Quotes of Famous Persons on the Flat Earth

George Bernard Shaw

"We are more gullible and superstitious today than we were in the Middle Ages, and an example of modern credulity is the widespread belief that the Earth is round.  The average man can advance not a single reason for thinking that the Earth is round.  He merely swallows this theory because there is something about it that appeals to the twentieth century mentality."

- George Bernard Shaw
in Everybody's Political What's What (1944)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw
http://itaylorresearch.com/membership.pdf
http://cgi.ebay.com/EVERYBODYS-POLITICAL-WHATS-WHAT-George-Bernard-Shaw_W0QQitemZ7043584883QQcmdZViewItem

That's a fantastic quote. REs would do well to consider it.

"But as to the fable that there are Antipodes, that is to say, men on the opposite side of the earth, where the sun rises when it sets to us, men who walk with their feet opposite ours, that is on no ground credible. And, indeed, it is not affirmed that this has been learned by historical knowledge, but by scientific conjecture."

- Saint Augustine of Hippo
in 'The City of God'
http://www.wischik.com/lu/senses/city-of-god.html

This is not a forum for debate.  Take it elsewhere.

George Bernard Shaw

"We are more gullible and superstitious today than we were in the Middle Ages, and an example of modern credulity is the widespread belief that the Earth is round.  The average man can advance not a single reason for thinking that the Earth is round.  He merely swallows this theory because there is something about it that appeals to the twentieth century mentality."

- George Bernard Shaw
in Everybody's Political What's What (1944)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw
http://itaylorresearch.com/membership.pdf
http://cgi.ebay.com/EVERYBODYS-POLITICAL-WHATS-WHAT-George-Bernard-Shaw_W0QQitemZ7043584883QQcmdZViewItem

I'm pretty sure what he meant by this is that the average person excepts that the Earth is round as the 'gospel truth' because thats what they're taught, he was using this as an example of the inherent problems of formal education, he wasnt arguing that the Earth might not be round. Also, this is a terrible argument 'The average man can advance not a single reason for thinking that the Earth is round.' I'm a man and i'm pretty average, if i were to point a telescope across the atlantic from the UK on clear day i would not see america because of the way the earth curves. On the other hand if the Earth was flat i could, hell, i wouldnt even be able to see France.