Rage Raptors- The Flood missed one

Very special instalment of Rage Raptors for you today.  I got involved in a conversation with someone last night. My heart was pounding in my ears, my hands were shaking and I was starting to see red. So I turned up some music took out my tablet and started another Rage Raptor. 

I'm not going to share the story with anyone except you guys, these prices are just for me, my anger fuels the idea and eventually I work on it long enough to transcend the moment and get lost in the art. And hopefully draw a cool raptor. I think it really worked this time. 

I will share it with you guys though...

I'm really not even sure how to talk about this. 

I recently had an argument with a person I consider to be a very, very close friend. He subscribes to Young Earth Creationism and I was completely blindsided. I started doing research into this moment in order to understand his point of view so that I could defend my side better. I've become slightly obsessed- not because I'm mad but because I care about science. I am a Scientific illustrator after all. 

What I found disturbed me.

There is no other word for it. The blatant rejection of rational scientific evidence, the staggering shallowness of their argument requires so much suspension of disbelief not only from what I've been taught but what I can observe with my own two eyes.

You don't have to be a PhD of evolutionary biology to observe and understand how the world works. You can see it for yourself. 

Anyway so last night I have a conversation with one of these YECs online. Some facebook group that is supposed to foster conversations and understanding. It's not supposed to be a debate club. So this guy is hostile right out of the gate and says I have a "shallow intellect". 

Long story short, I wanted to depict a sort of Old Testament character, maybe even Noha but probably not, totally overpowered by this animal he doesn't comprehend. No gore, no screaming. A big dromaeosaur like a Utahraptor or Dakotaraptor wouldn't need to work very hard to pin a fully grown man. Blood loss and organ failure takes care of the rest. 

Anyway I suppose the raptor came to represent rational thought. scientific evidence, the mechanisms of natural selection and the beauty and power of nature that is beyond man's understanding. The OT man represents, the argument of a Young Earth- easily overpowered with the slightest effort on the part of good science. 

I'll leave you with something my Father said to me recently, I'm sure he was quoting some theologian, he said Science and Religion as they are should not be at odds with one another. In Fact they should compliment each other.  If they are, you have either bad science or bad religion.

I've got a video for you guys coming up. 

I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for being here.