Flat Earth Beliefs and Special Knowledge
by Cowboy Bob Sorensen
In my years of writing, doing social media, having conversations, and simply observing people, I have come to the conclusion that many want to believe that they are better in some ways than other people. One means to this end is to have some kind of special knowledge.
Atheists rank near the top of the uppity scale, imagining that they own science and reason. They use these to suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). Universal common ancestor evolution is a cornerstone of atheism and of anti-creation compromisers. Those of us who believe the truth of Scripture and the reality of biblical creation science are deemed inferior. This is primarily based on their arbitrary presuppositions that science must be rooted in naturalism. However, their presuppositions and assumptions are not supported by logic or evidence.
Conversely, there are professing Christians who are full of pride about their salvation and use the Bible like a club. (Some proponents of certain Christian beliefs have inflated egos: other Christians are immature, unsaved, or in some other way inferior because they do not accept the doctrines of their particular group.) Cultists are often the same way because they belong to the One True Church™.
Some folks seem to have made the leftist politics of anthropogenic climate change into a religion. They accept polished-up "facts" while ignoring anything that does not support their belief system. Sometimes believers in this farcical misadventure are so wrapped up in the emotionalism of the moment, they forget the failed doomsday pronouncements of the past. Don't you know who they are? They have special knowledge. Bow down.
Recently, I posted an article refuting some of the dogmas of the anti-vaccination crowd. This loud minority chose to slap leather with me rather than consider the scientific evidence. After all, they saw videos on YouTube and obtained material from people who support their views, so anyone who disagrees with them is wrong. The respondents were haughty and condescending because they had knowledge and opinions that they considered superior. I
was told by one that she did not want to deal with that material, then
later contradicted herself by claiming she did deal with it. Some seem rational, but their emotional reactions clouded their logic. I think some of them are not quite right in the head, based on their intensity and emotionalism.
The flat-earthers really take the rag off the bush — especially those of a religious mindset. They not only seek out people and fake science that supports their views, but when challenged by outsiders, Katie bar the door! Flat-earthers are also into conspiracy theories, and are prone to accepting many other odd beliefs.
Mayhaps flat-earthers will prove everyone else wrong when they go on their cruise to the end of the earth.
The sad part is that some professing Christians believe that the earth is flat, and because of poor exegetical skills, rigidly hold to their opinions. Their superior "knowledge" helps them proudly pretending to be more spiritual than the rest of us. Ever hear of context, pilgrims? Not everything in the Bible is intended to be taken literally (Jesus is not an actual door, for instance); the context and the rest of Scripture are extremely important. Like the anti-vaxxers, flat-earth proponents have refused to deal with evidence presented. They get all het up to be evangelistic with their false views.
Bible verses have been taken out of context and twisted to support flat-earth beliefs, and then unbelievers also use these to not only mock the Bible but also flat-earthers. One of these is Matthew 4:8, which one sidewinder ripped out of context for the purpose of ridiculing the inerrancy of Scripture. (He had been shown a refutation, but he was infallibly speaking ex cathedra, so the rest of us mere mortals are wrong.) To see the refutations of this and other Bible verses that allegedly teach that Earth is flat, see "A flat earth, and other nonsense" and especially "Does the Bible Teach That the Earth Is Flat?" If you want to find the discussion on that particular verse right away, use your browser search function and type in "4:8".
Bonus: In Luke 11:31, Jesus said that the queen of the South (that is Sheba, which may be near modern-day Yemen) came to Solomon "from the ends of the earth". No rational person would think that Arabian areas are the ends of the earth. It was clearly figurative.
Some people say that the "truth" of the flat-earth has led to their conversion to Christ and a deeper commitment. A sad fact is that when people realize that they have been lied to (especially former cultists like Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and the like), they tend to reject all truth about God and the Bible. How will flat-earthers react when confronted with the truth?
Like evolutionism, these views and others where people to have special or superior knowledge smacks of Gnosticism. Unfortunately, if people understood basic logic and used critical thinking, they would be less susceptible to fake news and outright deception. Indeed, there are atheists who pretend to be creationists and are in effect agents provocateurs.
Flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, and others are prone to react in a very unchristian manner.
Dr. Danny Faulkner wrote an article than inspired my own missive here. He points out that flat-earth creationists are inadvertently supporting atheistic ridicule of creation science. It's not a short read, but I really believe that it's worth your time.
In my years of writing, doing social media, having conversations, and simply observing people, I have come to the conclusion that many want to believe that they are better in some ways than other people. One means to this end is to have some kind of special knowledge.
