Not too long ago I sat transfixed as I watched an hour-long documentary on flat earthers. The thing that intrigued me the most was that they appeared to be absolutely normal in every way. None looked like the Christopher Lloyd character in Back to the Future with his wild hair, wearing various contraptions on his head.
They showed them attending one of their conventions, and any observer could have easily mistaken it for a Tupperware convention. Their conventions are well-attended, drawing people from all over the world.
I was hoping that the documentary would help me understand what drives someone to take such an aberrant view of something so easily proven -- that the earth is an oblate spheroid. What exactly is different about the way their brains work. Unfortunately, the video left me feeling completely unsatisfied in that regard.
They have gone through quite a lot of time and expense to construct working, mechanized models of a flat plane earth having a dome of visible space overhead, with the sun and moon cantilevered out over the plane set on timers to rotate and display how they think the day/night cycle works. It was all very elaborate ... and convincing to someone not grounded in the reality of the true shape of the earth.
They spent quite a lot of time and money traveling to the right kinds of locations to make experiments to prove their theory ... using expensive, powerful lasers to shoot beams of light in a straight line onto tall, measured poles miles away. So far, the curvature of the earth has thwarted every single one of their efforts. But, they remain undeterred. To paraphrase them: "We just haven't come up with the right way to test it yet. But we will. And then the world will know we are right."
I must admit that I had an ulterior motive in trying to get inside the mind of the flat earther. I've been having the same question about a certain level of denying biblical reality among some who view Scripture just off from what is intended by God. I believe there is definitely a similarity in mindset with the flat earthers that I was studying.
Please don't misunderstand what I am saying. I believe flat earthers and those who badly misunderstand God's word are virtually regular, normal people, but there is something just off in their way of thinking as they are completely intransigent and unable to shift their way of thinking in the right direction.
And, like the flat earthers who fail at all their tests to prove their point of view, and who refuse to accept reality when it is explained to them, there are those of faith who fail over and over again to prove their aberrant views of Scripture and refuse to accept the truth when it is told to them.
The only difference I have found between the flat earthers and those who are enthusiasts at misunderstanding Scripture is that the flat earthers are generally harmless and sweet people. Unfortunately, there is a certain subset of Christians who are very activist in their disdain for others who understand differently from them. And they get very ugly, abusive and bullying about it. Ad hominem attacks and name-calling is the norm with them.
I want to state here that this forum is light years better than many of the other Christian debate forums in that regard. Moderation is active here; whereas elsewhere the "antis" own the forums and the moderators are afraid of them. So, kudos for that. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here.