Happy Atheist Forum

I found this site. I'll obfuscate the url to help prevent them finding us!

hxxp://www (hxxp://www) . theflatearthsociety . org

I had no idea how organized these people are. They have theories for explaining how gravity works for example; the disk shaped Earth is always accelerating at 9.8m/s^2 apparently. Maybe it's just a joke? It's seems that plenty of them believe it though. Lol.

Anyway, I am about to join their forum, not to troll or make a nuisance of myself but for a little ruse. They have a map of their disk shaped Earth, complete with north pole at the center and an "ice wall" that surrounds the Earth and keeps the ocean from draining away off the edge. I have wasted 20 minutes making a scale for it. If they so desire, they can use the scale to measure distances on their map, make predictions about reality and test them. It's like science!

The map is in their FAQ about half way down:

hxxp://www (hxxp://www) . theflatearthsociety . org/forum/index.php?topic=11211.0

My scale is attached below. Distances are in miles. The diameter is 24900 miles as stated in their FAQ. It'll make sense if you look at their map.
[attachment=0:1itoxunh]sandiego_to_orlando.gif[/attachment:1itoxunh]

The ruse I am planning is to post it to their forum as a believer and demonstrate how I measured the distance between Orlando, FL and San Diego, CA. As it happens the distances for this route are not significantly distorted and the calculations will work out: about 2500 miles on the map and in reality. But if anyone tests distances in, say, Canada or Australia, the distances will be distorted and the map distances won't correspond to reality. The worst case would be if they measured the distance around Antarctica, which on their map means travelling the ice wall around the full circumference of the Earth.

Before I do this though I just wanted to run this by folks to make sure I am not unintentially giving further support to their theory.

I'm browsing their forum, and I can't decide if it's just plain hilarious or kind of disturbing; perhaps its both. I've been on one of my rare "hardcore web surfs" all day, finding all kinds of weird crap, but this tops everything else.

I stand behind your insidious little ruse 100%! It's too funny to NOT do it!

Okay step one is underway; verify that the map is a regular linear projection before posting the scale. That gives them one less way to explain away distorted distances.

hxxp://www (hxxp://www) . theflatearthsociety . org/forum/index.php?topic=31342.0

I would quote here but I don't want finding it.

I know there are a few groups that try to defend a flat earth.  Its never on grounds of science its always freaking religion.  Seriously Ice keeps the oceans from spilling out?  I hope they really care about global warming lol.

To be honest, it seems nobody on this site is earnestly defending a flat earth. It's hysterical when you come to understand it. It's like 4chan but with more sophisticated bullshit. I'm still going to introduce my scale for their map. I understand how the forum works now though... Lol.

Quote from: "AlP"To be honest, it seems nobody on this site is earnestly defending a flat earth. It's hysterical when you come to understand it. It's like 4chan but with more sophisticated bullshit. I'm still going to introduce my scale for their map. I understand how the forum works now though... Lol.

I used to post there. I tried (as did many other people) to talk some sense into them. They won't budge. Their entire world will crumble if they give the slightest bit of credence to a spherical Earth 'theory'.

Apparently we're the brainwashed ones. One of the more staunch flat earthers from that site posts a bunch on Youtube. He deletes all comments which oppose his theories. Consequently, the only posts to his vids are from his own alt accounts, i'm sure.

I'll try to find him. His vids are funny as hell.

Oh God, the stupid... it burns...

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages51.fotki.com%2Fv1547%2Fphotos%2F8%2F892548%2F6116196%2F1239895198733-vi.gif&hash=bc670d2895ff0bbf6d65bcb605942301216845d2)

Quote from: "AlP"To be honest, it seems nobody on this site is earnestly defending a flat earth. It's hysterical when you come to understand it. It's like 4chan but with more sophisticated bullshit. I'm still going to introduce my scale for their map. I understand how the forum works now though... Lol.

Yeah, I spent quite a bit of time on there last night, and I got the impression that it's a joke. This one guy just kept saying to the Round Earthers "show me data, and then we can discuss it", and no matter what they said he just kept it up. There's no way he was being serious.

