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Speaking of flat earthers

Posted By: Ajay

Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 12:55 AM

Has anyone ever wondered why and how people are so staunch in these type of beliefs?

Example. A person i know believes in a ton of this sort of stuff. Ouija boards, seances, ghosts, the spirit world, crystal powers, divining, the weight of a soul, possessions,area 51 aliens, possibility of the moon hoax, shadow people, fortune tellers white witches and Uri Geller types.

They are the type who because they have these beliefs instantly are sucked in by videos and shows purporting to show this type of stuff. Like a two minute ghost video on youtube or one of those scammy medium type of shows.

Pointing out things like the weight of a soul myth, that hopeless 'experiment' done with people and dogs in 1901, or that people like Uri Geller have been repeatedly busted for being fake doesn't matter. The fact that the James Randi prize ran for 40 odd years with no winner and everyone debunked. No paranormal, no ghosts, no mediums, no people with amazing mind over matter powers.

I remember back to being a kid when one of my sisters said she saw a ghost, it was a tree stump we had in our yard that we would use for wickets when playing cricket. Go figure. Anyway, she brought this up within the last year and i said, it was the tree stump remember, we staked it out the next night in your room. At a certain angle it looked like a hunched over old lady. Then she remembers. It makes me wonder if that sowed a seed in her and made her more open to belief.

Like this other person, were they were told things or saw things on tv and believed in it when they were young and thus had a mindset that became more open to this sort of stuff without caring for fact finding? Both of these people have had mental health issues, as have some others i've met over the years, could that be a contributing factor? Both have also generally been surrounded by fairly grounded people although both gravitate to the more not so grounded.

Is it partly that you cannot strip away these beliefs because it is to deep within them and they are so eager to believe anything that helps to solidify it? That it may pull apart something of them, part of their core? How they don't need proof as such, just heresay or some show with a setup medium is enough for them to stay convinced they are correct in their beliefs.

It's a subject that i can find interesting but also slightly infuriating lol.
Posted By: mikew

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 08:05 AM

Me too.
Seems to be an inbuilt trait in humans to believe in crazy stuff. Something that religions and the gambling industry exploit mercilessly.
It's not that these people really believe in what they are 'believing' in though, it's more about differentiating themselves from people 'who don't know the truth'.
Posted By: DM

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 08:10 AM

I remember reading an article about a guy who "infiltrated" this sort of culture. The thing he most took from it was a warm feeling of acceptance. For someone who has invested a lot into flat earth, the community of flat-earthers are very welcoming and friendly. There's no ridicule, there's events with like-minded people, and it's a counter-culture.

Compare this experience with having to realise that something you really believed in is false, demonstrably, and your status is ridiculed and mocked worldwide, sometimes with mere dismissal, more often with outright glee and contempt.
Posted By: PanzerMeyer

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 10:34 AM

I agree with both Mikew and DM.


This of course also explains the allure of cults for many people. In its simplest form it gives people a sense of purpose and belonging that they never felt they could get from mainstream society.
Posted By: Ajay

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 10:42 AM

So using the tv or other forms of media to get that belonging and acceptance feeling as well for the people that don't participate in groups.
Posted By: cichlidfan

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 03:14 PM

I once knew a young couple who were very devout Christians. They home schooled their two boys, and did a good job, but absolutely refused to include anything about dinosaurs or the space program in their teachings as they considered both to be untrue. I can't comprehend that thought process in modern times.
Posted By: PanzerMeyer

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by cichlidfan
I can't comprehend that thought process in modern times.




People having a literal interpretation of the book of Genesis is amazingly still quite prevalent.
Posted By: cichlidfan

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by PanzerMeyer
Originally Posted by cichlidfan
I can't comprehend that thought process in modern times.




People having a literal interpretation of the book of Genesis is amazingly still quite prevalent.


I know that to be true but it still makes me wonder how they can balance their beliefs against scientific evidence.
Posted By: Pooch

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 04:09 PM

It boggles the mind, what some people will believe, even in the 21st century. And not just Christians. I saw Richard Dawkins being interviewed. The interviewer was Muslim. Dawkins mentioned that people take some of these stories too literally. He mentioned, for instance, the belief that Mohammed flew to the moon on a winged horse.
"Well," said the interviewer, "I happen to believe this!"
"Not literally," said Dawkins.
"Yes! I believe he did this!"
"So, first of all, you'd have to believe in winged horses!" Dawkins was noticeably surprised. I don't think he actually expected this man to say that.
"I do. If the Koran said that Mohammed flew to the moon on a winged horse, then there were winged horses!"
This was not someone in a tent wearing a rag on his head. This was an educated man in a three piece suit, on a stage , in front of a tv camera. He believes that somene flew to the moon on a winged horse because his religion told him that happened.
Posted By: cichlidfan

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Pooch
"I do. If the Koran said that Mohammed flew to the moon on a winged horse, then there were winged horses!"


