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

[UprootedSunflower]

Friend is a nice person. Comes across sensible, though has had a deepening religious conviction over the last 5-10 years. I’m Christian myself, but I’m talking a bit more fringe. We don’t talk about the fact she probably doesn’t consider me a Christian anymore. I ignore it.
But today I overheard her get really animated and happy in a flat earth discussion. She believes in flat earth. An intelligent woman who’s travelled the world and is from a country in the southern hemisphere. I’d certainly say she is educated and far from stupid.
Aibu in finding this a bit of a final straw moment for being friends? It just felt like something snapped inside that I could t ignore tbh when I heard her. I don’t feel like I want to expose the children, and I don’t feel I can keep the pretence up. It’s just a bit too far, and it feels like it’s gone over the edge.
Aibu, silly to give up on a warm and pleasant person? Or would you be drawing a line?

Happy. Nice children, supportive husband, large circle of friends and I so t believe financial worries. Attractive,
engaging and generally pleasant. No indicators of mental health. Calmly happy.

Very funny!

How did that topic even arise? Who was she talking to and what did she say?

I expected this. I guess the answer is I was brought up this way and I’m drifting into agnostic but in denial maybe? It’s hard when it’s your family/ social life … and easy to tick your head in the sand!

I think Christian complaining about a flat earther is pot calling kettle.

I fell out with a friend over Brexit. We chatted daily about it for years and over the last month of us being friends she got increasingly shrill about how me taking my DC on holiday meant I wanted them to be sexually attacked, getting a dog meant I wanted them to be attacked...it was literally as if she had a mental break. I tried to keep it calm but there's only so much you can hear with personal attacks before you wonder if the person likes you. I stopped answering her calls and don't miss the personal attacks but it is sad she never apologised.

I think I have a lot of patience for people who can apologise but very little time for anyone who can act like a dick then carry on as if they don't know the difference. Being able to apologise for rude and poor behaviour has become a huge green flag for me since my 30's.

So what does she say if you show her a space view of Planet Earth - fake news🤣 Seriously, you can’t be educated and believe something that was disproved centuries ago??

Being a flat earther and being a mainstream Christian are not even vaguely equivalent.

I can’t help but feel that conspiracy beliefs like this are a real marker of a significant decline in mental health and/or cognitive function.

I once met someone who was so Christian that she wouldn't let her children play with dinosaurs or wear clothes with dinosaurs on. They are apparently an affront to people who believe in the idea of a bloke creating the world in seven days.

I remember thinking I would find it difficult to be friends with her.

Have any flat earthers actually been to the edge and brought back photos? I find it hard to understand their actual beliefs. Do they have flat things instead of globes? Like a geographical pizza shape?

There's growing research to suggest that one cause is attachment

Ooh there's a v entertaining satirical novel about flat earth beliefs, well worth a read...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56792257-the-end-of-the-world-is-flat

As long as she’s not trying to convert you or judge you for believing the world is round, then I don’t see an issue- just see her as your eccentric friend, you’ve got to have atleast one! 😂

I know someone like this and I keep her at arms length. I knew she was into conspiracies but I didn’t realise how far down the rabbit hole she was until we had a drunken conversation at a party. She was telling me various far fetched ideas including how she believes the plane trails in the sky is the government poisoning us all. During covid she put wild rants on social media about the government using vaccinations to poison us. She’s not a bad person. I think she has deep seated distrust issues that stem from her bad relationship with her parents. That’s just a guess though.

Where does she think the edge is?

I don't think your friend is stupid as some people have said but I think there isn't enough evidence that the earth is flat

If you don't enjoy spending time with her then yes end the friendship. But personally I don't really care so much about what my friends think about these type of subjects, as long as I enjoy their company. We don't all have to be the same.

May I ask if you believe in God OP? As you described yourself as a Christian. If so, that seems as equally far fetched as believing the earth is flat? 🤔

This^
I’d just avoid the subject. Depending what it is, flat earth, meh who cares. But like God really, if it brings comfort to someone then who am I to disagree.

I can understand the family and community angle. But I don’t see how you can just switch off critical thinking and blindly believe something with no proof when it suits you. I wonder if she actually believes the stuff deep down.

So what ? She thinks the earth is flat and you believe in a divine being there’s no proof of ? Just avoid certain topics of conversation because of there is a god then being a good person would be more important than if they think something is flat or spherical

You’re right. Being a flat means you’re harmless and believe in one wrong thing. Christianity however…

I stopped contacting a friend during Covid as she was convinced it was a hoax. I just couldn't listen to it any more. Highly intelligent, educated woman, but she just loved a conspiracy theory and spent all her time watching Russian news and whacky YouTube videos about it. It was impossible to have a reasoned conversation about it, so I do get your frustration.

An ex friend of mine was like this.First it was anti vax which I didn't agree with but hey ho just avoided talking about it.Then came her belief that the earth was flat followed by various digs at me for having a different viewpoint.Im glad the friendship ended,her opinions had become so utterly ludicrous on other topics that I couldn't hide my annoyance.

I'd just distance yourself OP if you don't want to lose her as a friend.

I have a friend I have known for about 30 years whose political views have pivoted 180 degrees in the past 18 months and now espouses what I consider dangerously right wing views.

She is also intelligent, articulate and well educated.

I have told her I love her and will continue to be her friend but I am not prepared to discuss politics with her. That seems to have worked. Could you try something like this?