Natures wonders: bacteria control insect reproduction (Introduction)

by dhw, Friday, March 03, 2017, 12:42 (2820 days ago) @ David Turell

Dhw: All living organisms have the purpose of survival. You have always been resolute in your insistence that other organisms have to be guided or preprogrammed by your God with all their innovations, lifestyles and natural wonders, and that since bacteria do not have a brain they are incapable of working anything out for themselves. I’m therefore a little surprised and quite excited that you now think they may have worked out this mode of survival without any input from your God.

DAVID: They found a comfortable accepting home as you say. Since infections occur, it may have happened by chance. we don't know if God has a role, since we don't understand the process or see if purpose might be inferred. I equate God's role as being discovered if showing a purpose appears to be present, i.e., the arrival of humans with their giant brain. What infers some purpose is that so many insects are infected. Either the infections occur easily or God may be involved.

You wrote: “what has happened is that the Wolbachia have found a comfortable home in most insects to continue their lifestyle.” That is their purpose, just as it is the purpose of the weaverbird to build itself a comfortable home (difficult to connect with the arrival of humans and their giant brain), and the purpose of carnivorous plants and frogs and parasitic wasps to find ways of ensuring their survival or continuing their lifestyle. According to you, only God could devise the methods and apparatus they use, whereas I propose that they work it all out for themselves. I see very little difference between the parasitism of the wasps and that of the Wolbachia. So please tell me: if your God is not involved, how do you think the bacteria devised this particular lifestyle?