Tell me this is the work of a benevolent designer, and explain why he would do such a thing?

Question

The emerald cockroach wasp (Ampulex compressa) relies on cockroaches for its grisly life cycle. The wasp's sting leaves the cockroach able to walk, but unable to initiate its own movement. It then administers another, more precise sting right into their victim's brain. The venom works to block a neurotransmitter called octopamine which is involved in preparations to execute complex behaviors such as walking.
The wasp then grabs the cockroach's antenna and leads it back to the nest. The cockroach walks "like a dog on a leash". Once home, the merciless wasp lays an egg on the docile cockroach's belly, and the larva, once hatched, devours the hapless insect.

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/071129/full/news.2007.312.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampulex_compressa

Gruesome but cool video:
http://www.bgu.ac.il/life/Faculty/Libersat/movies/Wasp_movie_short.mpg

Hope, does this sound like something someone with ultimate goodness and the best intentions would put together? Why such a gruesome method of survival?

dear Suzanne, wouldn't God also have designed the roaches? And does He not love all His creation?

Answer 1

But then they are just roaches, it is not like they are important as humans, those are Gods special people with domain over all the animals.


Better questions are about the Guinea worm, or the River Blindness parasite, or the liver fluke. Those all kill or maim God's favorite creation, often the little children who they like to claim are innocents.

For the ID crowd an explanation of why sickle cell syndrome gives (only) partial resistance to malaria, but also has the chance to kill the person from sickle cell anemia. Also why is it that only those of African decent get this blessing/curse?

Answer 2

I guess all creatures have free will. I wouldn't call it a flaw in G-d's design. Although I couldn't imagine how He would have thought up such a way for a wasp to kill a cockroach. I feel G-d does have good intentions. It's just that we as humans can't help but mess that up every 10 seconds.

Answer 3

The sad thing is, however gruesome and horrible this wasp/roach thing is, it's NOTHING, nothing compared to what humans do to one another.
Wasps do that to roaches, another species, because they MUST do it to survive. They don't do it with any malicious intent.
Humans do to one another - wars, torture, genocide, rape, child abuse, burning, poisoning... just because they can. Or because they don't like the look of someone. Or because they don't like the god of someone else. And they do it with the intention to hurt and draw sick satisfaction from it.

Not to even mention what they do to animals and the nature...
:(

This being said - we were "created in gods image", weren't we?
Figures, huh...

Answer 4

Evolution in the wild is an amazing phenomena. Kinda scary, considering that just as we domesticate horses, it's possible that something else may one day "domesticate" us.

As for the question: of course not, it's not nice to play with the faithful's heads like that. You know the writers of the bible didn't even know such insects existed, much less their complex and complicated behaviors (that do, indeed, show intelligent thought).

Answer 5

Take a look at the efficiency we humans use to harvest animals for our own food.

http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp

Far more gruesome, because we actually have knowledge of the pain we inflict. If we are made in their gods image, he must truly be a ghastly sight.

Answer 6

Dude that is sooo COOL!!!!!!!!! Well, there is an ewwwww factor there, but awsome!
Just the circle of life, my friend. Besides, there's plenty of roaches to go around.

Answer 7

"The food chain is the best thing an omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent being could come up with" is a scary thing to hear out of another person... especially one who won't believe science or trust logic.

Answer 8

Id call that intelligent design, for the FSM made others just like it.

Answer 9

this is a process necessary for a level of evolution and survival. Just like the cicadas, when they die they leave a bounty of nutrients in the forest....or would you consider that evil as well?



*edit* Oops, I forgot!! You just wanted to hear how cool that was (judging by the thumbs up on references to COOL) , ok, you can pat yourself on the back now....lol



*edit2* Oh riiiiiiiight, there are so many better ways for wasps survival, perhaps you would do well to write a list and mail it to God, Inc. I'm quite certain he would be thrilled to hear your version of evolutionary necessity within nature and wildlife.

Answer 10

First you tell me why you don't believe that the world has fallen from a better state. Might be that this development is like the change from vegetarian eating (pre-fall) to meat eating after fall. Your statement of things is predicated on a rejection of the view that things weren't always this way...which I find rather incredible and dispiriting.