# The flat earth society **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228 "2011-12-23T23:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GeddyClaypoolBurton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce7236/32.png) [@GeddyClaypoolBurton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeddyClaypoolBurton)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/1 "2011-12-23T23:42:26Z")
In my past forum posts, I have focused on the topic of creationism. Now, however, I wish to ask your opinion on what I consider to be possibly the lowest point of human ignorance. At the end of this paragraph you will find a link to a 1981 edition of “The Flat Earth News”, a homemade tabloid published quarterly by one Charles Johnson, a Christian fundamentalist who honestly believed the Earth was a flat disc. Why? Well, because the Bible says so, according to him. He attempted to provide experimental proof, and I would love to hear what you all think of this newsletter. Link:[http://www.earthnotaglobe.com/library/Flat\_Earth\_Society\_Newsletter\_-\_1981\_March.pdf](http://www.earthnotaglobe.com/library/Flat_Earth_Society_Newsletter_-_1981_March.pdf) Note: Once you see what/how this man wrote, you might understand how I subsequently entered a short period of disbelief and depression after reading his articles. My perception of humanity was very negatively affected by this man’s passionate ignorance. If you could tell me your thoughts on this situation, I’d appreciate it. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/2 "2011-12-24T00:01:40Z")
It was 30 years ago. Let it go, already. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/3 "2011-12-24T00:18:19Z")
I haven’t studied the situation very deeply, but I don’t think he’s right about the earth being flat. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/4 "2011-12-24T01:00:17Z")
You pour 6 or 7 billion apples into a barrel (sorry, I mean a “huge spinning ball”), and you’re certain to have a few bad ones. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/5 "2011-12-24T01:03:49Z")
What is the debate? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/6 "2011-12-24T01:12:48Z")
It’s debates all the way down! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/7 "2011-12-24T01:50:49Z")
Heck, I joined the International Flat Earth Research Society! [Here is my membership card…](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/lenslarque/flatearthsocietymembershipcard.jpg) (Not my real name! I was doggoned if I’d join and give them my name!) The saddest thing about the group was that it was not a “society.” There was no way for one member to contact another. All dialogue was solely between the members and Charles Johnson. If you were lucky enough to have your letter published in his newsletter, he would only sign it “Member, California,” and not with the member’s name. The guy was an obsessive control freak. I had hoped that the group might at least be amusing. You know, “High Weirdness by Mail.” But, no. It was just a pathetic little hate-fest, filled with Johnson’s angsty bloviating. “Greek Mud Ball Theory,” etc. Not an ounce of elegance. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/8 "2011-12-24T04:37:56Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > What is the debate? **GeddyClaypollBurton** is hoping to convince those Straight Dope Message Board users who believe that the earth is flat that it is actually a spheroid. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/9 "2011-12-24T04:49:31Z")
I always thought that the FES was basically a joke. (I mean, that it existed, but it was mostly a social club for actual scholars who just named it that for kicks) ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/10 "2011-12-24T05:07:18Z")
Yeah, I never paid enough attention not to see it that way too. Isn’t it square? I forget where, but I think Revelations mentions the 4 corners of the earth. Disks don’t have corners. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/11 "2011-12-24T06:16:14Z")
It’s thin on one end, gets much much thicker in the middle, then thin again at the far end. Oh, wait. That’s Brontosauruses. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![GeddyClaypoolBurton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce7236/32.png) [@GeddyClaypoolBurton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeddyClaypoolBurton)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/12 "2011-12-24T09:50:37Z")
My apologies if this doesn’t suit “Great Debates” very well. I’m rather new to this forum - and I must say that I am very impressed with the message boards and their contributors - so I am still getting the hang of things. If there is a moderator that thinks redirecting this thread to a different section would be best, by all means do so. Thank you for your replies, and your for patience. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/13 "2011-12-24T10:19:02Z")
In Australia the horse racing clubs encourage businesses and the like to sponsor races. In return the race is named after your company, you are provided with a bunch of members tickets for the day and can have a little presentation ceremony sometimes. Years ago I was working at the Canterbury mid week races and they had a restricted class race called **The Flat Earth Society Handicap** much to my surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/14 "2011-12-24T14:31:16Z")
Flat Earther can suck it. [Last Thursdayism](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Last_Thursdayism) is where it’s at. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/15 "2011-12-24T16:04:23Z")
The Earth is round, but Mars is flat. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/16 "2011-12-24T16:44:17Z")
Not sure if it was Johnson, but I recall a story from a Point of Inquiry interview where a prominent flat-earther was shown a picture of the obviously spherical earth and he said that he could see how an “untrained eye” might be fooled. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/17 "2011-12-24T17:27:49Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Flat Earther can suck it. > > [Last Thursdayism](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Last_Thursdayism) is where it’s at. So what’s the evidence against Last Thursdayism? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/18 "2011-12-24T18:30:58Z")
Flat Earth? Screw that. [Can’t beat this classic.](http://www.timecube.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/19 "2011-12-24T19:41:35Z")
> [@GeddyClaypoolBurton](#): > > In my past forum posts, I have focused on the topic of creationism. Now, however, I wish to ask your opinion on what I consider to be possibly the lowest point of human ignorance. At the end of this paragraph you will find a link to a 1981 edition of “The Flat Earth News”, a homemade tabloid published quarterly by one Charles Johnson, a Christian fundamentalist who honestly believed the Earth was a flat disc. Why? Well, because the Bible says so, according to him. He attempted to provide experimental proof, and I would love to hear what you all think of this newsletter. > > Link:[http://www.earthnotaglobe.com/library/Flat\_Earth\_Society\_Newsletter\_-\_1981\_March.pdf](http://www.earthnotaglobe.com/library/Flat_Earth_Society_Newsletter_-_1981_March.pdf) > > Note: Once you see what/how this man wrote, you might understand how I subsequently entered a short period of disbelief and depression after reading his articles. My perception of humanity was very negatively affected by this man’s passionate ignorance. If you could tell me your thoughts on this situation, I’d appreciate it. 😕 I wouldn’t worry about it, if I were you. If you are actually depressed by the ignorance of others, don’t seek it out. In Mr. Johnson’s defence, the Earth is a slightly flat oblate spheroid, is it not? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228/20 "2011-12-25T04:39:06Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The Earth is round, but Mars is flat. At least [Venus](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Venus_de_Milo_Louvre_Ma399_n4.jpg) isn’t. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flat-earth-society/607228.md?page=2)