Flat Earth Society Forum... Silly or Serious?

[TinyDave]

What a load of bunk. If scientists hadn't bothered preparing a vaccine and everyone was immediately and simultaneously cured then that would be some evidence of a miracle, although there could also be a scientific reason so I wouldn't immediately point to the divine.

"It wuz aliens! I seen 'em. They ran my pickuptruck into a willow tree out behind Widow Spitwitz's place."

I guess it's lucky that Widow Spitwitz had some strapping son's to help you!

* No willow trees were harmed in this sarcasm.

[Dancefortwo]

...Dr. Francis Collins was the head of the Human Genome Project and also the head of the the National Institutes of Health.  He is no slouch in his field but confirmation bias is a real thing for religious nuts.  When you want to believe in a god you'll believe come hell or high water.  He believes in evolution but he thinks his creator set evolution in motion.  He thinks the DNA sequence is evidence of a god code.   He's not unintelligent or stupid but religious belief often trumps reality. 

Francis Collins developed a web site called "BioLogos" which often—usually?—runs
claptrap such as THIS.

Which says, in part:

Does the vaccine point to the reality of the Kingdom of God? I say yes!

In Luke 4 Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah about what the Kingdom of
God will ultimately look like: release of the captives, setting the oppressed
free, and… healing the sick. And the rest of his earthly ministry bears witness
to the value of physical wholeness—that this is what God desires for everyone.

And when we take the vaccine, we too are pointing to the Kingdom
of God by protecting the most vulnerable in our communities.

—Jim Stump, PhD.

What a load of bunk. If scientists hadn't bothered preparing a vaccine and everyone was immediately and simultaneously cured then that would be some evidence of a miracle, although there could also be a scientific reason so I wouldn't immediately point to the divine.

Yes, that would be a miracle. 

Warning: Rant follows------->         But if there is a loving, omnipotent god who created everything why the hell can't he just NOT have created Covid in the first place.  Cancer in chidren?  Why?  Why did this god allow this to happen from the get-go.  Malaria?  Ah yes, let's talk about malaria.   Malaria has killed more people over thousands of years than any other disease (it's over a billion)  and because mosquitoes are more prevalent in warmer climates where people with brown skin live it generally kills people with darker pigment in their skin than white people.  So is this god a racist or can he not do anything about this situation?   Not only did this god create malaria he also created the absolute perfect little animal to spread the disease.  So if this god actually does exist he's either a serial killer and murdering psychopath or he's powerless to do anything about it and not much of a god. 

Rant over. Back to normal----->   

[TinyDave]

Yes, that would be a miracle. 

Warning: Rant follows------->         But if there is a loving, omnipotent god who created everything why the hell can't he just NOT have created Covid in the first place.  Cancer in chidren?  Why?  Why did this god allow this to happen from the get-go.  Malaria?  Ah yes, let's talk about malaria.   Malaria has killed more people over thousands of years than any other disease (it's over a billion)  and because mosquitoes are more prevalent in warmer climates where people with brown skin live it generally kills people with darker pigment in their skin than white people.  So is this god a racist or can he not do anything about this situation?   Not only did this god create malaria he also created the absolute perfect little animal to spread the disease.  So if this god actually does exist he's either a serial killer and murdering psychopath or he's powerless to do anything about it and not much of a god. 

Rant over. Back to normal----->   

Someone far better with words than me explains this here:

[Dancefortwo]

Yes, that would be a miracle. 

Warning: Rant follows------->         But if there is a loving, omnipotent god who created everything why the hell can't he just NOT have created Covid in the first place.  Cancer in chidren?  Why?  Why did this god allow this to happen from the get-go.  Malaria?  Ah yes, let's talk about malaria.   Malaria has killed more people over thousands of years than any other disease (it's over a billion)  and because mosquitoes are more prevalent in warmer climates where people with brown skin live it generally kills people with darker pigment in their skin than white people.  So is this god a racist or can he not do anything about this situation?   Not only did this god create malaria he also created the absolute perfect little animal to spread the disease.  So if this god actually does exist he's either a serial killer and murdering psychopath or he's powerless to do anything about it and not much of a god. 

Rant over. Back to normal----->   

Someone far better with words than me explains this here:

I love your Stephen Fry.  I could listen to him for hours.  He's such a treasure and what a mind he has.   He leaves the interviewer in the dust.

[Phaedrus]

From an accessible viewpoint, of course the earth is flat. It's when you overcome your far-sightedness that you see the whole picture.

[TinyDave]

I love your Stephen Fry.  I could listen to him for hours.  He's such a treasure and what a mind he has.   He leaves the interviewer in the dust.

Our, Stephen Fry. He is a humanist, so represents all of humanity.

I don't know if you have seen him debate with his trusty hitch at his side, if you haven't this is worth watching -

[Dancefortwo]

I love your Stephen Fry.  I could listen to him for hours.  He's such a treasure and what a mind he has.   He leaves the interviewer in the dust.

Our, Stephen Fry. He is a humanist, so represents all of humanity.

I don't know if you have seen him debate with his trusty hitch at his side, if you haven't this is worth watching -

Wow. Thanks.  I'll give it a listen when I have time.  I can't imagine those two on the same panel in a debate.

[TinyDave]

Wow. Thanks.  I'll give it a listen when I have time.  I can't imagine those two on the same panel in a debate.

Hitchens and Fry were life long friends. Watch the video from 48 mins in for Fry.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

What a load of bunk. If scientists hadn't bothered preparing a vaccine and everyone was immediately and simultaneously cured then that would be some evidence of a miracle, although there could also be a scientific reason so I wouldn't immediately point to the divine.

"It wuz aliens! I seen 'em. They ran my pickuptruck into a willow tree out behind Widow Spitwitz's place."