In my mind the existence of winged horses is the least of the issues with that bit of 'history'. Although I am a devout agnostic, I would never hold someone's religion against them. I just feel that books such as the Koran, Bible and Torah are full of allegory which were meant to be interpreted as opposed to taken as literal fact.
Posted By: PanzerMeyer

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by cichlidfan
I just feel that books such as the Koran, Bible and Torah are full of allegory which were meant to be interpreted as opposed to taken as literal fact.



+1
Posted By: Roudou

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 06:06 PM

Till people doesn't annoy me directly with their believes, it is ok.

I received baptism when I was a baby, and I studied in a private catholic school. The problem is, when you are in a catholic school, your teachers told you "We know that because of Science" and then in religious class: "God did this".... Hum... A bit disturbing. The thing is, if you want to believe (whatever it is), no one can change your mind, your belief is as ridiculous or unjustified to the other person as his is for you.
Posted By: Pooch

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 06:06 PM

"I just feel that books such as the Koran, Bible and Torah are full of allegory which were meant to be interpreted as opposed to taken as literal fact."
Yes, of course. And that is what Dawkins expected the interviewer to agree to, I'm sure. But then he said that he did believe that Mohammed did, in fact, fly to the moon on this winged horse.
It's been my experience, that as soon as you start talking to people about their religious beliefs, common sense and rational thought get up and leave the room saying, "We'll be back when you guys are done!"
Posted By: vocatx

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 08:00 PM

It's amazing to me that people still profess to believe in a flat Earth. People thousands of years ago knew the Earth was round. Pythagorus even calculated the circumference of the Earth very accurately. Even the stories of Columbus thinking the world was flat is a myth. In the day and age of air and space travel how can someone seriously say they believe the world is flat? It blows my mind.
Posted By: cichlidfan

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by vocatx
It's amazing to me that people still profess to believe in a flat Earth. People thousands of years ago knew the Earth was round. Pythagorus even calculated the circumference of the Earth very accurately. Even the stories of Columbus thinking the world was flat is a myth. In the day and age of air and space travel how can someone seriously say they believe the world is flat? It blows my mind.


I really think that somewhere among the Flat Earther's is a core group who sit around laughing at the members who actually believe it.
Posted By: Pooch

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 08:47 PM

I agree. But there are those who do seem to really think that it's true, and they have websites where they attempt to prove it. As a pilot, I've always wanted to see how they explain something about flying an airplane.
When flying, you need to keep the nose of your airplane just below the horizon. Raise your nose above it and you start to climb. This, of course, is because the earth is round. If it was flat and you kept your nose below the horizon, you'd eventually crash into the ground!
How would they explain that, do you think?
Posted By: cichlidfan

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by Pooch
I agree. But there are those who do seem to really think that it's true, and they have websites where they attempt to prove it. As a pilot, I've always wanted to see how they explain something about flying an airplane.
When flying, you need to keep the nose of your airplane just below the horizon. Raise your nose above it and you start to climb. This, of course, is because the earth is round. If it was flat and you kept your nose below the horizon, you'd eventually crash into the ground!
How would they explain that, do you think?


I am sure there is some explanation out there that claims that your instruments are not showing you reality. It is part of the conspiracy among NASA, the FAA and all of the aeronautical engineers in the world. wink
Posted By: Roudou

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 09:09 PM

How can you trust people that are spreading chemtrails all over the sky ? Come on ! We all know Earth is flat.
Posted By: Zamzow

Re: Speaking of flat earthers - 08/23/19 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by Roudou
How can you trust people that are spreading chemtrails all over the sky ? Come on ! We all know Earth is flat.


I knew a chemtrail conspiracy theorist. He simply never, ever could answer a simple question: "Would you dose massive numbers of people with chemicals, through the SAME AIR YOU BREATHE?".

Instant and total deflections, every time, for YEARS. Faster speech, and rambling about all kinds of "proof", but nope, far as his mind was concerned I never once even asked him the question.

I believe his brain literally locked it out, every time.
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