"they thought that if they sailed the ocean blue they would fall off the earth."
False. Have you ever read the record of the Council of Salamanca, where Columbus's proposed trip was discussed? "Flat earth" is never mentioned at all. It was not an issue. It had not been an issue for hundreds of years.
The issue was the SIZE of the earth, not its shape. And those who opposed Columbus were correct about the size, while Columbus was wrong. His estimate of the size of the earth was only about half its real size. I suggest some reading on the subject instead of all this bluster. You are making an idiot of yourself with these claims.
"Back then some believed the earth to be flat, others did not....It was even put in some text books...."
You said the flat earth was a "well-established fact" before 1492. That is false. All educated people understood the sphericity of the earth long before then.
<< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth >>
Did you even read the article you linked to? It puts the complete lie to your claim. It confirms what I am saying -- that the sphericity of the earth was widely accepted long before 1492 -- and that those who make the claim that it was an issue are mistaken.
You have provided your own refutation of your own argument. Good job.
Yep.
It's also interesting to read some of the arguments based on apologetics.
ouuuuuu, testy testy.....no, I'm fair. If you step out of your atheistic values and ego you will see that we both are right. I know for a fact that text books, right or wrong stated that some or a number thought that the earth was flat. Those that said it was a sphere was considered to he heretic, right or wrong. They were using common sense, but at that time it was divided. So, get off you high horse and chill. It's not false.......both are right, sweetpea. If you want to continue with this line of discussion we can...all day long. no problem.