| Creation Truth Outreach, Inc. Pamphlet |
| © 2007 Creation Truth Outreach, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This pamphlet may be freely copied provided it is copied in its entirety, its contents are not altered in any manner, and additional or tighter copyright restrictions than these are not imposed on it. Revised May 5, 2008 |
| Chapter 4. Limitations On Natural Selection. 6. Natural Selection Is Ineffective If Harmful Mutations Accumulate Too Rapidly, Particularly If They Are Recessive. John Sanford is a giant in the field of biogenetics. He invented and received patents on what is called the “gene gun.” It is what biogeneticists use to introduce manufactured gene sequences into a cell. Sanford is an adjunct Associate Professor at Cornell University and has many, many journal articles and patents in biogenetics in his name. He is also a young-earth creationist. He wrote a book, Genetic Entropy & The Mystery of the Genome, which presents arguments from his perspective concerning how science requires a Creator God. He covers many more issues than I do in this pamphlet and also in much deeper detail. I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in a deeper understanding of these issues. Chapter 3 of the book is interesting. First he discusses various authorities in genetics. They agreed that if each individual person were to average one or more new mutations that his parents did not have, that the “genetic load” posed by this would be greater than what natural selection could deal with. The quality of the total genetic information in a population would slowly decrease, generation by generation. He then quotes various sources as indicating that currently the actual genetic load is over 100 mutations per individual per generation. We are not advancing. We are deteriorating at break-neck speed. Natural selection cannot deal with the rate new mutations are being placed in the genome. Sanford makes an interesting statement, “If mutation/selection cannot preserve the information already within the genome, it is difficult to imagine how it could have created that information to begin with.” 25 Natural selection does not have unlimited capacity to deal with a large number of new mutations per generation. This is a serious limitation in view of the observed mutation rates facing humanity. |