Hi Dockles,
I think you should probably read the Wiki pages that the Flat Earthers have posted on this site.
It answers many of your questions about what they believe.
1. There are many reports/claims of people flying and sailing around the world. I've yet to hear of anyone making it to the edge of the world, or documenting such a finding. I suspect there will be claims like " 'They' covered it up," or "Illuminati" but I'd like a bit more than the assumption that the Earth is flat because everything is a lie, so the popular notion that the Earth is spherical must be a lie. You understand.
The FE answer for this is that these people are following a compass or using celestial navigation - and if the FE ideas are correct, this would result in them sailing in a large circle. The claim is that compasses point toward the North pole (which is at the center of their map). So if (for example) you sailed due West - you'd sail in a circle around the North pole. Also, according to this version of Flat-Earthism - there is no 'edge' to fall off of.
Well...yeah...that might work...but the FE ideas for where the stars are and how they move is completely incompatible with celestial navigation - so I think their theory collapses under careful examination.
2. Much of our modern society hinges on the world being spherical (flight paths, ocean liners, etc.) As well as there being several scientific agencies that are staffed by some of the most intelligent minds the world has to offer. As well as numerous privately funded organizations who study the stars, multiple observatories. Does the Flat Earth reject all modern scientific research/discovery or just the evidence proposed by said agencies (NASA for example again.) Or is this another ploy by "they" and the funding for a mass cover up.
Yes - but the FE'ers claim that NASA and other space agencies are conspiring to hide the fact that the Earth is Flat (no clearly articulated reasons as to why they'd do such a seemingly bizarre thing). So much of the "obvious" evidence (photos of the Earth taken from the moon, for example) are simply discounted as "Fake".
3. Several popular high-minded individuals have based their lives and their work on a geocentric model of the Earth. (Neil Degrasse Tyson/ Stephen Hawking) Does the flat Earth society have similar "celebrities" or equally accredited individuals in their corner? Or is this a case of rejected science, or covered up truth?
Some people in the various FE societies (there are several) seem to think they have similar degrees of authority and gravitas...but they truly don't. If you corner a committed FE'er and use the right pointed questions - their arguments collapse like wet tissue paper.
4. A Flat Earth would radically skew several scientific theories about the laws of physics. Everything from how light travels, to storm systems, to the electromagnetic fields and Gravity. Does the Flat Earth society propose an alternate make up/substitutions for these?
Not really - there are some half-assed explanations for "gravity" (the Earth continuously accelerates upwards at 9.8 meters per second-squared) - but most of modern science is "cherry-picked". Things that work with FE theory are used to promote the theory - things that don't fit are either ignored or dumped into the "conspiracy theory" bucket.
5. Is the concept of a Flat Earth religious based? Does it factor into this at all? Is this all based off of research and observation? If so is it unbiased or seeking to explain/confirm evidence found within religious writings.
The people who started and who run this forum state very clearly that their beliefs are NOT religious based.
However, that is not true in general. Many people (a few of whom show up here) are fundamentalist christians who have read a handful of sentences in the Bible - taken them FAR too literally - and spun that into a Flat Earth narrative. However, many aspects of what the Bible is claimed to say are NOT beliefs of the people here (eg that the sky is a solid dome, made of water (ice?) that only God can reach through).
But much of the resurgence of Flat-Earthism has been due to the general tendency of the more extreme "religious right" to reject science as a matter of principle...for those people, Flat Earthism is a great way to reject science.
I do thank you for taking the time here. I'm a simple man of average intelligence. I've never traveled very far. I've never seen the edge of the world nor have I sailed full circle around the globe. I personally subscribe to a round Earth. Its what I've been taught, the evidence for which makes sense enough and I've found no evidence in my life to refute them. So, no hate. I'm just curious and like to argue at times. Sway me
People here are (generally) very civil if you are civil with them. Conversation can get heated - but that's only to be expected.
Two things you will soon learn:
1) YOU MUST READ THE WIKI! These people have been answering the same questions from round-earthers over and over again for years...decades even. It's not fair to ask them to repeatedly re-state things they'd have to go over with every new person to the site. So PLEASE do that. It's nicely produced - it's easy reading and it explains a lot about their beliefs.
2) You'll be amazed at how much what you know is not accepted. For example, one of the principle people here says that he has no idea what the map of the world looks like...and that the one on the Wiki here is not correct. This allows them to dodge many "obvious" attacks on their theory. Their own lack of knowledge about their own ideas is a powerful tool for them to deny "proofs" that you have.
That said - I'm committed to producing unassailable proofs that the Earth isn't flat...there is one good one in the thread "Using airline flight data." - it's not simple, but the Flat Earth theory is fairly well armored against the simplest kinds of disproof.