The Flat Earth Society

Flat Earth Discussion Boards => Flat Earth General => Topic started by: Username on January 31, 2016, 08:48:41 PM

Title: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Username on January 31, 2016, 08:48:41 PM
Today I got a message from a high school student who told me he had to put on an assembly for his school about why he was the only person to believe the Earth is flat.

I tried my best to convince him it will just lead to him getting attacked and ostracized. Not to do it - that the teachers clearly seem like assholes.

Finally, seeing as he wouldn't give up, I tried to help as I could. I gave him some George Orwell, via 1984 and his newspaper writings and told him to use the story of Galileo. The one where someone who believed an idea against the science of the time and was imprisoned for putting it forth as truth because he believed it was true. Told him not to argue about the shape, but instead about the importance of such ideas abstractly.

Poor kid is going to get his ass kicked. What kind of school puts something on like this?
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: hoppy on January 31, 2016, 08:56:22 PM
Why are you conversing with teenagers?
What does the teen's parents think about you, and the flat earth stuff.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Username on January 31, 2016, 09:28:43 PM
Why are you conversing with teenagers?
What does the teen's parents think about you, and the flat earth stuff.
I answer all questions put forth on our facebook group. Usually they just want to know what we believe. I can only assume since its a pop culture thing right now, science teachers mention us and they come our way.

I told him to tell his parents and he ensured me he did. Said they just looked at him like "what are they teaching him at that school?"

Do you think I acted poorly by answering in the first place?
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Rayzor on January 31, 2016, 11:07:47 PM
Why are you conversing with teenagers?
What does the teen's parents think about you, and the flat earth stuff.
I answer all questions put forth on our facebook group. Usually they just want to know what we believe. I can only assume since its a pop culture thing right now, science teachers mention us and they come our way.

I told him to tell his parents and he ensured me he did. Said they just looked at him like "what are they teaching him at that school?"

Do you think I acted poorly by answering in the first place?

Not much more you could have done,  I think the teachers are attempting to use peer pressure rather than rational debate and encouraging original thinking,  to dissuade the kid from his flat earth views.     

This will probably not end well for the kid,  and the teachers don't appear have his best interests at heart. 

Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Yendor on February 01, 2016, 08:15:00 AM
Why are you conversing with teenagers?
What does the teen's parents think about you, and the flat earth stuff.
I answer all questions put forth on our facebook group. Usually they just want to know what we believe. I can only assume since its a pop culture thing right now, science teachers mention us and they come our way.

I told him to tell his parents and he ensured me he did. Said they just looked at him like "what are they teaching him at that school?"

Do you think I acted poorly by answering in the first place?

Not much more you could have done,  I think the teachers are attempting to use peer pressure rather than rational debate and encouraging original thinking,  to dissuade the kid from his flat earth views.     

This will probably not end well for the kid,  and the teachers don't appear have his best interests at heart.

Rayzor, Coming from a REer I really like your response. You could have said something entirely different, but you didn't. I knew I wasn't wrong about you.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: mikeman7918 on February 01, 2016, 08:34:36 AM
I agree, this should not have happened.  Free thinking and free speech are a good thing, even if I don't agree with the opinions being thought and spoken.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: getrealzommb on February 01, 2016, 10:30:40 AM
I agree, this should not have happened.  Free thinking and free speech are a good thing, even if I don't agree with the opinions being thought and spoken.

I agree too,
This kid has a right an opinion, but the teachers should not force this issue. To force speech is not free speech. They clearly do not have his best interests at heart. 

Using the story of Galileo was a good shout, hopefully he can communicate that things should not be taken at face value, and that not everything is understood He can at least demonstrate that the accepted is not necessarily the correct.

However, John as a person of  influence over these kids it might be a good idea to make sure that they know what they are supporting and make sure the young ones are clear on the facts and the uphill battle in front of them if they choose to proceed. 

I Hope this kid is seen as brave and controversial, not just  a weirdo.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Dinosaur Neil on February 01, 2016, 02:58:36 PM
Send him a copy of your book, to encourage him. ;)
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: MrDebunk on February 01, 2016, 04:10:11 PM
Today I got a message from a high school student who told me he had to put on an assembly for his school about why he was the only person to believe the Earth is flat.

I tried my best to convince him it will just lead to him getting attacked and ostracized. Not to do it - that the teachers clearly seem like assholes.

