Falling Flat: A Refutation of Flat Earth Claims

by Danny R. Faulkner

Flat earth fallacies are just one more way to muddy the waters in the creation and evolution debate, as well as trying to discredit the Bible as being inaccurate and Christianity as an empty hoax. Now, be prepared when faced with these untruths and misleading agendas and get the facts regarding the flat earth fallacy.

- Powerful answers to refute misleading and false flat earth claims
- Important, thoroughly researched, historical and scientific evidences disproving a flat earth
- Vital context of biblical truths and effective apologetics for Christians

Enjoy a fascinating look at discoveries, science, and the Church throughout history as it faces down and disproves over and over again flat earth fallacies.

Genres: Astronomy, Physics

385 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2019

About the author

Dr. Danny Faulkner holds an MS in physics from Clemson University, an MA and a PhD in astronomy from Indiana University, and he taught at the University of South Carolina—Lancaster for over 26 years. He has published over 100 papers in various journals.

Reviews

[Dogeared Wanderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think people believed in a flat geocentric earth until someone challenged me on my belief in a spherical heliocentric earth system. I know what I've been taught, but I also want to know how and why things are the way they are. I'm thankful for the challenge to search out these things and was incredibly awed by the research that went into this book.

Dr. Faulkner has years of experience in astronomy, history, hermeneutics, ancient Bible languages, and physics. He writes as someone who sought to know the truth of the matter, who thoroughly researched contexts and experiments, who tests both flat earth and spherical earth beliefs by the evidence.

The book covers these topics:
🚀The Bedford Level Experiment
🚀Eclipses 🚀Aspects of the sky
🚀Astronomy 🚀Physics 🚀Geocentrism
🚀NASA 🚀Misc. Claims
🚀Does the Bible teach flat-earth?
🚀How domed cosmology got imported into the Bible
🚀The Book of Enoch

I appreciated his honest and thoughtful evaluation of flat earth methods, including their lack of actual scientific evidence, their usage of eisegesis vs. exegesis, their refusal to look at evidence which goes against their beliefs (i.e., if it doesn't support flat-earth, it must be a lie), and more.

The book is thick because the evidence is huge. It literally took me three months to digest it, but it's worth it. If you're interested in reading an unbiased book that deals strictly with uncovering the truth and presents the evidence, this is it. If you're a science nerd as I am, this is a great book whether you care about flat earth theories or not!

[Jarmo Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be the only book out there that actively argues against what flat-Earthers believe. Astronomer Danny Faulkner does a solid job of addressing some of the most common arguments put forth by flat-Earth proponents. For some of these arguments, he provides clear and simple responses, while others become a bit too deep and technical for me—especially since mathematics and mathematical formulas aren’t my strong suit. When that happens, I tend to lose track. However, it’s evident that Faulkner has carefully considered his calculations, which makes his arguments well thought out rather than dismissive or poorly reasoned.

One drawback of the book is that it sometimes dwells too long on arguments that don’t necessarily need so many pages of explanation. Instead, Faulkner could have included more of the common claims made by flat-Earth believers and examined them in greater depth.

That being said, the book is definitely worth reading and contains many strong arguments and revealing insights. For example, Faulkner exposes how flat-Earth supporters fabricate "memes" that they spread on social media—memes that are often accepted without question and then used as “proof” for a flat Earth. One such meme involves the Moon landing, where flat-Earthers claim that the first humans on the Moon should not have been able to see Earth in the distance. While it’s true that such a view would be impossible from their landing site, flat-Earth proponents have gone so far as to take an original NASA image—one that did not include Earth on the horizon—digitally add Earth into the picture, and then use this manipulated image to "expose" how NASA supposedly faked the Moon landing. This is just one of many cases where flat-Earthers present outright falsified arguments and accusations to support their views.

