I mentioned recently that people should take the time to try to understand some of the unorthodox narratives and beliefs rapidly spreading among Christians. I mentioned several including understanding why people believe in the Flat Earth. (I had already pointed to things like Who Were the Nephilim? and I continue to add posts to that area of my website in Nephilim & Fallen Angels.)
These narratives are being deployed for a reason. As Christians, I think we have a responsibility to have a basic understanding of them and what is driving them. These are topics rooted in the Scriptures, not just crazy cultural conspiracy theories.
Last week someone shared on Truth Social an excellent article that explains why so many people are researching and believing the Flat Earth theory. When I clicked over it wasn’t what I expected. It was so much better. I strongly encourage you to read Why Flat Earth Is Winning: 3 reasons flat earth is the internet’s fastest growing conspiracy. I think as Christians we should especially think about the implications of the third reason. What does it mean to us as individual Christians? What does it mean for our local gathering of believers?
If you want to understand flat earth from the perspective of those who follow the Bible and Christ, look into the term biblical cosmology. That is the term generally used by sincere Christians rather than flat earth. They use it because they do desire to base their beliefs on the Scriptures.
The surge in belief of the flat earth is also part of why The Book of Enoch has entered the conversation in so many different ways.
Lastly, I took the time to look up all the verses in the Bible that appear to have something to do with the form of the earth. I printed off this list last winter (page 2): 240+ Flat Earth Doctrine Scriptural Proofs (no longer available). I went through it once and looked them all up. Then I went through a second time and circled the ones I thought were the most necessary to be able to understand and explain. This is another collection as well: More Flat Earth Scriptures Than You Can Shake a Stick At.
So why am I sharing this? I think this is a far bigger issue than most Christians realize. There are many people from all parts of society openly calling themselves flat earthers. This entire issue is one of deception in one form or another. There are two choices.
- We are living under a massive deception and the earth is flat (or reflects biblical cosmology). Therefore, we are operating in a completely false paradigm.
- Evil is using the teaching of the flat earth to deceive Christians and lead people away from the truth while using the Bible to do so.
It does matter. Again, I strongly encourage you to read that article and understand the powerful forces behind this belief. It’s well worth your time.
So here is one place to start. Imagine your child or sibling or friend shows you this video. (My post continues after the video.)
How do you instinctively respond when you view this? How do you logically respond? Science tells us that gravity keeps everything connected to the earth. So gravity is keeping all of the water on the earth (in a peaceful, mirror-like manner). Yet a small bird or butterfly defies that same gravity and can easily fly over that vast body of water. What’s your answer? How are the oceans plastered to the earth while spinning through space in the visual model above while birds fly freely over the same area? And there are literally dozens more questions like that your loved one will ask you. How do you answer?
Where Americans Are Mentally Right Now
My first impression is that the video is being manipulative, and not just with the style of presentation. Speed depends on what you are considering to be stationary. You could just as well say the whole galaxy is whirling around the Earth at high speed.
Flat earth or round, here is what the math needed for quasi-realistic computer simulations looks like, and it is very complicated:
https://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/865.18/design/optimization/dynamics_1.pdf
I’ve worked through similar math in my classes, and while I got good grades, I didn’t internalize it well. So I’m doubtful that I can look at a system of moving, spinning parts, and understand it accurately without putting in some careful work. Offhand, the Waltzer is not a good analogy for our solar system. It has motors and tilting platforms, and it is not at all to scale.
Gravity is a ridiculously weak force. The moon’s gravity is enough to pull at the oceans and make tides, but it doesn’t pull them very far. My quick and rough estimate is that the Atlantic Ocean shifts by less than one-millionth of its width.
Not long ago one of my children tried putting a compass near one of our computer monitors. The magnetic field from the monitor was able to deflect the compass needle 180 degrees when it was several inches away.
Also, a viable flat-Earth model has to explain eclipses; I saw the total eclipse in person last spring. Ham radio operators use the ionosphere to bounce radio waves far beyond the horizon. The light from stars is red-shifted, indicating motion away from Earth.
Russia has missiles that can go Mach 25 now, which is over 18,000 miles per hour. These things can hit so hard with their own mass that they don’t need to carry explosives or nukes to cause significant damage.
Hi Peggy,
I’ve seen a lot of people attack the very idea of gravity. That’s a hot topic in those circles.
Flat earthers have explanations for eclipses, but I haven’t looked into them very deeply.
I know just enough math and science to know that I’m not qualified to try to debate the science which is frustrating. But it’s simply out of my wheelhouse.
Sallie
What is your personal stance on FE?
Hi Shari,
I started looking into the flat earth stuff in January 2023 because I want to understand what motivates people to believe things. However, as I said to Peggy above, math and science are not my strongest subjects so I don’t feel qualified to pick apart the arguments. I find that very frustrating.
The theological aspects of it interest me far more which was why that article resonated with me. I can clearly see the truth of what that author said in what I’ve observed the past year and a half. Many flat earthers will say that we have been lied to about the nature of the earth because the evil ones desire to hide the truth about God from us.
I didn’t find anything in the Bible that I thought clearly pointed to a spinning water ball racing through endless space. If you only went off what God tells us in His Word, you would never come up with that model. People will counter that the Bible isn’t a science book. True enough. But there’s nothing there that clearly supports a water ball over a biblical cosmology model.
I think we’ve been lied to about a lot of things. I think NASA lies. Seeing pretty compelling evidence that the astronauts from The Challenger are still alive was significant for me. I question Apollo 11 enough that I removed a unit study I had created about it and the products I had in my shop. I don’t know if it’s true or false, but I question it enough to not promote it. If someone proves it’s true, I’ll put them back up.
All that said, I don’t call myself a flat earther because it’s not been proven to me. I’m probably a flat earth sympathizer. lol
However, nothing would surprise me at this point. If we did find out that it was true, then I would point back to January 2023 as when I started to question everything. And if we really are on a spinning water ball flying through endless space, then my life continues on.
Sallie
Another interesting phenomena among flat earthers is they will tell you that flat earth led them back to God or led them to God. Again, that’s why point number three of that article resonated with me. I’ve seen people express that time and again.
Now, if flat earth isn’t true… What happens to the faith of those who believed it and were led to Jesus and the Bible by it?
That’s why I say it’s a much bigger issue than many Christians realize.
Great article Sallie. Thank you for addressing this topic. If any of your readers want to learn more about the subject, please visit the Rumble channel called “Celebrate Truth”. It has a live stream of content 24/7 much of it from a biblical perspective.
Also, I recommend a documentary called “The Principle” produced by Dr. Robert Sungenis which shows that the claim that the earth is the center of the universe (Geocentricity) is equally valid in the current scientific paradigm. Belief in the current heliocentric model of cosmology in favor of a geocentric model is based on philosophical reasons and not scientific reasons.
“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:” – 1 Tim 6:20
I keep thinking of things I could have added to this post.
Most people who reject the flat earth but have more than a passing knowledge of the argument, think it is a CIA op deliberately created to undermine the Bible and Christians.