Flat earth beliefs are totally in error.

Here's an interesting video of someone answering a challenge to disprove the flat earth. The person who made the challenge had a very specific set of parameters, and offered $100,000 to the winner.

The winner went through a considerable amount of time, trouble and expense to make the proof demanded by the challenger, but to his credit he isn't demanding that the challenger pay up.

I've heard of the "triangle with three 90-degree angles" but couldn't envision it until I watched this video and saw exactly how it is accomplished on a spherical globe. Personally, this looks like absolutely unassailable real-world proof of a spherical earth.

Norman70 said:

My interest is in the interface between science and religion. For me there is no differentiation, science is one of God's gifts and we need to use it wisely. I wanted to join in on a thread on this subject, but there are so many that I am starting my own.
To begin, there is no way in the reality of our physical observation of the earth it cannot be a sphere. Anyone who argues against that are ignorant. No disrespect there, we are all ignorant when we do not know about something.
God gave us the gift of science, and science is telling us that the earth is a sphere.
This argument must be shelved,, unless God encourages us to continue it.

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True..... it is difficult for me to understand why any Theist would take the idea of a Flat Earth seriously at all..........

The Word of G-d is in two forms.....
scripture.... and the creation... and most of the parables by Rabbi Yeshua - Jesus were about the creation itself.......

Isa 40:22

It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

DennisTate said:

True..... it is difficult for me to understand why any Theist would take the idea of a Flat Earth seriously at all..........

The Word of G-d is in two forms.....
scripture.... and the creation... and most of the parables by Rabbi Yeshua - Jesus were about the creation itself.......

Isa 40:22

It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

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You're right. And if you thoroughly investigate the verse it means that the earth is a moving sphere/globe/orb.

In the Greek Septuagint the equivalent to chuwg is γῦρον gyron (aka, γύρος gyros). Properly translated into English the verse says:

"the one who possesses the circumference of the earth". I.e. "The whole earth".

Both chuwg and gyros mean rotation, movement, circuit. Ironically from the Greek word gyro we get gyroscope which is an instrument used to prove the earth is round.

The Hebrew definition consists of three English words:

1. circle
2. circuit
3. compass

These words are there to understand the mean of what chuwg means.

1. circle.

In old English the word circle, whenever applied to the earth, means globe. This is because the English word circle derived from the Latin circulus which also meant globe whenever applied to the earth, as circle even today is a synonym for globe. And since our English Bibles all came from old English translations, it is only wise we should consider the old English usage of the word and how it was applied in the Bible.

2. Compass.

This word is used to describe a circle that surrounds, environs, encompasses from all sides. Here is your latitude and longitude, where horizontal and vertical lines intersect. Job 26:10.

3. circuit.

While the word circuit shares much in common with a circle, it does not mean circle. It means the earth moves in a circle. This accounts for both the rotation of the earth and its circuit around the sun. Many times in the OT the word H8398 תֵּבֵל têbêl is used to describe "the habitable globe." In Latin this word translates to orbis and an orb moves...it orbits.

Norman70 said:

I am only just beginning to realise the importance of knowing that many words in the English translations of the Bible are derived from old or middle English. They simply did not carry the meanings we assign to them today when the information was first written in the original languages. For example "The Ten Commandments" has to be a mis-translation. God never commands anything.
I had no problem with flat earthers holding their foolish ideas, but recently their rise in popularity is being taken more seriously because they could be hindering the progress of tackling the problems of climate change and environmental pollution.
These people would be better spending their time and energy cleaning some beaches.

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I agree that old English translations contain words and expressions that no longer mean the same thing today. However, what do you mean when you say God never commands anything?

There are some decent English translations out there, many of which are available to the public. Though the 1537 Matthew's Bible is still our best English translation. When you study the Bible in Hebrew, Greek and Latin you quickly come to the conclusion that a new English translation is badly needed, and this time one done by the most highly qualified scholars in Hebrew and Greek. If I were younger I would do it. But I do not have the time or the energy to complete such a task. I even think it would benefit some for a new translation to draw some renderings from the Latin Vulgate, as some Latin words better enhance Hebrew and Greek meanings without deviating in the slightest. A serious scholar who knows what he or she is doing could put a swift end to atheism just by properly translating the Bible from the original languages.

A literal word for word translation has its place, but its not proper translating. Many times the translator will have to bring out the meaning of a word to avoid confusion in English.

When you study the Bible in Hebrew, Greek and Latin you are very disappointed in the vague and inconclusive language of our English Bibles! A new English translation needs to be authorized. But the big question is who will authorize this new translation?

William Tyndale was the most qualified scholar. There were a few real good scholars in his time but they, along with Tyndale, were executed. With their execution went the knowledge of translating and from there we slowly get worse with each translation.

