Can someone help a skeptic with some questions?
« on: August 01, 2017, 01:38:28 PM »
Hi, I'm new to the forum, and fairly new to the idea of FET.
I have been very closed minded about a flat earth since I first heard it's mention, blowing it off as nonsense. That is however until I decided to sit down, stop being stubborn to the knowledge I've always been fed, and do some research of my own. Whilst I am skeptical about a lot of the theory, I am fully aware that no scientific fact was established without an initial theory, and often is disproved or further understood, so I have allowed myself to step outside of the comfort zone of what I have known my whole life and embrace the consideration of FET.
Whilst I am content that a lot of the maths and answers to many FET debunking questions can be effectively answered by the community/theorists, I still struggle with the thought of NASA being an "pawn organisation", set up to fake the idea of a round earth, and why they would even do this in first place, what is the problem with earth being round, why can that not be true?
I have also never been a particularly religious person, whether that is an important factor in FET or not, I find myself struggling to get on board with a lot of more spiritual beliefs some flat earthers preach. Perhaps I am depressingly closed to the idea that we have a point on this earth, and we are not just creatures like any other surviving in the way we have evolved to. But I find it hard to believe there is a divine end goal to this life for us beings.

I guess in hindsight, my post is less of a question, and more of an invitation to the community to help a skeptic, to be more open to the theory. If anyone is able to point me towards some professional literature of FET (A lot of youtubers explanations can be a bit.... extreme...) or even continue a discussion with me in this thread, I would love to get to know more.

Thanks in advance.
"We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves." - Thomas Aquinas

Re: Can someone help a skeptic with some questions?
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2017, 01:48:41 PM »
Welcome OpenlySkeptical.

For the sort of 'basics' of the Flat Earth Hypothesis, you can find quite a bit of information located upon the wiki. For example here you can find what this particular branch of FE believes are the motivations and such for NASA. Essentially though it boils down to: NASA made up the lie during the Cold War (actually I suppose that would be Russia who started the lie, AND found some way to project an image of their satellite into the sky) that they were able to get out into space, as a way to show military superiority. Since then every other nation just follows suit, because the lie has too much weight behind it to try and shout down as not being possible.

Religion isn't a requirement, you'll find most of the arguments presented here have at least some basis in at least observations, and not a literal interpretation of the text of a 2000 year old book (we prefer to knock a zero off before trusting them).

I wish you the best of luck and a good time on these forums, but I've personally backslid during my time here and don't think it's even worth being called a theory, much less something to subscribe to. Too many holes that the FEers here don't seem interested in actually explaining in provable ways.