THE FLAT EARTHERS and RIP VAN WINKLE...

There's nothing better than de-bunking a myth. So, let me ask you a simple question;

Do you believe that educated people believed in the Flat Earth for centuries?

Yes? I did too.

Well, like me, you'd be wrong.

In the first FIFTEEN centuries of the Christian era, only five writers denied the globe. Virtually unanimous scholarly opinion prounced the earth spherical. and since the 15th century there has been no doubt the earth was spherical! Some of those early Chrisian figures such as the Venerable Bede, Roger Bacon, Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas are believed the globe to be round! Were you ever taught that? Me neither!

So, where did the modern myth of the Flat Earth come from?

Step forward Rip Van Winkle - or rather Washington Irving, his creator!! His fantasy "History of the Life and Voyagees of Christopher Columbus" set the false note in the 19th century. The myth was then assidously peddled by those such as John Draper, who despised the Roman Catholic Church and used it to promote his idea that Roman Catholicism was antagonistic to learning. Ever since then, the idea of Flat Earthers has entered our common lexicon, is taught as if it were a fact. The truth is something else.

Comments

[Allan@Aberdeen]

I know of 1 billion people who are taught that the sun rises from and sets into a muddy pool.

[rich]

it does. its called earth.

[Peter]

Fascinating stuff. I suppose with the moon and sun being round, it wouldn't have taken a genius to deduce that the earth was the same.

[smcgiff]

Peter,

You can have a flat round object. The moon and sun look pretty 2D from Earth.

The moon doesn't spin relative to the Earth.

You know, the more I think of it...

[rich]

just more christian hacks trying to undo thier history. fact is people burned for claiming such heretical ideas. a fact they want to distance themselves from.

born-agains are genius' at this.

["Alice"]

Very interesting.

[Peter]

Smcgiff, you mean like a disk? I suppose so.

Rich, you know that Galllieo's book arguing that the earth orbited the sun and not vice-versa, remained banned by the Catholic Church for 300 years?

As for Darwin's work.....

[Madradin Ruad]

Rich, you know that Galllieo's book arguing that the earth orbited the sun and not vice-versa, remained banned by the Catholic Church for 300 years?

Looking at the papers this morning I'll bet they wished they had the same degree of control ;) Still, at least it shows he wasn't using any abominations such as artificial birth control LOL

[smcgiff]

MR,

Which papers do you read MR? Which paper has this story.

The more this happens the better, imho.

Peter,

Mmm, Discworld. Could be a story in that! ;-)

[rich]

"Rich, you know that Galllieo's book arguing that the earth orbited the sun and not vice-versa, remained banned by the Catholic Church for 300 years?"

Peter thats what im getting at. NuChristians are trying to distance themselves from past indescretions. Which they successfully achieve by denouncing roman catholisicm and its history. yet judging by current actions they seem doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

[Peter]

Rich, some of the religious thought police now accept that the scientists are right about the age of the earth (4.6 billion years) and evolution (earliest life forms appeared about 3.5 billion years ago). They reconcile this to their creation myths in some way or other.

But many (especially in the USA and the world of Islam) still believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old and that all forms of life present today appeared simultaneously at the start. Way to go!

[smcgiff]

'Way to go!'

And dinosaur fossils only go to prove God has a mischievous sense of humour!

[Peter]

If you like! As long as you accept that they're at least 65 million years old. I have an ammonite fossil far older.

[Madradin Ruad]

smcgiff- front page irish independent, and on UTV and Breaking News website - what IS it about Galway ?

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/01/18/story240192.html

[smcgiff]

MR,

You read the Irish Independent? Careful, pure free state propaganda! :)

My thoughts on the priesthood. They’re either gay, having it off with the housekeeper (tend to travel with them from parish to parish) or doing something to the Bishop I doubt they learnt in Seminary school (then again!) that negates the whole celibacy thing.

I’d make a fine Free P only for the slight handicap of not believing in God.

[neal]

I know of 1 billion people who are taught that the sun rises from and sets into a muddy pool.

And I'm aware of a similarly large number who are taught that 2,000 years ago a virgin somehow managed to give birth to a child.

[Peter]

Fathering a child at 73? Must think he's Des O'Connor!

[dearieme]

Most History taught in American schools seems to be largely fabrication so this is part of the pattern. But I have never believed that any sizeable body of intelligent people believed in a flat earth: whichever direction you sail, you lose sight first of the low-lying land, then of the hills, then of the mountains. Ergo, the world is round. Piece of piss. The medieval Catholics were not wrong on this. Most things, but not this.