Finally, seeing as he wouldn't give up, I tried to help as I could. I gave him some George Orwell, via 1984 and his newspaper writings and told him to use the story of Galileo. The one where someone who believed an idea against the science of the time and was imprisoned for putting it forth as truth because he believed it was true. Told him not to argue about the shape, but instead about the importance of such ideas abstractly.

Poor kid is going to get his ass kicked. What kind of school puts something on like this?

Any school would do this. The reason he'd get ridiculed is because he is an idiot, just like you.

Let him be ridiculed so he can learn his lesson. The people should laugh at every claim he makes so he can storm off the stage and call them "shills" and "sheeples". We already have enough mentally retarded people in this world, the school wants to keep their safety and not get donkeyed themselves.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: TheEngineer on February 01, 2016, 10:43:15 PM
Any school would do this. The reason he'd get ridiculed is because he is an idiot, just like you.
Says the guy that started a topic about why heavier things fall faster.

Quote
Let him be ridiculed so he can learn his lesson.
Ok, let's try this on you.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Göebbels on February 02, 2016, 06:26:37 AM
Today I got a message from a high school student who told me he had to put on an assembly for his school about why he was the only person to believe the Earth is flat.

I tried my best to convince him it will just lead to him getting attacked and ostracized. Not to do it - that the teachers clearly seem like assholes.

Finally, seeing as he wouldn't give up, I tried to help as I could. I gave him some George Orwell, via 1984 and his newspaper writings and told him to use the story of Galileo. The one where someone who believed an idea against the science of the time and was imprisoned for putting it forth as truth because he believed it was true. Told him not to argue about the shape, but instead about the importance of such ideas abstractly.

Poor kid is going to get his ass kicked. What kind of school puts something on like this?

Any school would do this. The reason he'd get ridiculed is because he is an idiot, just like you.

Let him be ridiculed so he can learn his lesson. The people should laugh at every claim he makes so he can storm off the stage and call them "shills" and "sheeples". We already have enough mentally retarded people in this world, the school wants to keep their safety and not get donkeyed themselves.

Very bad response. You sound like a religious fanatic.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Empirical on February 02, 2016, 08:17:15 AM
Isn't Galileo a part of the conspiracy?
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: mikeman7918 on February 02, 2016, 10:04:42 AM
Any school would do this. The reason he'd get ridiculed is because he is an idiot, just like you.

Let him be ridiculed so he can learn his lesson. The people should laugh at every claim he makes so he can storm off the stage and call them "shills" and "sheeples". We already have enough mentally retarded people in this world, the school wants to keep their safety and not get donkeyed themselves.

As a round earther I have to disagree.  Free speech is important, even if you disagree with what's being said.  If you are able to silence certain oppinions by force then what keeps others from doing the same to your oppinions?  I certainly hope that all schools wouldn't do that.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Dinosaur Neil on February 03, 2016, 11:57:33 AM
Any school would do this. The reason he'd get ridiculed is because he is an idiot, just like you.

Let him be ridiculed so he can learn his lesson. The people should laugh at every claim he makes so he can storm off the stage and call them "shills" and "sheeples". We already have enough mentally retarded people in this world, the school wants to keep their safety and not get donkeyed themselves.

As a round earther I have to disagree.  Free speech is important, even if you disagree with what's being said.  If you are able to silence certain oppinions by force then what keeps others from doing the same to your oppinions?  I certainly hope that all schools wouldn't do that.

He will be ridiculed because at that stage in his education, he will already have been taught enough science to work out the shape of the earth from his own observations, without any "indoctrinated" starting point, and by espousing a flat earth he is proving he hasn't understood his lessons. It's like standing up and proclaiming you're incapable of learning.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Username on February 14, 2016, 01:13:43 AM
However, John as a person of  influence over these kids it might be a good idea to make sure that they know what they are supporting and make sure the young ones are clear on the facts and the uphill battle in front of them if they choose to proceed. 

I Hope this kid is seen as brave and controversial, not just  a weirdo.
I really did try my best to convey this. Thanks!



I have a feeling if he was failing on an academic level, there are procedures put in place to deal with this, such as holding him back or having him attend extra lessons and so forth. If he indeed did not know his lessons, there are better ways that are already in use than crucifying this kid over it. If he is disabled, as the trolls want us to believe, they failed to recognize this and deal with it appropriately.

