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http://www.world-federation.org/Secretariat/TConFri/tconfri_HIV_conundrum.htm
One of the standard examples that evolutionary biologists advance as evidence for
evolution is drug resistance in HIV. The example revolves around the fact that
HIV positive patients treated with 3TC, a nucleoside inhibitor, within days show
3TC resistant viruses. According to evolutionists this demonstrates evolution in
action. They assert that the process that took place in the patient's body in a
few days mimics the process by which the diversity of life as we see it arose.
Undoubtedly the feat of these viruses is amazing. However does this really mimic
the fantastic theory of evolution advanced by Darwinists? In my essay, I will try
to explore this example and analyze the challenges that it poses to Darwinian
evolution.
First and foremost, the process by which the 3TC resistant HIV proliferated, was a
natural selection - a process that skeptics of Darwinism have no problems
accepting. The mutation that causes resistance is a simple recurrent mutation and
hence there are always a few resistant viruses present within HIV populations.
When the drug 3TC was given to HIV positive patients, the 3TC resistant virus
present in them survived and proliferated whereas the normal ones died off. Hence
no new variation was introduced into HIV but rather existing variation was
chiseled away at. Thus, as exciting as this may sound, this example makes a
marvelous case for natural selection but not for evolution.
However the most important challenge that this example poses to evolution is not
about natural selection but rather mutation. Everyone agrees that natural
selection can only weed out the weaker organisms. It cannot introduce new
variation. The Darwinian view is that new variation is introduced by random
mutation. The HIV virus has a phenomenally high mutation rate and Darwinists
often tout it as an example that mutation is really a force capable of introducing
new variation. In fact they assert that it is through this process (random
mutations and selection) that complex life arose. However as we shall soon see,
this example actually disproves the ability of mutation to induce favourable
variation.