Absolutely EPIC thread in GD: NASA to bomb the Moon

[friendly_iconoclast]

Warning- Have your headache remedy of choice at hand before diving in. Also, DU is not responsible for liquids
sprayed on keyboards:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6712126

[uriel1972]

1. it's a scream

both ways

[trotsky]

2. Not the first one on it, either.

It's the topic that keeps on giving.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. The moon is fragile for I can blot it out with my thumb.

[trotsky]

4. One of my favorite quotes:

"The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church."
--Ferdinand Magellan

[DavidDvorkin]

5. I wonder if that quote is apocryphal.

[trotsky]

6. I have heard there are some doubts as to its authenticity.

But it still kicks ass. :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Almost certainly not true

The last churchmen to seriously put an argument that the earth is flat were back around the 6th century.

Flat Earth

However, there is some persistence of flat earth thinking during the pre-medieval times and beyond. Examples include: Lucretius (99-55 BCE); the Bible; Lactantius (245-325 CE); St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386 CE); St. John Chrysostom (344-408 CE); Severian, Bishop of Gabala (408 CE); Orosius (385-420 CE); Diodorus of Tarsus (394 CE); and Cosmas Indicopleustes (547 CE).
But, look at where we are: 547 CE, just barely setting foot inside early medieval times with a single verifiable proof of flat earth thinking. Where does this leave the argument that medieval people believed the earth to be flat and were scared of sailing of its edge?!

Spherical Earth

Then, as we proceed into the medieval age, there's abundant evidence of spherical earth thinking. Examples include: St. Isidore of Seville (560-636 CE); the Venerable Bede (673-735 CE); St. Virgil of Salzburg (Vergilius), Bishop (745-784 CE). From here, there is an unending list spherical earth belief represented in the historical record.

It is interesting to note that some of the early spherical proponents during this time were cautious with their views, likely due to fear of repercussions from the Church. Some would simply refer to the ancient Greek teachings, quoting 'the philosophers' as teaching this or that, though without finding fault with them. Others would entirely sidestep the issue by saying we have no reason to ponder such thoughts because all we need to know is in the Bible. Examples of these two cautious approaches include: Saint Basil, Bishop of Caesarea (329-379 CE); St. Augustine (354-430 CE); and St. Isidore of Seville (560-636 CE).

In our view, the Venerable Bede (673-735 CE) represents a major turning point. He not only wrote of a spherical earth, but he did so without the cautious approach described above. This seems to indicate that a spherical view is widely held AND that the Church is not concerned about a scriptural conflict. Bede is also a major turning point because medieval writers who followed him quoted him frequently.

http://www.ethicalatheist.com/docs/flat_earth_myth_ch2.html

There's a bit more argument after that about whether the antipodes (from wherever the people are) are inhabitable or not.

[LeftishBrit]

8. No wonder lunacy is called lunacy!

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Heddi]

10. The second posting

makes the logic and reasoning center in my brain sad.

[uppityperson]

11. oh. my. It makes my backwards writing look reasonable

[uppityperson]

12. I sat there stunned, wondering what the heck does this all mean?

too little oxygen to the brain? too many drugs?

[uppityperson]

13. argghhhhhhhhhh or bwahahahahahahaah?

"Okay, that was not from me, but from something deep within and it had to be said. "

My new favorite Duer indeed! o.m.g.

[trotsky]

14. Listening to the secret psychic moon critters in the crater!

There's GOTTA be some damn fine drugs behind that.

[TheWraith]

15. ...

That is possibly the most plain old fucked up crazy/stupid thing I have ever seen posted on the DU.

And that's saying something.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

16. I don't know. I once saw someone claim that ever since Obama was elected they were hearing clicks

on their phone because he was wiretapping them for speaking truth to power or some such thing. And that person wasn't a troll. And is in fact still a member of DU in good standing.

[realisticphish]

19. if i hadn't read the rest of the thread

I would have thought this was an elaborate joke

[SemiCharmedQuark]

17. I don't care what people choose to believe in their own lives.

If they want to pray that the the moon stays pure or if they want to devote their time to trying to protect the moon with their minds...fine. More power to them. But when they say things "We shouldn't do that because someone somewhere might find it spiritually harmful" then I have a problem. Scientific policy should be made based on scientific facts, not superstitions. Even more frustrating is when people try to disguise superstition in science. "We don't know what might happen!"

[SidDithers]

22. OMFG...nt

Sid

[Odin2005]

18. So much moronic superstition. Pathetic.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

21. Tell your friends they need to send a Vermont Teddy Bear to the moon and apologize.

http://www.vermontteddybear.com/SellGroup/Im-Sorry-Bear.aspx