For the most part we have been addressing the "global" geocentrists; those who believe the earth is a globe or ball. The other geocentrism faction is the Flat-Earth variety. Concerning strict geocentrism they believe essentially the same—the earth is stable and the universe or the bodies in it moves, but there the similarities end.
The globalists contend the universe is designed much the same as the heliocentrists. That is, the earth is a round planet surrounded by the universe. Their key difference with the heliocentrists is over what moves. However, the Flat-Earthers describe a flat earth with a much smaller universe only above it. Many insist there is a solid dome or "firmament" that contains this universe.
These differences make the Flat-Earthers and "globals" rivals for the "truth." The "globals" think the "pancakers" are unscientific and the pancakers think the globals are afraid to fully believe the Bible. Watching them argue is like watching two drunken brothers mud-wrestling.
Curiously, the Flat-Earthers have been gaining disciples in the last few years while the ball-earthers have remained fairly stagnant or even lost some members. As we mentioned the modern version of geocentrism is only around 30-40 years old, but the current Flat-Earthism is only around 15 years old. It does not take much examination to realize that Flat-Earthism is an offshoot of strict geocentrism.
Ironically, the global geocentrists insistence that certain terms in the Bible like "sunrise," the earth not moving, the sun stood still, etc., must be taken literally has encouraged the Flat-Earth crowd in their beliefs. They simply take more verses literal than their global brothers. Maybe THEY are the ultimate Bible Believers!
The Flat-Earthers' beliefs are short and simple. Here is a brief list in their own words,
The earth is flat and finite. Its boundary may be circular, but the earth is most certainly not a sphere as was hypothesized by Eratosthenes. The placement of globes in public classrooms can only serve to promote ecology as a possible state religion.
The sky is the roof over the earth — a solid impervious barrier that protects both believers and non-believers from the waters beyond.
The stars on the sky are much smaller than the earth. (The word "on" is not a typographical error here.) The notion of "distant suns" is nothing more than a theory entertained by misguided scientists.
The laws of physics as they exist on the earth are different from those of the sun, moon, stars, and planets.
As for their Scriptural arguments, they do have them, and they are as "sound" as any other geocentrist argument.
To show that the earth is flat they use
Job 28:24 — "For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;"
Psa 19:6 — "...and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof."
Dan 4:11 — "...and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:"
Mat 4:8 — "...and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;"
Isa 40:22 — "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth..."
Psa 136:6 — "To him that stretched out the earth above the waters...."
Isa 44:24 — "Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer...that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;"
To show the extent of the earth, that it has "ends," they use,
Psa 103:12— "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."
Deu 28:64— "And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other;"
Deu 33:17— "...with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth.... (Also, 1Sa 2:10, Job 28:24 Job 38:13, Psa 46:9, Isa 41:9, Jer 51:16, etc.)"
Psa 19:4— "Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world...."
Psa 22:27— "All the ends of the world shall remember...."
Dan 4:11— "...and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:"
Mar 13:27— "And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."
They also use the verses speaking about the "foundations" of the earth, the "pillars" of the earth, and so on. As for the nature of the sky, they insist it is solid and like a tent or dome which we all live under.
Job 22:14 — "Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven."
Pro 8:27 — "When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:"
Isa 48:13 — "Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens:..."
Concerning the stars they insist,
"The stars are exactly as they appear — mere points of light fastened to the sky that would fall to earth were they ever dislodged. Distant suns, far larger than the earth could not fall to earth but small points of light could."
Their verses for this are obvious,
Dan 8:10 — "...and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them."
Mat 24:29 — "...and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"
Mar 13:25 — "And the stars of heaven shall fall...."
Rev 6:13 — "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth...."
Rev 12:4 — "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth...."
You should see where they are coming from. They take verses that are figurative and relative and treat them as absolutely wooden literal. They put their global geocentrist brethren to shame when it comes to taking the Bible literally...and it seems to make some of the globalists "knash at their teeth." They are supposed to be the "literal" ones! They can't be upstaged by the scientifically ignorant who appear more "biblical."
Ironically, the global geocentrists don't really have any Scriptural argument against the Flat-Earthers. Yes, a few try to come up with some like claiming there is no sunrise or sunset in a Flat-Earth view, but that is merely an act of desperation with no sound basis. As we mentioned earlier, the sun does "rise" in a Flat-Earth model. It rises over one's head from the east horizon and goes down to the west horizon every day.
The only real arguments the globalists can present are practical, visual, or "scientific" in nature. The Bible doesn't aid them in this regard one bit.
We will have more on the Flat-Earth under the following Science chapters.