Although Faulkner occasionally comes across as frustrated with flat-Earth believers, he approaches the topic with a level-headed perspective. He even conducts his own experiments to demonstrate that the Earth is, in fact, round. It’s obvious that he has studied this subject thoroughly.

All in all, this is an important piece of work, especially given the growing number of flat-Earth believers. However, I must admit that some parts of the book are quite technical and drawn-out, and that's some of the reason this book only got it's three stars from me, although three solid stars. That said, Faulkner clearly knows what he’s talking about, and as a physicist and astronomer, he is the right person to debunk this major flat-Earth conspiracy.

[Paige Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I would be reading a book like this, but I had a friend who asked me to do some research into Flat Earth because some dear friends of hers are true believers. So I decided to give it a shot.
The first thing I will say about this book is that when Dr Faulkner says it is a “scientific” refutation of flat earth claims - he is not kidding! This book is absolutely filled will all the charts and diagrams and formulas and experiments your nerdy heart could ever desire! But for the faint of heart, beware, it might be a little too much at times.
The second thing I want to discuss is the overall tone of the book. Despite obviously being against Flat Earth, I felt like Dr Faulkner did an outstanding job clarifying the claims of Flat Earthers, experimenting and clinically examining the outcomes of those experiments, discussing the outcomes critically and logically, and finally stating his case for WHY a spherical earth makes so much more sense in light of all the data he presented. At no point did I feel as if - if I were a flat earther reading this book - I would have felt attacked or belittled. The tone was respectful, insightful, and collaborative - which is no small feat when tackling such an emotionally charged subject.
Overall I would highly recommend this book if you are wanting to further understand the whole topic and clarify your own thinking as to why you (probably) believe the earth is a sphere, but don’t really know HOW you know that.


Favorite Quote: “Most people have not given this questions any thought because they have been taught their entire lives that the earth is spherical, so why worry about it? Consequently, with no idea of the reasons why we know that the earth is spherical, most people long ago entered a complacent state of taking someone else’s word for the matter… Perhaps the rise of the flat-earth movement is a symptom of a deeper problem. Far too much of our educational system is geared toward rote memoization of facts, without assimilation of those facts or reasoning to understand how we came to know those facts. Hence it’s understandable why most people know the earth is spherical, but don’t know how we know this.”

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the detail and evidence presented although much of it was well beyond my mathematics and physics understanding.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A PROMINENT CREATIONIST CRITIQUES THE FLAT-EARTH ARGUMENTS

Dr. Danny Faulkner is an astronomer who taught at the University of South Carolina Lancaster for 26 years, is editor of the Creation Research Society Quarterly, and is now a researcher and speaker for Answers in Genesis.

He wrote in the first chapter of this 2019 book, “There is a wide variety of theological beliefs within the flat-earth movement… In this book, I will be most concerned about the Christian version of the flat-earth movement because I see it as a great threat to true Christianity today. I want to provide answers for people who, when confronted with arguments that the earth is flat, may not know how to respond… I must respond to the biblical arguments put forth for flat earth as well.” (Pg. 7-8) Later, he adds, “there are two other reasons that I wrote this book. The flat-earth books of more than a century ago argued that the Bible taught that the earth was flat… I wrote this book to counter this wrong approach to the Bible… Finally, I’ve always suspected that there is a hidden agenda behind the recent revival of 19th century flat-earth belief… part of the motivation behind the modern flat-earth movement is to undermine the credibility of the creation science movement…. I wrote this book to counter this attack.” (Pg. 44-45)

Summarizing Aristotle’s book ‘On the Heavens,’ he explains his arguments for the earth’s sphericity: “He noted that as a ship departs, it progressively disappears hull first. If the earth were flat, the ship would appear progressively smaller as it moves away… but no part of the ship would disappear first… Another argument … was the visibility of stars in the northern and southern parts of the sky as one travels north or south. Traveling northward, starts near the northern horizon climb higher in the sky, even revealing stars that were below the northern horizon when the observer was farther south… However, the best argument for the earth’s sphericity from the ancient Greeks is the shape of the earth’s shadow during lunar eclipses… as the earth’s shadow creeps along the moon, it always appears as a portion of a circle… If the earth were round and flat… could it cast a circular shadow on the moon?” (Pg. 21-23)

