Question for christians: Why did god make fleas?

Question

Lice and many other parasites I've seen you explain as punishment for original sin. I get that, O.K. But fleas primarily affect animals, nice warm fuzzy innocent animals, without original sins. What is the reason he made these fleas who torture his other creatures? I'm an atheist and am trying to grasp your thought processes, because so far I don't see the logic in it. Please enlighten me, if you have the answers. Thank you.

Answer 1

My Dad, a Christian, would say to test the creatures of the Earth.

I say that there are many levels of life form on the planet and fleas just want to live too. Unfortunately, they live at another's expense but don't a lot of things on Earth do that?

Answer 2

Every creature, both great and small has a purpose. How many like ants? The Bible gives them praise--"Go to the ant, O lazy person. Watch and think about her ways, and be wise."
Also, regarding the ant and other small creatures--"Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:
the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces."
God has promised that soon all creatures will be at peace with mankind and they will not cause pain, since pain of any kind will be no more. (Revelation 21:4)
Consider this promise at Isaiah 11:8-9--" And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea."

Answer 3

You've obviously never walked into a house that's infested with fleas. They can -- and will -- bite humans just as much as animals. They prefer animals, but they're not picky.

Fleas serve as a vector for the spread of disease. History's prime example is the Black Plague (which, by the way, still exists. The U.S. gets a handfull of cases every year). Plagues are definately the result of the curse placed on creation following original sin.

Romans 8 speaks of the day when animals will no longer have to endure this:

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

This passage confirms that "the creation" is accursed and is waiting for the day that it will be liberated.

Peace.

Answer 4

Hi Pirate,

If you are facing a contradiction, check your premises, you will find one is wrong.

Christian (= faith) to God (= faith) to fleas to lice to punishment to original sin to warm fuzzy animals to wanting logic. This is a classic straw man question.

I think your question boils down to the following well known arguement:

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is He able but not willing?
Then He is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call Him God?” -- Epicurus

(1) I believe we have free will. Why? No one is forcing me to write this, nor could it be predicted that I would. Like a good parent, God seems to be willing to allow us to make our own mistakes. What use would creation be, to a creator, if a creation did just what you told it to do? You descend to absurdity if you assume God controls everyone. You also descend to absurdity, it you believe that the universe is strictly materialistic and deterministic.
(2) Without pain, we would die faster. Why? Pain teaches us to avoid destructive things. Thus, whether we like it or not, pain is important, as is pleasure. Happiness and tragedy are 2 other principles.

Then, are you saying that since we do not have a perfect reality, meaning controlled and painless, that this means that God does not exist? I know, I just did a straw man arguement. But how else can I reply?

All in all, I do not think your question can be easily answered as stated.

Answer 5

Is a huge lion or bear fuzzy or innocent (if you think so why don't you go stand in a cage with one?) fleas also effect humans and carry dessias onto humans, animals don't get the black plague we do. Animals were cursed along with humans (sorry fluffy). Adam and Eve messed everything up for every living creature. We could have been in a wounderful garden picking fruit off trees and never worry about any harm.

Answer 6

Fleas are tiny wingless insects that feed on dogs, among other animals. Flea bites make some dogs, who are allergic to the flea saliva, so miserable that they bite and scratch themselves raw. Other dogs do not seem to respond to flea bites with the same intensity.

Their purpose in life is to propagate their species. They don't feed often but when they do they can acquire disease agents from one host and pass those disease agents to another host at a later feeding. Their sensory organs are complex and they can detect trace amounts of gases such as carbon dioxide produced by warm blooded animals.

Answer 7

Back before veterinary science and medicine, parasites originally served a good purpose, by the transfer of antibodies from one creature to another. The problem is they transfer harmful germs too, which could be considered an attempt by nature to control the population - as diseases seem to be nature's way of weeding out the weak.

I'm not a Christian. I'm a Reincarnationist.

Answer 8

God did not create fleas as punishment. God created fleas because it suited his good purposes to do so. While fleas irritate fuzzy animals, the fleas themselves aren't irritated. That is, fleas have a right to be fleas, y'know? The fact that they bother fuzzy animals is just part of the deal.

Please don't listen to people who say that God created fleas on account of original sin. God looked upon his creation, after he created it, as good.

And let's not forget the fact that God created everything before Adam and Eve sinned. I mean, c'mon.

Answer 9

Don't have a clue, but wonder about ticks too. I realize many birds and bats eat ticks and fleas, but apparently, they're not doing a very good job of it or I wouldn't have to keep putting those drops on my dogs & cats. Very annoying, but as has been said, everything has a purpose, we just don't know what it is.

Answer 10

Well I believe that everything has a purpose as one person answered.

I will tell you a story of a lady named Corrie Ten Boon. She was a Christian in german concentration camps. She was put there with her whole family for helping the Jewish people. They all died there but her.

She was in a barricks that was heavily laden with fleas. and she began praising for them. Her sister besty said are you crazy your praising God for fleas? Corrie said that the word says praise in all things.

They found out later, that they had freedom that none of the other barricks had from oppression and could minister because the guards kept getting flea bit.

God is awesome.