Reporter Shares Experience of Visiting a Flat Earth Convention

[ElNono]

Tom Usher, reporting for Vice (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zm8b74/i-went-to-a-flat-earth-convention-to-meet-flat-earthers-like-my-mom):

I arrived at the venue -- a Jurys Inn hotel -- on a wet Saturday morning, to discover that the event was essentially a small carpeted convention room boasting a few cameras, some stalls selling merchandise, and 70 or so attendees watching PowerPoint presentations beamed onto a wall. As I entered, I was offered a gift of "fluoride-free" toothpaste. This made perfect sense, given the location. A popular conspiracy theory states that governments across the world have been putting fluoride in our water supply to tranquilize the masses, despite the fact the only piece of "evidence" for this theory -- which involves both the Nazis and the Communists -- has been widely discredited. With the tone set for the day, I sat down to watch some speeches.

The speakers all seemed well aware of how "globe-earthers" view the idea of a flat Earth (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zm8b74/i-went-to-a-flat-earth-convention-to-meet-flat-earthers-like-my-mom), i.e. ludicrous, and their talk of the current scientific establishment felt very "us versus them" -- a nice bit of truther tribalism. One speaker talked at length about the moon, and how its orbit proved the Earth couldn't be spherical, which seemed a little counterintuitive. Another talked about how the Egyptian pyramid structure points toward clues that the Earth is a flat diamond shape, supported by pillars. Between sounding off about the Vatican and the fact that the establishment has indoctrinated us to believe all sorts of things, including that the Earth is a sphere, a third speaker suggested that cancer is caused by negative emotions and argued that dinosaurs didn't exist. The story also explores why some people still believe these long-debunked theories. Further reading: The bizarre tale of the flat-Earth convention that fell apart (https://www.cnet.com/news/the-bizarre-tale-of-the-australia-flat-earth-convention-that-fell-apart/) (CNET).

[Chris]

What doe this have to do with politics or religion? I know you are just trolling, but cmon man.

[sickdsm]

Sounds like a Bouton's typical post tbh

[ElNono]

What doe this have to do with politics or religion? I know you are just trolling, but cmon man.

IIRC, we had some flat-earthers here...

[ElNono]

Plus boutons, Chris and Cosmoretard post here... pretty much carte blanche...

[AaronY]

Plus boutons, Chris and Cosmoretard post here... pretty much carte blanche...
Chris too busy studying this tbh
994983888832401413

[DMX7]

Chris too busy studying this tbh
994983888832401413

Whatever you think about the lady, that was one hell of a presentation.

[Spurminator]

Tom Usher, reporting for Vice (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zm8b74/i-went-to-a-flat-earth-convention-to-meet-flat-earthers-like-my-mom):

I arrived at the venue -- a Jurys Inn hotel -- on a wet Saturday morning, to discover that the event was essentially a small carpeted convention room boasting a few cameras, some stalls selling merchandise, and 70 or so attendees watching PowerPoint presentations beamed onto a wall. As I entered, I was offered a gift of "fluoride-free" toothpaste. This made perfect sense, given the location. A popular conspiracy theory states that governments across the world have been putting fluoride in our water supply to tranquilize the masses, despite the fact the only piece of "evidence" for this theory -- which involves both the Nazis and the Communists -- has been widely discredited. With the tone set for the day, I sat down to watch some speeches.

The speakers all seemed well aware of how "globe-earthers" view the idea of a flat Earth (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zm8b74/i-went-to-a-flat-earth-convention-to-meet-flat-earthers-like-my-mom), i.e. ludicrous, and their talk of the current scientific establishment felt very "us versus them" -- a nice bit of truther tribalism. One speaker talked at length about the moon, and how its orbit proved the Earth couldn't be spherical, which seemed a little counterintuitive. Another talked about how the Egyptian pyramid structure points toward clues that the Earth is a flat diamond shape, supported by pillars. Between sounding off about the Vatican and the fact that the establishment has indoctrinated us to believe all sorts of things, including that the Earth is a sphere, a third speaker suggested that cancer is caused by negative emotions and argued that dinosaurs didn't exist. The story also explores why some people still believe these long-debunked theories. Further reading: The bizarre tale of the flat-Earth convention that fell apart (https://www.cnet.com/news/the-bizarre-tale-of-the-australia-flat-earth-convention-that-fell-apart/) (CNET).

Those guys seem like well-adjusted people with a lot of things going well for them.

Seriously, anyone with a GPS-enabled camera and a helium balloon can do his own simple experiment to take photos at a high altitude showing the curvature of the earth.

People don't get into this stuff because they want to believe something that badly, they get into it because they want to belong to something that badly. Almost everyone belongs to some kind of group with shared interests and goals.