He points out, “Imagine the flat-earth model with a dome covering the surface of a round, flat earth underneath. A line can be drawn from ANY point on the dome to ANY point on the disk below. Therefore, from any location on the earth, a person can ALWAYS see every point in the sky. Since there is no place on the dome that cannot be viewed directly from any point on the earth, the sun is always above the horizon. Therefore, the sun cannot rise and set in the flat-earth model” (Pg. 103)

He notes, “in the conventional model, the midnight sun ought to be visible in the Antarctic as well, but [Eric Dubay] says this is not seen because in the flat-earth model, this is impossible… As it turns out, there are videos on the Internet showing the midnight sun from Antarctica. These are very similar to the videos from the Arctic, except that the sun is going leftward rather than rightward, as is expected. What is the response of flat-earthers to these videos? Flat-earthers claim these videos are faked. This is so common with flat-earthers---they dismiss any evidence that contradicts their model as fake, but they utterly fail to understand that flat-earthers can and do fake data.” (Pg. 112-113)

He observes, “The North Star is not visible south of the earth’s equator. This is a matter of observational fact. For observers in temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere, there is a circumpolar region surrounding the north celestial pole that is never visible… However, with the flat-earth model… there are no regions of the star dome that are not visible from every location on earth. Therefore, the North Star, the Big Dipper, and the Southern Cross ought to be visible from all locations on the earth. They demonstrably are not…” (Pg. 118)

He wonders, “If flat-earthers don’t believe in gravity, how do they explain the phenomenon that we call gravity?... One camp says that gravity is a result of buoyant forces, while another camp claims that what we call gravity is a result of electromagnetic effects. However… flat-earthers offer no detailed explanations of how buoyancy or electromagnetism might work to do this… Meanwhile, flat-earthers throw up silly objections, such as asking how gravity simultaneously can hold objects onto the earth’s surface and cause the moon to orbit. I call this a silly objection because… gravity can operate in a static situation…or a dynamic situation.” (Pg. 169-170)

He addresses the “Supposed Biblical Support for Geocentrism.” He quotes four verses that geocentrists use (1 Chr 16:30, Ps 93:1, Ps 96;10, and Ps 104:5), but then cites Psalm 16:8, where David says, “I shall not be moved,” and he comments, “If one is consistent in the literal hermeneutic, David must have remained stationary the remainder of his life… Obviously, this example is meant in a figurative sense… It is grossly inconsistent to insist on a hyper-literal meaning in four of the verses, only to bail out on the fifth verse, insisting that it isn’t to be taken quite so literally.” (Pg. 209-210)

He continues, “For those who insist on taking EVERYTHING in the Bible as WOODENLY LITERAL, this is fraught with problems. For instance, Isaiah 66:1 states that heaven IS God’s throne, but Ezekiel and John made it clear that God’s throne is IN heaven. Both cannot be true literally… There are many instances of anthropomorphisms in the Bible, suggesting such things as God having hands … or eyes… are clearly not literal. So, does God literally place his feet on the footstool?” (Pg. 294) Later, he adds, “Such nonliteral use is common in the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Since the Apostle John frequently used metaphors in his gospel, he certainly was acquainted with their use.” (Pg. 325-326)

He argues, “Flat-earthers frequently challenge those who don’t agree with them to produce one verse, just one verse, that states that the earth is a globe and orbits the sun… Alas, no such verse exists. But it hardly follows that the earth if flat and remains motionless… I can demand one verse, just one verse, that states that the earth is flat… wouldn’t that require that a verse say something like, ‘The earth is flat’? Of course, no such verse exists… The problem is, flat-earthers begin by believing that the earth is flat, read biblical passages in a way that they think is consistent with the earth being flat… and so, in their minds, those verses say that the earth is flat.” (Pg. 335-336)