They are probably hiding behind some bullshit barrier they've built up over the years.  Thats why it gives you the feeling that they are not sincere.  Its because they are being intellectually dishonest.  If they ever flew in an airplane they could see the curvature of the earth.  This is proally some orthodox conservative sect that thinks the earth is being held up by pillars ... but have no idea what the pillars are being held up on.  Though we look at this as trivial and their stupidity as stunning we still have to note that once they build some type of barrier where they can look at a satellite picture of the earth and dismiss it, they can make the most gullible dismiss it.  Thats how this type of stuff is spread.  Eventually it leads to them wanting equal time in the classroom.  And when there are a ton of dumbasses with the same delusional mindset its hard to just ignore them whether or not we have the evidence.

They know what the pillars holding up the Earth are. Elephants standing on the backs of turtles. The elephants have to lift their leg to let the sun pass under. Also, there is some debate as to whether there is a single flying turtle or an infinite pyramid of turtles.

I can't believe all of them are serious. That place seems thick with irony.

I am going to have to agree with them... I'm looking at a map on my wall and the earth looks pretty dang flat... I would like to go find that giant compass in the middle of the Pacific now.

Quote from: "skurry"I am going to have to agree with them... I'm looking at a map on my wall and the earth looks pretty dang flat... I would like to go find that giant compass in the middle of the Pacific now.

Be careful. I heard dragons be there.

Also, wouldn't this happen if it were flat?

[youtube:1qo0lel9]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecFBcpY9NHI[/youtube:1qo0lel9]

[youtube:1qo0lel9]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNlYBNTCBG8[/youtube:1qo0lel9]

funny movies.  Oh skurry i'm sorry you just have a map on the wall, I've got a globe next to my desk >.<.  When someone shows them a globe i'd like to see the baffled look on their faces.  I'm just glad these people aren't in a position where their stupidity can be felt widespread.  It reminds me of what Albert Einstein said, "Only two things are infinite the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

Quote from: "AlP"They know what the pillars holding up the Earth are. Elephants standing on the backs of turtles. The elephants have to lift their leg to let the sun pass under. Also, there is some debate as to whether there is a single flying turtle or an infinite pyramid of turtles.

I can't believe all of them are serious. That place seems thick with irony.

Yeah, one thing that seemed to be lacking was the fervent need to prove ridiculous claims that nutjobs usually possess. Most of what I read seemed to be guys acting intentionally dense to piss off obsessive compulsive people. It was actually kind of funny to watch some of RE'ers go crazy, because they were obviously being played.

Well I'm trying out the being intentionally dense thing. It seems so far to be an effective way of countering people holding the round Earth theory. I can't say I find it particularly fulfilling arguing something I don't believe though. Maybe some people like the irony of doing so. I value irony too but this is such unsophisticated irony. Maybe I'm missing something. Absurdity is hard to do.

Quote from: "AlP"Well I'm trying out the being intentionally dense thing. It seems so far to be an effective way of countering people holding the round Earth theory. I can't say I find it particularly fulfilling arguing something I don't believe though. Maybe some people like the irony of doing so. I value irony too but this is such unsophisticated irony. Maybe I'm missing something. Absurdity is hard to do.

This is giving you a glimpse into the mind of one of these people.  I bet its extremely empty... and small.  Next time you get into a debase with someone absurd you should compliment them on how easy absurdity comes to them :-D  You probably wont get very far with these people.  I doubt with stupidity that thick that reason can't get past it, it just gets lost :-(

Considering the basis of their belief, this is rather unfortunate:

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi46.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff128%2Flableforth%2F666.jpg&hash=3a11de0218cc6ed2da809040ec96c056296f3b29)

Quote from: "AlP"Well I'm trying out the being intentionally dense thing. It seems so far to be an effective way of countering people holding the round Earth theory. I can't say I find it particularly fulfilling arguing something I don't believe though. Maybe some people like the irony of doing so. I value irony too but this is such unsophisticated irony. Maybe I'm missing something. Absurdity is hard to do.

Haha. I must have been 'played' then...