Our daughter, 15 yrs old this October, was born in a birth center which was a home in a residential neighborhood with a mid-wife. I helped deliver her and as soon as she was born my wife and I were concerned. Something didn’t seem right, she wasn’t moving very much. Two days later we got a notice from a doctor that her blood had been tested and they were pretty sure she had cystic fibrosis even though one of the genes was unusual for someone with CF. I had never even heard of it at the time. My wife and I had no idea what this meant for us, our daughter, or our family. We got a call from a doctor who recommended we see a geneticist so that we could better understand what cystic fibrosis was.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease which prevents the cells from being able to properly transport sodium chloride ions through the cell wall. Depending on the severity of the disease a person may have “doors” on the cell wall that open at the wrong times, “doors” that don’t open at all, or worst of all, no “doors.” Those ions clean mucus off the cilia on the outside of the cells. If they can’t do their job, the mucus builds up and causes problems. The most significant problem is when the lungs fill with mucus that isn’t being cleared out and the person coughs constantly. This will eventually cause lung scarring and finally death. In 1983, those with CF lived on average to only two years old. 

Prior to my daughters CF I had studied genetics mildly due to my interest in the creation or evolution debate. Undirected biological mutations in the gene code that show up in the offspring of a living organism are one of the two main drivers for the Darwinian theory of evolution, that is molecules to man evolution. Essentially, the theory holds that each generation of a species has mutations(spelling errors) in the gene code providing a potential opportunity for improvements that offer a better chance of survival for that organism. Through natural selection the organisms that have beneficial mutations leading to stronger survivability and/or procreation abilities will become more abundant in the population leading to upwards evolution. 

But I had read Dr. John Sanford’s book on genetic entropy. He was at Cornell University for more than 25 years with over 27 genetic patents. He explains that the vast majority of undirected mutations in the gene code are overwhelmingly harmful to the organism. CF is an example of how detrimental mutations can be within the gene code. 

My wife and I ended up meeting with the geneticist about CF. As we sat in her office she explained that every person has thousands of mutations in their bodies. Unbeknownst to us, my wife and I both happened to be carriers of the CF mutation on one gene. Our daughter had the CF mutation on two genes which produced CF in her body. I had never talked to a geneticist before and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity so I asked her if she knew of any good mutations. She thought for a moment and responded, “I can’t think of any, but there must be some, after all, that’s how we evolved.”

I said that was why I doubted evolutionary theory. She looked at me funny and then changed the subject. A little later I asked her, “Which would be healthier, a person who had no genetic mutations or a person who had thousands of genetic mutations?”

She thought that was an interesting question and again thought for a moment and responded, “I guess the person with no genetic mutations.” 

I said, “But that’s the exact opposite of the evolution hypothesis, and exactly what the Bible teaches about Adam and Eve. They were made perfect and therefore had no mutations.” That was a very gratifying conversation. 

In Romans 5:12 the Bible says “…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin…” It looks like genetic decay began after Adam and Eve sinned and with each successive generation more harmful mutations have been added to the gene pool. 

My brother owns an auto shop in Oceanside and he asked one of his customers how his day was going. His reply was, “Fantastic!”

Turns out he was a research scientist and had a major breakthrough that day. He was developing a new medication for cystic fibrosis that for the first time would not just deal with the symptoms of CF but the root cause. We ended up going to lunch and I got the low down on this new medication that was coming long before it was public knowledge. It was so encouraging to hear. There have been tremendous advances in the treatment of CF that have extended the lifespan of those with CF to between 50 and 80 years old and you wouldn’t know my daughter even has CF by looking at her today.

God has designed the human mind with the ability to explore his creation and given us tools with science and medicine to somewhat soften the impact of the penalty of sin on our lives. Pain, suffering, and death will persist as a reminder of our need for a savior and the fact that this isn’t what God originally intended for us, until the day of redemption.

Romans 8:21-23 ”…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.…”

God bless you!
Kevin Conover

There is a whole lesson on the evidence from science and genetics for the truth of the Bible in my online Bible Apologetics Curriculum which you can try out for free for 7 days here.