Some people are drawn to fringe belief groups because they don't have any real interests or beliefs, or they're afraid revealing their real interests makes them too vulnerable. Flat-earthers, pizzagaters, 9/11 truthers, and other people who pretend to believe stupid bullshit are most often doing it because they're socially maladjusted and it gives them something to talk about. They enjoy the attention they get, and they know the more ridiculous their claims, the more interest they'll garner from other people (whether it's those who share the belief or those who are "shocked" by it.) Sure, some people are impressionable enough that they actually believe their chosen fringe worldview, but I think these people are in the minority.

For example, I don't really think most of Alex Jones' viewers believe his theories. He's just an avatar and a common interest for losers who need a club and a persona to model themselves after (which is also how he's able to dupe so many of them into buying his products.)

[Spurminator]

Chris too busy studying this tbh
994983888832401413

I gotta be honest... That three-minute presentation was 10x more convincing than any pizzagate theory. Got me thinking about opening up Revelations.

[pgardn]

What doe this have to do with politics or religion? I know you are just trolling, but cmon man.

You said science was a cult in this very Forum.

Its perfectly appropriate for you.
Hey Chris, any offerings you got for us on the Volcanoes in Hawaii? Is it devil juice burped up by the earth? Did we do something wrong? Go ahead, splain.

[DMX7]

I gotta be honest... That three-minute presentation was 10x more convincing than any pizzagate theory. Got me thinking about opening up Revelations.

It certainly didn't have me thinking that, but if I ever need to sell a timeshare then I know who to call.

[Spurminator]

It certainly didn't have me thinking that, but if I ever need to sell a timeshare then I know who to call.

Another one? No way am I falling for that again.

[ElNono]

Another one? No way am I falling for that again.

yes you are

[AaronY]

Just bought a 12 pack of Monster off of amazon btw. thinking about switching from the distilled water I usually drink tbh

[Spurminator]

yes you are

Only if it's a really sweet deal on a primo location.

[Spurminator]

Just bought a 12 pack of Monster off of amazon btw. thinking about switching from the distilled water I usually drink tbh

https://tenor.com/view/cross-demon-begone-buffy-vampirehunter-gif-9656993https://i.imgur.com/v6462Q3.gif

[AaronY]

every time I tip that can upside down I'll be telling Jesus to go f*ck himself tbh. gonna be a feelsgood mayne type of scenario

[AaronY]

I mean I usually drink stuff with a straw but this will be a special scenario/occasion

[Will Hunting]

Chris too busy studying this tbh
994983888832401413
:lmao

[pgardn]

Chris too busy studying this tbh
994983888832401413

I would love to have Donald Trump required to listen to this drool for 30 minutes only have her explaini the exact reasoning why she voted for him.
And then have him repeat it in West Virginia.

[Blake]

:cry What doe this have to do with politics or religion? I know you are just trolling, but cmon man:cry :cry :cry.

[clambake]

What doe this have to do with politics or religion? I know you are just trolling, but cmon man.

he stuck the needle in pretty deep, huh?

[ElNono]

Only if it's a really sweet deal on a primo location.

condo in reck, IMO

[boutons_deux]

Fundamentalist Christian who founded ‘Biblical Flat Earth Society’ busted on 56 counts of child sexual exploitation

https://www.rawstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Phillip-Stephen-Stallings-2.jpg

Stallings this week was also served with a warrant related to financial card theft and cyberstalking.

Stallings’s personal website promotes (https://www.philipstallings.com/) his belief that the Earth is flat and

cites biblical justifications for this provably false belief.

Stallings believes that there is a conspiracy among the so-called Illuminati to “cover up the flat Earth”

that is “certainly connected to sun worship which goes all the way back to Nimrod and the tower of Babel.”

In addition to floating “flat Earth” theories,

Stallings also promotes YouTube videos about

“biblical teaching on feminism,
transvestites,
sodomites and
women in the military.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/06/fundamentalist-christian-who-founded-biblical-flat-earth-society-busted-on-56-counts-of-child-sexual-exploitation/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=377 (https://www.rawstory.com/2019/06/fundamentalist-christian-who-founded-biblical-flat-earth-society-busted-on-56-counts-of-child-sexual-exploitation/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=377)

[koriwhat]

994983888832401413

that shit was awesome! lol

[Spurminator]

condo in reck, IMO

A year later, I think I finally get this reply. Were you mistaking me for Spurtacular? :lol

[Trainwreck2100]

Chris too busy studying this tbh
994983888832401413

She closes it with "Jesus says my people perish for lack of knowledge" I wonder if the irony of that statement is lost on her also Jesus never said that shit, that's old testament shit.

[ElNono]

A year later, I think I finally get this reply. Were you mistaking me for Spurtacular? :lol

I thought that was thispego...