Sun as a Spotlight

If the sun act as a spotlight, then how does the FE model explain the sun's lighting the edges of clouds towards sunset?  The light seems to be coming from where the sun appears to be, which is beyond the horizon, though this is supposedly just an optical illusion?
If the sun were where you claim it is, it couldn't light the clouds the way it does.

i think optical illusion is just another word that they say when they have no real answer, just more nonsense.

This is quite possibly explained in Earth: Not a Globe.

This is quite possibly explained in Earth: Not a Globe.

Your in-depth explanation of questions asked astounds me.

In response to the main question of the post, maybe as the sun moves away the light hits at a different angle refracting off the Earths surface and lighting the clouds...

Curious to how an FE would answer this though.

Sometimes it's spotlight disk, sometimes it's a radiant sphere, other times it's a sphere that behaves like a spotlight. It all depends what suits the particular argument at the time.

Sometimes it's spotlight disk, sometimes it's a radiant sphere, other times it's a sphere that behaves like a spotlight. It all depends what suits the particular argument at the time.

So I've noticed, but I was hoping Tom would respond, since he's always invoking the sphere as a spotlight model.

Could it be that due to the angle, the sunlight is reflecting off the sea and lighting the clouds from beneath?

Okay how about this? If the sun is only shining "down" on a concentrated area of Earth's surface, how are we able to see the other planets?