dimitrov@csd2.UUCP (Isaac Dimitrovsky) (03/22/85)
[] Lately, I have noticed quite a few "flat earth" notes cropping up on the net. You know, the kind of note to which your, or at least my, reaction is usually: A. double take (possibly accompanied by rage). B. impulse to write devastating reply. C. realization that you don't even know how to begin framing a reply, because you feel the note is wrong in so many obvious ways. D. realization that, given C, writer of note has probably already heard many conclusive arguments against his opinion, said arguments having the impact of a snowball thrown at a rhinoceros. E. decision that there is very little chance of any meaningful communication taking place with writer of note. For example, consider this gem from Don Black in net.religion: >1. That book store in Torrence, CA, is the Institute for Historical Review, >a non-profit organization that studies the causes of war. It is most noted >for its attempts to investigate by forensic means the Holocaust of recent >history. It posted a $50,000 reward for anyone who could prove beyond a >reasonable doubt that the Holocaust actually took place in Europe under >Hitler. That reward has not yet been collected. . . . >>Oh great Ubizmo! Is this what people like Marchionni were doing while >>the European Jews were being put in death camps? (Don't answer this, >>I know the answer already.) > >What death camps?? Or, this one from Dan Boskovich in net.origins: > Yes, Adam and Eve did commit INCEST. What we know of genetics today > explains the dangers of incest. The answer to your question is a > theological one and not scientific. Incest may have not been as > dangerous when the earth and the human race was still relatively > new. As the account goes, when Adam sinned, he died. His death was > a spiritual death with a physical death to follow. Christ came to > redeem mankind from sin and the effects of sin, which is both deaths. > Death is a seperation, physical death is seperation from the body, > and spiritual death is seperation from God. God says "The wages of sin > is death". Since the entire human race was in the loins of Adam at the > time of his sin, this means the death of the entire fallen, human race. > However, at this early period of time, the effects of sin (death) were > not so advanced and the human specimen was not as imperfect as today. > This is why the people of this era lived for hundreds of years. The > canopy of vapors surrounding the earth which was removed at the Noachic > flood of course had much to do with this also. I would also have chosen one of Y.S. Martillo's postings for inclusion here, if they had not all suspiciously vanished (no doubt another ploy by those crafty Ashkenazim). What I propose is this. Let's establish a new newsgroup to which this type of note can be posted. Before the hounds of the ACLU descend on me, let me make it clear that I don't want to discourage the writers of such notes from posting their product wherever they want to. I think it would be valuable, however, if they also posted it to the new newsgroup, for which I suggest the title net.flat.earth. This would allow such notes to be collected in one central place, so that those who are so inclined can get into long and fruitful discussions with the writers. We could probably also provide enough material for a Phd. thesis or two in sociology or psychology. Finally, I hope I will be forgiven the liberty of writing the suggested premier note to this newsgroup, the text of which follows (with credit to Martin Gardner). ----Start of note---- It seems that most people on the net believe the earth is a spherical, rotating object which orbits around the sun. Can this be true??? How can anyone who has deeply considered the matter honestly believe the earth is rotating at such an impossible speed? If so, which way is it going? It should be easier to travel in this direction than against it! Where is the person who believes one can jump into the air, remain off the ground for one second, and come back down 193.7 miles away? Does it stand to reason that the sun is millions of miles in diameter and ninety one million miles from earth? God made the sun to light the earth! What would you think of someone who built a house in Brooklyn and put the lamp to light it in San Luis Obispo, California? Moreover, any skeptic can on a clear day take the #6 train (Broadway local) to 9th street and walk to the East River. Note that even with your eyes only a foot above the water level, you can clearly see the Williamsburg and Brooklyn bridges and the Statue of Liberty, thus proving BEYOND THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT THE SURFACE OF THESE WATERS IS A PLANE!!!! Lastly, I should mention that I am sick and tired of "round earthers" advancing the Foucault pendulum as a proof of the earth's rotation. Anyone giving this a moment's thought should see that if the earth were indeed rotating at such high speed, the pendulum would fly straight out into space and stay there. ----End of note---- Isaac Dimitrovsky
dimitrov@csd2.UUCP (Isaac Dimitrovsky) (03/22/85)
[] Correction to my net.flat.earth posting: The #6 train is the Lexington Ave. local, not the Broadway local. Sorry about that!