Flat-Faith Christians?

I’m sure most all of us are familiar with the myth that supposedly prevailed during the time of Christopher Columbus about the Earth being flat. People were afraid that when he sailed in search of the Indies, that he was going to eventually fall off the edge of the earth. This idea prevailed because of a fictitious biography about Columbus written by Washington Irving which painted Columbus as a hero since he defied the establishment of that day and sailed anyway (Wells, 2005).

The truth: people of Columbus’s day didn’t think that the earth was flat. They knew better. Accordingly, you would think that seriously considering such a view about our planet would seem utterly ridiculous today. If you think that, let me introduce you to some people: The Flat Earth Society.

Yes, they do exist. Yes, they seem to be serious. That slight curve you see in the horizon when you stand on a mountain (Bishop, A view from Everest, 2010)? Well, they say that’s evidence of a circular earth, not a spherical one. When a ship disappears over the horizon? Well, that doesn’t prove the earth is spherical, but rather that it’s flat for sure (Bishop, Ships appear to sink as they recede past the horizon, 2010)! What about those images from space of a sphere, especially the time-lapse videos which so the earth rotating? Well, they prove flatness, too.

Never mind that for a while I made my living in a field where understanding how lenses and optics affect your perception of lines and angles (photography), but when I look at the pictures they use as “proof,” it doesn’t take much to see that they look like images of a sphere to me.

I see huge flaws in their reasoning. What’s their biggest flaw? Their minds are pre-disposed to see only the “evidence” that “proves” their theories. They aren’t handling the evidence properly!

When your views on something are shaped in the same way that these so-called “flat-earthers” are, by mishandled evidence or faulty reasoning, your conclusions are going to be wrong. Mishandled evidence is the same as having no evidence. Approaching evidence with a decision already in mind about its interpretation constitutes a dishonest examination as well.

The same thing is true of any “evidence” we have from the Bible about anything. If someone approaches a question or problem with their mind made up about what the Bible will say before they’ve taken the time to really examine the evidence, they’re being dishonest, and mishandling God’s word (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15, ESV). In those cases, their faith is based on the same principles of examination that these “flat-earthers” base their views on. I guess you could call such a person a “flat-faith” Christian. Like a flat balloon, their faith hasn’t been fully filled out with the God-breathed truth (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16).

We might chuckle a little about the Flat Earth Society. Even though they seem ridiculous, their views are relatively harmless. On the other hand, it’s certainly no laughing matter when people ignore evidence in God’s Word about what they should be doing. Be honest: Are you guilty of being a “flat-faith” Christian? (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5)

~Daniel Howell

Works Cited

Bishop, T. (2010, February 24). A view from Everest. Retrieved June 1, 2011, from The Flat Earth Society Wiki: http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=A+View+From+Everest

Bishop, T. (2010, October 18). Ships appear to sink as they recede past the horizon. Retrieved June 1, 2011, from The Flat Earth Society Wiki: http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=Ships+appear+to+sink+as+they+recede+past+the+horizon

Wells, J. (2005, May 20). Not the Flat Earth Myth Again! Retrieved June 1, 2011, from Center for Science & Culture: http://www.discovery.org/a/2587