Though they are somewhat rare, believers in the flat earth model can be found all over the globe. It's not often I come across them. I don't go looking for them, nor do I comment on the topic often enough that they're especially motivated to come and find me. Nevertheless, I have met a fair few flat earthers. Enough that I have made an interesting observation. Their view is one of the hardest to defend, yet at the same time, they are amazingly capable of defending it.
Likely due to the fact arguments are all they have, arguments are all they use. They don't appeal to consensus, because the overwhelming majority of scientists are against them. They don't appeal to popularity, because their view hasn't managed to gain many followers for centuries (contrary to popular belief). They rarely throw insults around, because they'd get it back a hundredfold in return. Flat earthers have no other leg to stand on, and so all they do is argue.
The arguments they present are rarely especially convincing. Certainly none that are sufficient to refute the round earth model. I even remember seeing one group of flat earthers refute their own worldview with an experiment they were confident would prove it to be true. With that being said, I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of arguments flat earthers present. They genuinely make you think, if indeed you are capable of thinking.
If you are capable of thinking, some flat earth arguments will make you think. One example is seen in the header image. If a helicopter hovers above the ground for several hours, it can land in the exact same place. The question? If the Earth is spinning, how does this happen?
A really bad answer to this question is "I don't understand your specific kind of stupid, but I admire your total commitment to it". Perhaps it adequately expresses the commenter's feelings. It may even be true that the flat earth model is stupid. But is the argument stupid, and does the meme answer it in any way?
Let's suppose you were unsure which model is correct. Ultimately, it doesn't even make a difference to many people's lives. It matters if you're a pilot, or a NASA scientist, or various other professions, but most people do not depend on either model being true. So, which is more convincing to you? The original argument, the brainless meme response, or the response about relativity?
Being a firmly convinced round earther, I'm obviously biased towards the reply. I don't think hovering helicopters prove the Earth is flat, and I think relativity is an excellent explanation for why the helicopter can land in the same place. You don't even need a helicopter on a train to prove it. Sit in a car, you aren't being endlessly forced forward with it, and if you slam on the brakes (or, God forbid, crash), you're going to continue forward at the same speed until you hit something. Clearly, no matter what you believe about the shape of the Earth, the relativity comment is the vastly superior answer. It's the right answer, it's an intelligent answer, it's a good answer.
And it's a better answer than many people would be willing to give. On the original post, it's the only one I saw that didn't spit hatred and venom against the flat earther. And sadly, this is an experience I can resonate with, because of course, I am a Christian apologist. On a regular basis, both on Bible Brain and in my private life, I present arguments either in favor of the Christian faith, or against some other worldview. Yet, the response is so devoid of any intelligence that I have had to turn the profanity filter on the Facebook page up to full, and remove the ability to post memes. Even this does not prevent the personal attacks, or other variety of non-answers. "Are you like this in real life? Very sad if so." "You should've finished high school." "See ya chump".
Whose mind does any of this change? What does this achieve? Certainly not mine. But worse than that, not theirs, either. This article, sadly, is unlikely to be read by the people who need it most. The people who post the non-answers, ultimately, are cheating themselves.
See, the problem with a non-answer is it doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care if the view you're attacking is true or false. In fact, while I find the vast majority of flat earthers are capable debaters, there are those whom I have found to be equally vicious. One of the saddest names I've ever been called is a "globetard". Once you realise this, you see just how foolish the whole affair is. You're not proving yourself to be very smart, nor are you even proving your opponent is as stupid as your meme says. What you're proving is you have the mental capacity of the very people you so despise. Those you call stupid, you're proving yourself less intelligent than. Why? Because they gave an argument, and you responded with insults. Their case is automatically stronger. Think of it as an MMA match. You boast about your karate black belt, you mock their flimsy muscles, they've still got you in a headlock.
But what if they're right? What if you're preventing yourself from thinking, and as a result, you're denying yourself the truth, not only looking stupid, but actually being stupid? In this case, you're cheating yourself.
In the case of the Christian faith, the consequences of this loss are eternal. By refusing to consider God's offer of reconciliation and eternal life, you are walking yourself right into the pit of Hell. I simply cannot admire a person's total commitment to that kind of thoughtlessness.