. You won't see a program on the tapeworms or botflys.Keep in mind most of these parasites are not involved in the balance and harmony of populations, they are just opportunistic life forms that found an easier form of living - pain is suffering is not part of the equation.Parasitic life is explained and predicted by a evolution outlook and not one would expect from a creator, and especially a creator that is personally interested in how your day went. Edited by iceage, : No reason given.

Perhaps because those believing in a personal deity have never really pondered the intelligently designed botfly?In the past when I have brought this question up to Creationist/ID'ers and they will predictably resort to the "fall" and the "devil" to explain the more the horrific mechanisms of life. (See Ray M. responses)Then following that thread and pointing out that many of these wonderfully and fearfully made organisms are intricately and intimately "designed" to their hosts and that if these organisms "fell" to these unpleasant methods of making a living then there must have been a second creation or at least a time period of rapid massive evolution with none other then the devil in charge! This is typically where the conversation trails off.

The point I am striving to make is that this "fall" or cursing the ground involved a considerable amount of creative constructive intelligence that is maybe on the same level as the original creation.The life cycles of some of these parasites are not just life cycles gone bad. These organisms constitute specific adaptations and physical appendages and body components that were not just co-opted after the "fall" to other ends. These are not merely some de-evolved organisms. The Guinea worm was not dining on pond algae prior to fall and the botfly was not laying eggs in mango's. Some parasites have extremely mind-boggling life cycles that involves 3 or 4 different hosts which are highly tuned and specific to the task.The consequence of this is that at the "fall" or cursing of the ground the Intelligent Designer must have gone back into the workshop to bring forth a second cursed creation that either created entirely new organisms or added information those existing and gave them new job titles. Edited by iceage, : No reason given.

Is this Biblical? or is this Extra-Biblical Extrapolations? Can any other Bible scholars help out here. Many parasites are extremely well adapted to their hosts and propagate via complicated life cycle. These parasites have "appearance of design". The "continual unfolding in diversity" does not explain specially adapted body parts, chemistry and morphology adapted for a unique and specific function. So Satan had a hand in the creation we see about us today!? How do we determine what God wrought and what the devil wrought.

Do any other creationists feel like Ray that God allowed a second evil creation and gave "temporary custody of the Earth to Satan" at the fall?Do any other creationist have any input on this issue?