I guess it's lucky that Widow Spitwitz had some strapping son's to help you!

* No willow trees were harmed in this sarcasm.

She retired from running tow boat on the Mississippi once all the gators had died. She seeing her boys every other leap year, if they hadn't broken any rules and wound up in the chill cell.

[Cavebear]

They are not required to think about what they do.  

Training and education does not always equal "understanding".   Especially beyond an area of expertise.

It's doesn't even have to be beyond an area of expertise that someone will still believe in a god.  Dr. Francis Collins was the head of the Human Genome Project and also the head of the the National Institutes of Health.  He is no slouch in his field but confirmation bias is a real thing for religious nuts.  When you want to believe in a god you'll believe come hell or high water.  He believes in evolution but he thinks his creator set evolution in motion.  He thinks the DNA sequence is evidence of a god code.   He's not unintelligent or stupid but religious belief often trumps reality. 

 My simplistic understanding (and I could be very wrong here) is that the DNA sequences are not a code.  They are more of a chemical reaction that makes life possible and no more a code than matches and gasoline are a code making fire possible.    I'm no geneticist so I should just shut up.    

And so I consider him a superstitious idiot... And you are mostly right.

[Cavebear]

Just a thought here.
Do flat-earthers have a special name for global warming or do they call it flat-warming or something?

They can deny it, but they've still got to call it something.

Love that! Everything shows the ignorance of the nutcases.

[TinyDave]

My simplistic understanding (and I could be very wrong here) is that the DNA sequences are not a code.  They are more of a chemical reaction that makes life possible and no more a code than matches and gasoline are a code making fire possible.    I'm no geneticist so I should just shut up.    

You're right DNA isn't a code itself. Humans make codes to interpret data as thats how our minds are programmed (coded) to work. ACGT is our interpretation of a biomechanical process.

[widdershins]

I have no idea whether the site itself is serious, but I have one friend from high school who is dead serious about it. Or at least he was the last time he spoke to me. To be fair I'm pretty sure he has some sort of mental issues going on. He believes literally any conspiracy theory he sees a video for and he jumps from one conspiracy theory to the next regularly. His flat earth beliefs replaced his previous alien visitation beliefs, so at least he can,t hold two conflicting beliefs simultaneously like many people seem to be able to. He's actually a very smart man, there's just some cross-wired circuitry in there somewhere. A good guy, regardless.

[Inkubus]

Cool story bro.

[Dancefortwo]

I have no idea whether the site itself is serious, but I have one friend from high school who is dead serious about it.  Or at least he was the last time he spoke to me.  To be fair I'm pretty sure he has some sort of mental issues going on.  He believes literally any conspiracy theory he sees a video for and he jumps from one conspiracy theory to the next regularly.  His flat earth beliefs replaced his previous alien visitation beliefs, so at least he can,t hold two conflicting beliefs simultaneously like many people seem to be able to.  He's actually a very smart man, there's just some cross-wired circuitry in there somewhere.  A good guy, regardless.

I know really nice people who believe in homeopathy and other shitty pseudoscience like theraputic touch and reike crap.   I have a difficut time keeping my mouth shut when I talk to them.

[jerry mcmasters]

I have no idea whether the site itself is serious, but I have one friend from high school who is dead serious about it.  Or at least he was the last time he spoke to me.  To be fair I'm pretty sure he has some sort of mental issues going on.  He believes literally any conspiracy theory he sees a video for and he jumps from one conspiracy theory to the next regularly.  His flat earth beliefs replaced his previous alien visitation beliefs, so at least he can,t hold two conflicting beliefs simultaneously like many people seem to be able to.  He's actually a very smart man, there's just some cross-wired circuitry in there somewhere.  A good guy, regardless.

I suppose the rush and stimulation of being "on the inside" and having special beliefs others are too stupid to know is quite powerful for a lot of people.

[jerry mcmasters]

Cool story bro.

All new forum members get a free blanket- wet, courtesy of Inky.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[widdershins]

Cool story bro.

All new forum members get a free blanket- wet, courtesy of Inky.

Yeah, it actually seems to be a running theme here so far.  Not the friendliest bunch here so far, with a few exceptions.

[Dancefortwo]

Cool story bro.

All new forum members get a free blanket- wet, courtesy of Inky.

Yeah, it actually seems to be a running theme here so far.  Not the friendliest bunch here so far, with a few exceptions.

I think you're fine.  You've made some nice, intelligent posts.  

[mordant]

Cool story bro.

All new forum members get a free blanket- wet, courtesy of Inky.

Yeah, it actually seems to be a running theme here so far.  Not the friendliest bunch here so far, with a few exceptions.

I think the subtext of some here is you're supposed to be virulently anti-theist or you're a suspected source of theist cooties.

I have no problem with anyone who picks the handle "widdershins" because it surely means you're into Terry Pratchett and so can do no wrong ;-)

[mordant]

duplicate post

[Thumpalumpacus]

His flat earth beliefs replaced his previous alien visitation beliefs, so at least he can,t hold two conflicting beliefs simultaneously like many people seem to be able to.  

Why can't a flat Earth be visited by aliens?

[SYZ]

https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v =KyD8VIK032o

   This is one of the best videos I've seen demolishing any/all flat earth "theories".

It's possibly still not simple enough for most of the flat earthers though... sadly.

[SYZ]

All new forum members get a free blanket- wet, courtesy of Inky.

Yeah, it actually seems to be a running theme here so far.  Not the friendliest bunch here so far, with a few exceptions.

Maybe... just maybe... it's because of the agonistic and gratuitous
comments in your A couple of shows/movies thread earlier today.

You might need to lighten up a bit mate.