Norman70 said:

@FEZZILLA .
The word command (middle Englsh) implies compulsion through authority enforced by the threat of punishment, and ultimately supported by the military. We have to reject all of that, return to the Sermon on the Mount and turn the other cheek. God is not a punishing God. Authoritarianism (compulsion by force) is a human institution introduced by the devil. I could say so much more, thank you for question.

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The Bible was not written in English. In Hebrew its still the 10 Commandments. Even in the NT there is punishment for sin.

Norman70 said:

No body in this life really knows what we are doing, we all do our best, atheists and believers, and hopefully do not do something which is unhelpful to others.
I do not find these people in established Churches. As my father said that he did not attend an established Church as they are all hypocritical.

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Have you been to all the various sects of established churches? Do you expect people in church to be God? Church brings people in who know they are sinners. There is no such thing as a perfect church. This is because people aren't perfect. This is what the middle verse says. What is the middle verse? Its the verse in the middle of the Bible.


Psalm 118:8,

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."

No human being is God. Everyone is a sinner and everyone has fallen short of God's glory. You go to church to worship and not to see who the greatest sinners are.

Philippians 4:5,

"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."

Norman70 said:

@FEZZILLA Many thanks for your post.
All established Churches, denominational or not, exist in a corrupt world. None do nothing about this., in anarchist vernacular they are statist, they do not want change. Keep praying, fasting, going to a Church and perhaps doing some voluntary work, especially spreading the Good News, is all we need to do as Christians.
But this is obviously not enough, because nothing is changing. All I do is wait for the Second Coming of Christ.

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There are good denominations and bad ones. In the good denominations there are bad divisions who decided to deviate from the Gospel. Some churches preach that you are saved only through becoming wealthy. This is just plain atheism because I fail to see that anywhere in the Gospels. Some divisions now include removing Paul from Scripture, simply because he wasn't preaching Marxism. I remember once a woman I used to work with. She was one of those prosperity Christians. She lost her faith in God right there in front of me when I proved to her that St.Peter was not the rich fisherman. She thought Peter had more wealth than Caesar. I think Acts 4:13 really did it for her, finding out that Peter didn't even have a Grade School Diploma. She thought Peter was a Harvard graduate with an over abundance of wealth.

The problem of Apostasy is not to be blamed just on the malicious tactics of the left alone. When you have so many churches that get off massage it will feed the growing apostasy. This was the purpose of the 7 letters to the 7 churches in Revelation. Only one of those churches received high praises for their work from Jesus. And keep in mind that those 7 letters are written to the 7 churches of the same denomination! For the first 1000 years of Christianity there was only one church. It wasn't until the great schism of 1054 A.D. that we find ourselves with two denominations.

But among the smoke and ashes of our current problem with apostasy there are still good churches out there. There are still good Lutheran churches that accept Paul's Epistles, there are still good Anglican churches that still follow the ancient traditions and who still go by the 1928 BCP. There are still some good Pentecostal churches out there who don't teach prosperity theology. But who's supporting them?

Norman70 said:

We all are by attending their services or being told we ought to think that we should even if we do not.
Checking the title of this thread it seems we have drifted off-topic, which is the nonsense promulgated by flat earthers! Anyway, I will take any opportunity to express my Christian Anarchist leanings. I hope I will be forgiven!

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Why would you desire anarchy in Christianity?

Norman70 said:

I have started one thread here on CF entitled Christian Anarchism in the Controversial Christian Theology Forum, and contributed to another with the same title in the General Politics Forum.
Anarchism was on a par with Marxism in the 19th century, but now the word anarchy is nearly always used pejoratively by politicians, the media and the general public. Leo Tolstoy wrote about it, he influenced Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King, and Wiki is a good place to start.
Favourite Scriptures, but I think the whole of the Bible, are the Sermon on the Mount, Acts 4:32-37 and 1 Samuel 8.

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So in more of a simplified explanation we explain a Christian anarchist as someone who clings to Marxism. Is that correct?

Norman70 said:

Absolutely not! In the 19th century they were diametrically opposed, but as we all know Marxism won out. I spent my early teaching years (60's and 70's) arguing with Marxist teachers, and I never joined a teachers' union, which all the Marxists did. We were ll socialists, but the difference centred on means to ends, and that's where Marxism went wrong.
In later years I learnt about Christian Anarchism as I developed an interest in Christianity.

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So what is Christian anarchy? It doesn't seem like a good thing to me. Every anarchist I've seen out there is pro-Socialism and pro-Islam. Then there is flat earth which is anarchy against the church.

I truly do wish people would just drop all these modern ideas doomed for failure and just get back to orthodoxy.