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| Image credit: Pixabay / Vicki Nunn |
Conversely, there are professing Christians who are full of pride about their salvation and use the Bible like a club. (Some proponents of certain Christian beliefs have inflated egos: other Christians are immature, unsaved, or in some other way inferior because they do not accept the doctrines of their particular group.) Cultists are often the same way because they belong to the One True Church™.
Some folks seem to have made the leftist politics of anthropogenic climate change into a religion. They accept polished-up "facts" while ignoring anything that does not support their belief system. Sometimes believers in this farcical misadventure are so wrapped up in the emotionalism of the moment, they forget the failed doomsday pronouncements of the past. Don't you know who they are? They have special knowledge. Bow down.
Recently, I posted an article refuting some of the dogmas of the anti-vaccination crowd. This loud minority chose to slap leather with me rather than consider the scientific evidence. After all, they saw videos on YouTube and obtained material from people who support their views, so anyone who disagrees with them is wrong. The respondents were haughty and condescending because they had knowledge and opinions that they considered superior. I
was told by one that she did not want to deal with that material, then
later contradicted herself by claiming she did deal with it. Some seem rational, but their emotional reactions clouded their logic. I think some of them are not quite right in the head, based on their intensity and emotionalism. The flat-earthers really take the rag off the bush — especially those of a religious mindset. They not only seek out people and fake science that supports their views, but when challenged by outsiders, Katie bar the door! Flat-earthers are also into conspiracy theories, and are prone to accepting many other odd beliefs.
Mayhaps flat-earthers will prove everyone else wrong when they go on their cruise to the end of the earth.
The sad part is that some professing Christians believe that the earth is flat, and because of poor exegetical skills, rigidly hold to their opinions. Their superior "knowledge" helps them proudly pretending to be more spiritual than the rest of us. Ever hear of context, pilgrims? Not everything in the Bible is intended to be taken literally (Jesus is not an actual door, for instance); the context and the rest of Scripture are extremely important. Like the anti-vaxxers, flat-earth proponents have refused to deal with evidence presented. They get all het up to be evangelistic with their false views.
Bible verses have been taken out of context and twisted to support flat-earth beliefs, and then unbelievers also use these to not only mock the Bible but also flat-earthers. One of these is Matthew 4:8, which one sidewinder ripped out of context for the purpose of ridiculing the inerrancy of Scripture. (He had been shown a refutation, but he was infallibly speaking ex cathedra, so the rest of us mere mortals are wrong.) To see the refutations of this and other Bible verses that allegedly teach that Earth is flat, see "A flat earth, and other nonsense" and especially "Does the Bible Teach That the Earth Is Flat?" If you want to find the discussion on that particular verse right away, use your browser search function and type in "4:8".
Bonus: In Luke 11:31, Jesus said that the queen of the South (that is Sheba, which may be near modern-day Yemen) came to Solomon "from the ends of the earth". No rational person would think that Arabian areas are the ends of the earth. It was clearly figurative.
Some people say that the "truth" of the flat-earth has led to their conversion to Christ and a deeper commitment. A sad fact is that when people realize that they have been lied to (especially former cultists like Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and the like), they tend to reject all truth about God and the Bible. How will flat-earthers react when confronted with the truth?
Like evolutionism, these views and others where people to have special or superior knowledge smacks of Gnosticism. Unfortunately, if people understood basic logic and used critical thinking, they would be less susceptible to fake news and outright deception. Indeed, there are atheists who pretend to be creationists and are in effect agents provocateurs.
Flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, and others are prone to react in a very unchristian manner.
Dr. Danny Faulkner wrote an article than inspired my own missive here. He points out that flat-earth creationists are inadvertently supporting atheistic ridicule of creation science. It's not a short read, but I really believe that it's worth your time.
I have been studying the flat-earth movement for nearly three and a half years. In this time, I’ve published more than a dozen web articles or blogs on the flat-earth movement, and I’ve written a book on the subject that will soon be published. As I’ve studied this movement, I’ve become fascinated with its sociology. I’m very curious as to what motivates flat-earthers, how they became convinced that the earth is flat, and what their thought processes are. In early May, I attended the premiere of the documentary Faith on the Edge: Exploring the Biblical and Scientific Case Against Flat Earth at Calvary University in Kansas City. There I joined a panel discussion with “The Creation Guys,” Kyle Justice and Pat Roy, the producers of the video, as well as Hebraist Steve Boyd, who, along with me, appeared in the documentary. In preparation for this event, I gathered my thoughts on the sociology of the flat-earth movement into 20 bulleted points, and we discussed these over dinner before the premiere. Though I’m no sociologist, I’ve fleshed most of the 20 points into a narrative, which I share here.To finish reading, click this link to "Reflections on the Flat-Earth Movement". You may also be interested in the links at "The Bible and the Flat Earth".