BISTON BETULARIA

[Anne Kilmer]

I refer you here to the theologian, the entomologists' patron saint,
Gahan Wilson, and his views on the nature of God. 

Although we ourselves are prejudiced against the bot fly's way of life,
and dislike pain, God is apparently less sensitive and squeamish.
Perhaps the point is not to suffer, rather than not to experience pain. 
Trust in God anyway, in other words. 
Our apparent dislike of causing pain is recent upon the scene, at that.
Why, I remember back in grade school ... 
ah well. 
The zebra longwings are clustering next to the hot tub, and  I must hie
me thither for the hours of dusk. 
Anne Kilmer
South Florida
Kenelm Philip wrote:
> 
>         I can't read Chris Durden's mind at this distance--but I would guess
> that when he said "So many naughty things have evolved out there..." he
> was not referring to the moral failings of humans. It's more likely he
> was referring to the (to our mind) unpleasant ways that so many creatures
> make a living. Get yourself a copy of Oldroyd's 'The Natural History of
> Flies' for some appalling examples of what creature A can do to creature
> B. Or what about the snail parasite that gets eaten by an ant--and then
> takes over the ant's brain and makes it climb to the top of a blade of
> grass and lock its jaws on the grass and go into a coma--so the ant can
> be eaten by a sheep and the parasite can complete its life cycle. I have
> no trouble with the idea of this kind of system evolving--but if it were
> created by a benevolent God, then his benevolence did not extend to ants,
> or sheep.
> 
>                                                         Ken Philip
> fnkwp at uaf.edu