They are plain and simple attacking him because of what appears to be a lack of ability on their parts to deal with this appropriately. Its similar to why we don't see use of dunce caps anymore - its mental and emotional abuse. It leads to developmental issues.

I'm glad to hear I acted appropriately. I was and still am quite worried for him.

Dinosaur Neil, MrDebunk. Tisk tisk.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: JimmyTheCrab on February 14, 2016, 03:13:30 AM
and told him to use the story of Galileo. The one where someone who believed an idea against the science of the time and was imprisoned for putting it forth as truth because he believed it was true.
That's kind of a fucked up example isn't it?   It wasn't just that Galileo thought it was true, it was true.  That is the earth is a globe rotating round the sun.  You actually think that Galileo was completely and utterly wrong, yet you want the kid to look at him as an inspiring example?

Anyway, I bet you're just getting trolled.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Empirical on February 14, 2016, 03:43:13 AM
The moral of this story is don't create joke societies, because there are vulnerable people that will believe you.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Username on February 14, 2016, 10:57:31 AM
and told him to use the story of Galileo. The one where someone who believed an idea against the science of the time and was imprisoned for putting it forth as truth because he believed it was true.
That's kind of a fucked up example isn't it?   It wasn't just that Galileo thought it was true, it was true.  That is the earth is a globe rotating round the sun.  You actually think that Galileo was completely and utterly wrong, yet you want the kid to look at him as an inspiring example?

Anyway, I bet you're just getting trolled.
Well to be fair, even in academia it has been argued that he was indeed wrong given the knowledge of the time and even in parts objectively wrong. Against Method comes to mind as that subject is discussed throughout - from his failure in method, to his incorrect understanding of optics, to his ridiculous depictions of moons, to his obviously incorrect view on tides and so on.

In fact, half of his trial was about how factually inaccurate his work was. The other half was concerning heretical content. This got boiled down by those wishing to push a very particular agenda in the Conflict Thesis (now discredited academically) to him just being picked on due to religious totalitarian mindsets. The real story is that in the past the church has changed their view based on scientific knowledge (the flat earth comes to mind.)

The moral of this story is don't create joke societies, because there are vulnerable people that will believe you.
This is not a joke society. Also, I'm sorry you didn't pick up on the blindingly obvious overarching themes here, but we teach against blind belief.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Empirical on February 14, 2016, 12:12:26 PM
Two of your mods view it as a joke though.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Username on February 14, 2016, 01:31:42 PM
Two of your mods view it as a joke though.
Oh? Who are they?
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: MrDebunk on February 15, 2016, 04:03:57 PM
Two of your mods view it as a joke though.
Oh? Who are they?

Your appendix and Jason Derulo.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Son of Orospu on February 15, 2016, 08:36:35 PM
Please watch the low content posting.  It is against the rules. 
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Empirical on February 16, 2016, 02:40:16 AM
Please watch the low content posting.  It is against the rules.
It's ok, your secret is sort of safe.
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Empirical on February 16, 2016, 02:56:00 AM
Two of your mods view it as a joke though.
Oh? Who are they?
I've changed my mind, fuck it http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?topic=65905.0#.VsL_9oGnwj0 (http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?topic=65905.0#.VsL_9oGnwj0)
Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: Username on February 18, 2016, 10:48:13 AM
Two of your mods view it as a joke though.
Oh? Who are they?
I've changed my mind, fuck it http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?topic=65905.0#.VsL_9oGnwj0 (http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?topic=65905.0#.VsL_9oGnwj0)

TheEngineer I am sure believes the Earth is flat. Its a direct consequence of relativity.

As far as jroa, I see no reason why I wouldn't trust him at his word if he says he's a flat earther. Why would someone purposefully open themselves to attack and ridicule if they weren't actually a flatist? 

We've had (and likely still do have) round earth moderators here. Just because someone is trolling does not mean they are taking it as a joke. Even if they are taking it as a joke, it doesn't show that they do not recognize its legitimate message.

Title: Re: Disturbing Message Today
Post by: ER22 on February 18, 2016, 05:06:40 PM
It's disappointing how some responded to your post.
I think you responded to his questions appropriately.
Abstract or out of the box thinking is a wonderful thing.
However, if he simply states that he believes the Earth is flat because of this that and the other, he will be in a world of hurt.

What if it was a catholic school, and the student believed in same sex marriage?
Can't see that ending well.