Thursday, September 30, 2021
Chris Breedlove, LUCOM Marketing
It’s been a challenging year and a half of understanding the COVID-19 pandemic as well as predicting its next direction. On Tuesday, Yingguang Liu, PhD, associate professor of microbiology with Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM), delivered a presentation to address such concerns as well as provide his findings from a creationist’s point of view and research on the degeneration of viruses.
Dr. Liu’s lecture took place during the Center for Creation Studies (CRS) lecture series held on the main campus of Liberty University in DeMoss Hall with undergraduate students in attendance. Under the direction of Liberty University Professor of Biology Timothy Brophy, PhD, each year the CRS series brings in a variety of on- and off-campus guests to present on topics relevant to the creation/evolution debate. “We were privileged to have Dr. Liu deliver our first Creation and Design lecture of the year. His presentation was encouraging, informative, and well-received by all those in attendance. Additionally, he made a clear and compelling case that genetic degradation in viruses fits best with a biblical model of creation,” said Dr. Brophy.
Dr. Liu began his presentation listing two points of direction. “My goals for the topic today are to 1) refute naturalist Darwinian evolution of species with observed degeneration and extinction, using viruses as chief examples, and 2) apply creation science in predicting the direction of the current COVID-19 pandemic as the whole world is perplexed about where the pandemic is going.”
For inspiration into his talk, Dr. Liu reflected on a personal project from years ago after translating the book, “Genetic Entropy”, by John C. Sanford, into Chinese. “Reading his work, I became convinced of the concept of genetic degeneration. I’ve been promoting it ever since. Shortly after, I wrote a series of articles on the degeneration of the human immunodeficiency virus (the cause of AIDS) which were published on the website of Answers in Genesis Ministries,” he added.
During his presentation, Dr. Liu highlighted that contrary to the Darwinian concept of molecule-to-man evolution, history documents solid examples of genetic degeneration and extinction of species. “The accumulation of mutations systematically destroys biological information. With their short generation times and high mutation rates, zoonotic RNA viruses provide a glimpse of finite life spans of ‘species’,” he said. “Some viral strains have gone extinct, such as the influenza viruses that caused the 1918 Spanish flu and the 1977 Russian flu. Others are losing fitness, such as HIV-1. Clinical and virological data suggest that the 1890 Russian flu was caused by a coronavirus which attenuated over time into the current OC43 seasonal human coronavirus.”
A question asked by one of the students in attendance was, “Where is SARS-CoV-2 going?”
Illustrating signs of genetic degeneration using collected data from all over the world specifically in countries such as the United Kingdom, Africa, Japan, and India, as well as data on peaks of the virus specifically in Virginia, in combination with state-wide hospitalizations, Dr. Liu replied, “Due to its large population base, SARS-CoV-2 benefits from a strong selection and exhibits slow degeneration. Building up herd immunity will force the virus to sacrifice replication efficiency, thus accelerating its attenuation. SARS-CoV-2 may eventually become the fifth human coronavirus, causing mild respiratory infections.”
“We are not victorious yet. The newly developed vaccines will fail as time goes by. To be most effective, vaccines should be available every year like the flu virus. The virus is here to stay,” said Dr. Liu.
Dr. Liu encouraged those in attendance that our hope is not found in evolution but in Jesus Christ and His promise of eternity in Heaven if we believe in Him. He provided a passage from Scripture found in Romans 8:20-21, “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
Dr. Liu and Dr. Brophy first met 15 years ago at a creation conference where Dr. Liu was presenting on viruses.
“Given his expertise in the field of virology, Dr. Liu was a clear choice to give this timely first lecture and to represent LUCOM as part of our inaugural class of Creation Studies Fellows,” said Dr. Brophy.