He concludes, “Flat-earthers concoct grand conspiracies to bolster their beliefs. NASA is a wicked organization that has faked everything it has done. Astronauts are all Freemasons. The world is run by a cabal… This attitude has a deleterious effect upon the creation-evolution debate. For a long time, evolutionists have falsely accused creationists of believing that everything in the Bible is literally true. But many flat-earthers proudly proclaim that they believe everything in the Bible is literally true… Furthermore, critics of creationists have often accused creationists of being flat-earthers. When there were no true flat-earthers, nearly everyone recognized that this was hyperbole. But now that there genuinely are people who believe that the world is flat, it is relatively easy for critics of creationists to lump creationists with flat-earthers… I suspect that the current flat-earth movement was hatched in an attempt, once again, to discredit the Bible, Christianity, and especially creationists… It is my desire that my modest efforts in this book can play a role in combating this great danger.” (Pg. 377)

This is an excellent book (with a variety of “scientific/experimental” evidences, as well), that will be “must reading” for Christians interested in the flat-earth issue.

[Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I read this book, I thought that a belief in the earth being flat was a crazy idea lost to history and that no one in this day and age would take it seriously. But Dr. Faulkner, an astronomer who works for the apologetics organisation Answers in Genesis, discredited that idea. In fact, he uncovers a flat earth movement that seems to be growing, indeed they even had their first International Flat Earth Conference in 2017.
Faulkner explains that flat earthers believe the medieval Christian church held that the earth was flat, and that the Bible supports a flat earth. He meticulously and convincingly sets about proving both these ideas wrong. He also tackles every foundational belief supporting the idea of a flat earth and dismantles them with logic, science and experimental evidence.
For example, he takes some photos purporting to ‘disprove’ the 1969 NASA moon landings and explains how they were faked or shows the original or complete pictures which tell a very different story. In short, he demonstrates that anyone who really believes that the earth is flat is deluded, ignorant or dishonest. He also exposes the strong links between a belief in a flat earth and other conspiracy theories.
Much of the book is scientific or mathematical in nature, dealing with formulae or concepts that were beyond me and it was difficult reading. I skipped over most of this material – about 10% of the book. Beyond that his explanations were clear and easy to follow, and more than adequate for someone who does not have a doctorate in science to follow.
A large portion of the book deals with the biblical evidence and whether it supports a flat earth or not. His exegesis is comprehensive, and he persuasively builds the case that it does not. In fact, he ably demonstrates that the flat earthers really don’t understand the Bible at all.
His conclusion, that the modern flat earth movement is really an attack on the veracity of the Bible is convincing, though somewhat cynical. It is a shame that some Christians have swallowed the biblical arguments of the flat earth movement, particularly because of the movement’s sceptical, anti-Christian origins.
Overall, this was a worthwhile read, even if it was just to be exposed to a crazy idea that I may need to contest at some stage. Some of the science was too advanced but the general information and the biblical evidence was very valuable. I will probably not be reading this book again, except maybe for research if I ever meet someone who believes the earth is flat.

[Robert Dallmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling Flat: A Refutation of Flat Earth Claims offers a solid review of the "flat earth" question. It can be a bit "heady" at times, but keep on reading and you will get good information!

The author addresses the subject on many levels including: Scripturally, historically, cosmologically, etc.

I found some of the historical data to be particularly interesting.

[Alanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

After coming across more and more people that make flat earth claims, I wanted to read a bit on the topic. I can't say that I read every section or understood it all, but I found it to be a fascinating topic.

[Joah Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bits I read were top notch.

[Reid Selmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough refutation. Much of the last chapter (specifically the portions regarding Facebook squabbles) was not needed and probably harms the book more than helps its case.