Parasites are degenerations of free-living species (Talk.Origins)

Claim CH321:


 * Parasites are degenerate forms of free-living or mutualistic organisms. They became parasites when something went wrong as a result of the Fall. For example, the parasite came to invade the wrong host or the wrong organ within the host, or it changed to harm the host where it did not before.

Source: Mace, Stephanie R., B. A. Sims, and T. C. Wood, 2003. [https://www.icr.org/article/fellowship-creation-schistosomes Fellowship, creation, and schistosomes. Impact 357.]

CreationWiki response:

There is no reference in the article to parasites being degenerate forms of free living organisms. The idea presented is that they originally were mutualistic.

This extends naturally from the theory that they are degenerate forms of mutualistic organisms, as these factors would be just as important to a mutualistic organism.

Each of these; excluding the present harm; could have had a pre fall benefit to the host, but since it has been lost it may not be possible to figure out what it was. These aspects however do however show design.

Creationists recognize that organisms can adapt, and this is equally predicted by the creationists' view of adaptation.

This actually speaks of deign, it is a God given mutual defense mechanism and it actually supports the idea that parasites where once mutualistic organisms.


 * 1) Such immune systems could have served to protect organisms against accidental infection of the wrong host by a mutualistic organism, as such it would have done the job perfectly.
 * 2) Such immune systems could have resulted from post Fall genetic re-engineering by God.

In both cases present immune systems would be degenerate forms of far more effective immune systems.