Flat Earth Myth: A Favorite with ID Critics

Critics of intelligent design think they’re clever when they draw comparisons between ID and belief in a flat Earth. Professor Jerry Coyne, for one, says that HarperCollins, publisher of Michael Behe’s forthcoming book, Darwin Devolves, “should be ashamed at [sic] itself for publishing the biology equivalent of flat-Earthism.” Professor Nathan Lents has ventilated a similar view.

It’s not surprising since the myth of medieval belief in a flat Earth is widespread. So smart alecks, including biologist at major universities, naturally reach for it as a taunt. But the joke is on them. Science historian Michael Keas explains:

"Medieval thinkers reasoned that the Earth is round not flat because, for one thing, the position of the North Star, Polaris, looks different depending on where you stand. As you move north from the equator, it appears to be closer and closer to the center of the night sky. Students at medieval Christian universities could explain this to you. How about students at universities today? I bet the vast majority could not. Do you doubt me? So who is the more enlightened?"

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[yingyang]

The Polaris example doesn't prove the earth is a sphere at all - on a flat earth, stars would become lower as you walk away from them and eventually drop below the visual horizon

Of course this assumes that the stars are pretty close

[williamcrocker]

Flat or spherical, the viewing angle of Polaris will increase as the viewer moves north. Riddle me this: if Kepler’s laws are correct, why has the acceleration and deceleration of earth as it travels about its elliptical orbit never been measured? How can a pressurized system exist adjacent to a vacuum? And don’t you find it interesting that the Sun, which comes around every 86, 400 seconds, has a diameter of 864, 000 miles? Food for thought.

[LocoFan]

I had not heard this line of argument before, but it is very sound. Thank- you for pointing it out. Previous generations were trained in geometry much better than students today.

[aspen]

If I get everyone to believe the earth is triangular do I get to control them

[BlueButtonMasher]

If presented with a being claiming to be god how powerful would they have to be or what abilities would they have to demonstrate in order for you to believe their claim?

[BULLYYYY]

We live in a puddle on a flat plane prove me wrong

[plinn]

I believe that. People used to be much more attuned to the skies and the heavens. We take a lot of it for granted now.

[leftgrrl]

It's a fun argument but it doesn't disprove the thing it seeks to, that Theism kept most people ignorant for its own elite's advantage. All that is shown is that some people used to know this, who needed to know it as navigators or a far smaller academic circle than today when about half of adults go to university. So a long way from an equivalent to today's situation.

[laytonstones]

🛑🛑Come and debate this subject every day on the Nathan Oakley 1980 flat earth debate.. have your say on the nature of the Earth.. NathanOakley1980🛑🛑

[sevbait]

But, but, the narrative is so useful!

[sikandertheseas]

Australia and South South America How do they see the star of the north and they are down the ball silly