“Doonesbury” needs some resistance

December 20, 2005 [updated 8 Sept 2006]

Sunday’s “Doonesbury” editorial comic strip in US papers once again ventured into the creation/evolution debate. Not surprisingly, cartoonist Garry Trudeau, displaying his usual disdain for conservative biblical Christianity, took another shot at creationists. This time, however, he has tried to use the old (and long-refuted) “antibiotic resistance proves evolution” claim to support his worldview of evolutionary humanism.

Here is Sunday’s “Doonesbury” strip from Universal Press Syndicate:

Click the comic for a full-size version.

To discover why resistance to antibiotics has nothing to do with molecules-to-man evolution (the resistance is already present in the population, and because natural selection only selects from pre-existing variation, nothing new is produced; in fact, this goes in the opposite direction of what evolution requires: a loss of information), read Anthrax and antibiotics: Is evolution relevant?, Is antibiotic resistance really due to increase in information?, and Superbugs not super after all

[Previously] we considered the example of the popular antibiotic amoxycillin. In an experiment, some bacteria appeared to “develop” a resistance to this medicine by producing an enzyme that breaks down the drug.

But in this example, it was known that this resistance to the antibiotic was already in the bacterial population right from the beginning of the experiment. In other words, some bacteria already had the information in their genes to be resistant. The bacteria had inherited information; so the resistance has nothing to do with evolution.

Now, what about those experiments where some bacteria developed a resistance to substances over time due to mutations in their genes? Such mutations, which are mistakes in the genes, result from a loss of information (such as the loss of a control gene which regulates the pumping of the substance into the cell). Again, this is the opposite of evolution, which requires an increase in information if it were to occur.

Indeed, what we see in God’s world agrees with what we read in God’s Word.

If you wish to send Mr. Trudeau one of our books such as Refuting Evolution 2 or The Answers Book for his enlightenment (especially as it relates to the alleged evolution of TB, bacteria, etc.), you can write to him (respectfully, but firmly) care of his syndicators: Mr. Garry Trudeau, c/o Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111, or try this link to send him an email: www.doonesbury.com/media/contact/