To feel sad and like the friendship is over due to flat earth belief

To be accurate, the fact that I did say that faith 'could be described, AMONG OTHER THINGS as one massive 'comfort blanket' is my defense, I think you will agree? I must now add that if, as you state, 'it's quite painful and difficult at times' what's the actual point but then I suppose that's just part of the irrationality of having blind illogical faith isn't it? 🙄

and a'faith' could be described, among other things, as one massive 'comfort blanket'

You really don't understand faith if you think it's one massive comfort blanket! Although there is of course comfort in my beliefs, there are also challenges and it's quite painful and difficult at times. Belief in Christ doesn't bring you a nice warm hug and an easy ride through life, quite the reverse! I can't speak for other religions, but when I see this notion of faith being comforting and nothing else, it's just not true.

My answer to the one person I know who spouts all this is 'ok, so what are you going to do about it apart from rant at anyone who is in earshot!'
Research is not Internet, 'no, Hank, in his bedroom in his mom's basement aged 58 in USA creating youtube vids is not Research, I look forward to your referenced research paper.'
There also seems to be direct corelation between harmless FE and vile Racist/antisemitic beliefs, too. They go hand in hand.

SHe's right! Not only is it flat but carried on the backs of 4 elephants riding on a turtle! De chelonian mobile!

There is difference in the reason why so many believe in a 'god' and those that think the earth is flat and other similar conspiracy theories...Put simply the 'creation' notion began as 'biblical' propaganda eons ago and has been handed down and vigorously promoted ever since by many religious organisations for their own benefit😡and a'faith' could be described, among other things, as one massive 'comfort blanket' and membership of your own particular cult or tribe? However, convincing yourself of something that goes against all scientific and physical evidence to the contrary is just plain contrary and quite bizarre although it is of course quite 'cultish' and you get together with a ready made circle of like minded dimwits!! 🙄

This wins 😂

Walk away. FAST,

There are many things up for debate. But some things are not.

Black is not white. The sun does rise every day.

But we don't live on a flat planet. Even before astronauts went into space, we actually worked that one out in the 3rd century, not just the hundreds of years since Galileo.

The question to ask is why is your friend choosing to believe something you know is not true?

And on something so fundamental and easily researchable - Why is she choosing to believe? Or who is she choosing to believe?

Your friend has lost touch with reason and common sense.

For no apparent reason.

Unless you're a trained mental health professional, I'd say create as much space as you can without doing harm.

This of course is the problem, people get sucked into this sort of nonsense then fall down other conspiracy rabbit holes, some of which are definitely harmful. The best example I can give of this is a Canadian nutcase that I've followed for years since he was booted out of a Facebook group that a friend administers. He's a Flerfer fundamentalist, it's at the centre of his personality, but he has also adopted a huge variety of other conspiracy rubbish - you name it he believes it so long as it's anti science or anti establishment - including two worrying ones. The first is this idea that the Magna Carta contains a clause that effectively allows you to be immune to all statute laws if you swear allegiance to a Baron. This is the Sovereign Citizen idea/crap/cult/whatever, which is absolute tripe but which resulted in him being imprisoned for the better part of a year because he wouldn't engage with the courts in any way other than to spout pseudolegal rubbish. The second was the reason he got booted out of the FB group when he started advocating the drinking of hydrogen peroxide as a cure for all ills, an extremely dangerous idea. Sadly he has a small child who may well be in the care of his former partner who has left him, presumably because he's mad, but he still has some form of access to her. Flat earth beliefs are so often just the tip of a very dangerous iceberg, as soon as anyone mentions one of these beliefs I walk away, don't engage, don't argue, just avoid.

My DH has fallen in to this belief since covid, started with being anti-vax and now believes all of the stuff listed above including flat earth, fake moon landing etc. He has a disability and is very cut off from the real world which has only made this worse. I am very worried about our future together as, if he had expressed any of this when we first met, i would have run a mile

Never argue with a fool.
Or be friends with one.

And if someone can believe planet earth is flat like a pancake, they can believe anything they're fed - including stuff that actually harms people.

Why you'd want that in your life, I don't know.

This.

Sounds like fundamental christian doctrines

But then again, despite science proving otherwise, billions of people believe in a deity/god in some form or another who created the planet...
So really, they are no different

I've come across flat earthers and sone things aren't just a difference of opinion.It isn't about just not being tolerant, these aren't rational people.Ive come across this and there are other batshit opinions they hold which my own dcs have been exposed to. How can you trust their judgement?

Ex friend was all the above plus sense of superiority as they were in a clique of wackos holding similarly odd ideas.Its not shunning to avoid them, it's good sense.

Wow - how ignorant to shun a ‘friend’ because they have a different belief to you.

"People having different beliefs to oneself is what makes the world go around."

@MoonWoman69

😂 I'm no physicist, but I really don't think this is true!

I find believing in a God and following religion just as absurd. As long as these people arnt hurting me I don't care what they believe in.

That’s true!

😂

To me it’s not just the stupid element but that it shows they’ve a propensity for being brainwashed via the internet. These beliefs don’t usually live in isolation. A flat earther is often a great resetter busy preparing their kids for end of times. And if not that then probably a fan of Johnny Depp at the least…(joke, sort of..) I wish them the best but life is too short to have them in my friendship group or my kid’s social, uh, sphere 😆

It astounds me how weird people are! DH (manual worker with not very educated people mostly) has worked with several people who don't think we ever went to the moon!

I have a group of Mum 'friends' from school - one won't vax as Covid is dodgy and the government is spamming us all, one thinks the McCanns killed Madeleine and the evidence is all online - honestly, I despair........

I really don't think I could spend much time with a flat-earther. Quick coffee once every few years? She's bonkers...

Amazing isn't it?!🙄What I cannot for the life of me understand is how they can argue and/or dismiss the multitude of photographs that have been taken from space and best of all the videos and 'live' broadcasts from the ISS, etc etc etc that to any rational thinking person surely should be indisputable evidence of the rotundity of the earth?!🤔 I believe they have concocted some weird and wonderful 'explanations' for some of the things that challenge their 'beliefs' but seriously? WTAF!!! 😱

I bet Greebo would if he had the chance ...

Some worlds are flat, more dish-shaped really. Balanced on the back of 4 elephants standing on a giant space turtle.
And although seas flow over the edge, cats don't knock everything off because of the circumfence.
Thanks to Terry Pratchett for the Disc world, which lives in my imagination, not reality.
Sadly.

Don’t Flatters also believe that Australia doesn’t exist and that the moon & sun are the same?
Mor than happy to be corrected.

🤣🤣🤣