Why are so many Christians adopting flat earthism?

[Jedidiah]

A few celebrities have gotten a lot of attention for proclaiming the flat earth in the last couple of years, but on a rank and file level, there seem to be an awful lot of Christians going along for the ride, including a couple I know. One of them posted on her Facebook this morning that modern astronomy is idolatrous because heliocentrism is the worship of the sun, and bragged that she is not an idolater.

. . . According to him, Satan is controlling NASA et al in order to oppose God. If you can get everyone to believe the earth is a globe, then since that directly contradicts the Bible, nobody will believe anything else the Bible says.

I have been a Christian for over 40 years and I have never met anyone who was a believer in a flat earth. I believe that the earth is a globe, and all the related scientific views. I still believe what the Bible teaches and it does not teach a flat earth in my opinion. The whole thing is silly and not at all common in orthodox Christian circle, It may exist but it can not be 'common'.

[KingsGambit]

I have been a Christian for over 40 years and I have never met anyone who was a believer in a flat earth. I believe that the earth is a globe, and all the related scientific views. I still believe what the Bible teaches and it does not teach a flat earth in my opinion. The whole thing is silly and not at all common in orthodox Christian circle, It may exist but it can not be 'common'.

It's only become a real issue in the last couple of years. I recently found out that a man I fellowshipped with at another church years ago has been considering the view in light of the attention it's gotten.

[Cow Poke]

I think there is something to the idea that it's a broader worldview. The lady I know is a diehard Trump supporter who accuses everything of being "fake news". She simply chooses what she wants to believe and dismisses any evidence otherwise.

Teal and I got into it over this awhile back. She thought it was harmless. I see real epistemological harm with wide consequences.

So, for example, satellite pictures of the earth, or even "movie film" from the Apollo Missions --- those are all fake, according to these people?

[Cerebrum123]

When so many are saying it is what the Bible teaches*, and it's coming from scientist's, conservative Christians, and liberal Christians it isn't a surprise that people will take it as true contrary to what scientists are saying about the shape of the earth. Even rogue has said Genesis 1 describes a three tier cosmology. If you're going to say that is what the Bible really says, don't be surprised when people decide to take that as the truth.

*Or to paraphrase John Walton, what the Bible presupposes, but doesn't authoritatively teach.

[One Bad Pig]

A few celebrities have gotten a lot of attention for proclaiming the flat earth in the last couple of years, but on a rank and file level, there seem to be an awful lot of Christians going along for the ride, including a couple I know. One of them posted on her Facebook this morning that modern astronomy is idolatrous because heliocentrism is the worship of the sun, and bragged that she is not an idolater.

William Lane Craig weighed in on this a few weeks ago. His theory was that it's atheists masking as Christians trying to make us look stupid, but I don't think that explains it because the people I know who have fallen for this really are Christians.

So, what evidence is there that this view is anything but extreme fringe? This is the first I've heard of it, aside from JohnMartin.

[KingsGambit]

So, what evidence is there that this view is anything but extreme fringe? This is the first I've heard of it, aside from JohnMartin.

WLC saw fit to weigh in on it as a growing trend

[KingsGambit]

So, for example, satellite pictures of the earth, or even "movie film" from the Apollo Missions --- those are all fake, according to these people?

Yes. I've seen the argument used that it's not a coincidence that NASA's logo has the serpent's tongue.

[QuantaFille]

Yes. I've seen the argument used that it's not a coincidence that NASA's logo has the serpent's tongue.

"Hey, we can't let on that we're secretly Satan's servants. How should we design our logo?" "I know, let's use a serpent's tongue!" "Great idea! They'll never guess who we serve!"

For the record, it doesn't look like one to me. It's a bit of a stretch. You can find just about anything in any given image if you're looking for it though.

[rogue06]

"Hey, we can't let on that we're secretly Satan's servants. How should we design our logo?" "I know, let's use a serpent's tongue!" "Great idea! They'll never guess who we serve!"

For the record, it doesn't look like one to me. It's a bit of a stretch. You can find just about anything in any given image if you're looking for it though.

And are crazy enough

[QuantaFille]

And are crazy enough

True.

[Sparko]

A few celebrities have gotten a lot of attention for proclaiming the flat earth in the last couple of years, but on a rank and file level, there seem to be an awful lot of Christians going along for the ride, including a couple I know. One of them posted on her Facebook this morning that modern astronomy is idolatrous because heliocentrism is the worship of the sun, and bragged that she is not an idolater.

William Lane Craig weighed in on this a few weeks ago. His theory was that it's atheists masking as Christians trying to make us look stupid, but I don't think that explains it because the people I know who have fallen for this really are Christians.

I think the internet just makes it easier to find loons in general. It gives them a public outlet to express themselves where they normally would not have one. Just look at the nuts that have appeared on tweb over the years, like Mickiel, John Martin, Magellen2004.

Maybe your friends have always been nuts and you just didn't know.

I have found out several of my friends are anti-vaxxers. I think that is a about the same level of lunacy as flat-earthism.

Also I think a lot of flat-earthers are just trolling against some of the more sanctimonious people who seem to get pleasure at pretending to be smarter than others. I confess I have felt the urge to do that on facebook just to see how many people I could hook. I can come up with a ton of fake proofs for it to confound them.

[Sparko]

It encourages a level of distrust that isn't helpful. The evidence that the earth isn't flat is so overwhelming that it causes people to be skeptical even in the face of clear evidence. As a result, it trains people to be overly gullible.

I know what you point is, but how can being overly skeptical be equivalent to overly gullible?

[Cow Poke]

I think the internet just makes it easier to find loons in general. It gives them a public outlet to express themselves where they normally would not have one. Just look at the nuts that have appeared on tweb over the years, like Mickiel, John Martin, Magellen2004.

I think this is a huge part of it - without the internetzweb, these nutters would be ignored in their own communities, and we'd never hear about them. Thank you, Al Gore!

[QuantaFille]

And the people who would never have heard about this kind of silliness without the internet, are exposed to it and end up buying into it. And then they expose someone else... It's like a bad virus.

[KingsGambit]

I know what you point is, but how can being overly skeptical be equivalent to overly gullible?

Because it becomes easier to accept more garbage from their favorite talking points once they no longer have any points of authority to check anything against since everything out there has been discredited.