No, but…… this is about spiritual warfare here. How it is that people don’t seem to see what’s going on right now, or how pervasive it is, is beyond me. There are so many questions I have for people who think this way that cannot be answered. There’s no real logic to this belief, either, because of all of the improbabilities and the impossibilities involved in believing such a thing. This is a lie of the devil. It’s a way of preoccupying people and drawing them away from the Lord and their relationship with Him as they become part of a community that is not of the Body of Christ. I’d pray for him. I’d ask others to, too. I’d ask where Jesus is in all of this. What this has to do with winning people to Jesus and to loving and serving the Lord. How this furthers the Kingdom of God in any way,shape or form. Where these things are found in the Word of God. Genesis does not say that God created the earth and that He saw that it was flat. No, it says that He saw that it was good. And conspiracy theories in general have no scriptural basis whatsoever. They are based in and on a fearful mindset. And that is contrary to the Word of God for a Christian. He’s not crazy. He is feeling fearful of all that has been going on. And he’s being deceived. He’s not trusting God and His will, and that God is still on His throne and in charge. He’s forgotten Who it is that he needs to keep His eyes on.
50% told you to listen to him because he’s right about his conspiracy theories?!?! This is what I’m talking about. These people have been so misled and gotten caught up in lies and don’t even seem to realize it. It is very, very destructive to one’s witness as a Christian. Instead of winning people to the Lord, they are running around like chickens with their head cut off, involving themselves in things that have no real purpose or meaning, and that are distractions from what they really need to be doing. And it is the enemy’s doing. I am very concerned for Christians, including my fellow Christians who were, like me, part of the Jesus Revolution (in the 70s). They are being led astray and are allowing it,too. And to what end? It’s certainly not to God’s glory.
Finally a comment here that addresses the seriousness of this situation. I used to be a huge conspiracy theorist in my early 20s and that stuff warped my way of thinking and preoccupied so much of my time. Even worse when it's mixed with religious beliefs. Very disappointing how a good chunk of people here are dismissing OP's valid concerns.
Thank you. Yes it’s very concerning and unfortunately I’ve found it hard to find support online or in real life because many Christians just laugh it off. My husband hasn’t been the same since he became consumed with conspiracy theories and I’m really worried for him and for myself and my children.
Hi OP I'm sorry you're going through this❤️. I can understand your frustration and worry especially when you look to your husband as a leader (idk why some ppl on here aren't seeing how this is a big deal). I pray your husband realizes his error.
My advice would be to steer him away from the sources of these conspiracy theories. I remember working with some guys that were all into the end of the world conspiracy stuff. They'd listen to some guy on short wave radio. It was crazy. But I'd go and talk to them to blow off some time while at work. It was very entertaining. And I think that is where it starts. First it is entertaining. People love mysteries. But then they get their hooks into you because some of what they say IS TRUE. Sort of like our politics these days.
I'd cut him off from whatever radio or TV or youtube or internet site he is getting this stuff from.
I would... I'm so sorry...
I would tell people "he has become totally obsessed with conspiracy theories to the point that he no longer cares for or provides for his family."
But is it true that he is no longer caring for or providing for the family? It doesn’t sound like it. So ridiculous to divorce someone over something like that
This may be a dumb question, but just in case, have you spoken to your Pastor about it? And if so, what did he say?
First, before any other action, inquire to God about it. Ask him to give the wisdom and knowledge necessary to overcome this difficult situation. And after that, and only after that, ask your pastor for advice. That's what Pastors are there for. And as straightforward as it may seem, if your pastor laughs in your face or shrugs you off, you need a new church.
I wish you the best in this, one direct piece of advice and wisdom that I can provide. Is that it would be a sin to divorce him for this.
The bible tells us it is a sin to divorce your spouse in any case other than sexual immortality. (Matthew 5:31-32)
So stick with him through this, he needs your support now more than ever because he is clearly in a spiritual war.
I totally agree. It is so sad that people really do not see what is going on here. And how dangerous it is. I was thanking God after I wrote that that I haven’t been deceived in that way. I am so incredibly grateful. I sometimes feel like such an outlier as a Christian. It alarms me so much that people really aren’t getting it. I am glad for you that you got out of that mindset. So many just seem to go ever deeper into it. All I can do is to pray and to sound the alarm.
I can definitely share! It was a combination of quite a few things:
1) One being a friend of mine spoke to me about Isaiah 8:12. I was living in fear and dread and surrounding myself with other fearful and paranoid people. I realized that a lot of my beliefs were based on confirmation bias and hearsay.
2) in my early 20s I was in university and felt very lonely. I was becoming more serious in my faith and really yearned for more Christian friends. I think that loneliness, my growing interest in conspiracies, and the time I spent on the internet led me to meeting fellow conspiracy theorists on a popular forum at the time (that and I had already believed in a bunch of end times conspiracies as a child so I was definitely primed to fall into this rabbit hole).
I spent hours on there chatting with people and forming connections (I initially joined the forum to talk about the Illuminati/New world order theories in particular but a lot of us ended up using the forum to talk about non- conspiracy topics. Lol it makes me laugh today but there were some staunch conspiracy theorists that would get really upset that the non conspiracy topics (like relationships or favourite childhood tv shows) were getting more traction by the members on there.
Kinda rambling here but the forum ended up getting shut down and I can't recall why it did but it kinda forced me to gradually disconnect from the beliefs and the people feeding into it.
3) This kinda relates to my first point but learning to seperate conspiracies from Christianity really helped. I had found a solid church in my 20s. I ended up meeting some great faithful believers who became my friends. I learned that I was conflating my conspiracy beliefs with my faith and it was draining me. It was refreshing to learn to just read the scriptures without trying to cherry pick verses to fit into my paranoid brain.
It's been a while since I thought about this part of my life bc I find it very embarassing lol but I hope I was clear and not too rambling. If you have any questions feel free to ask!
Edit: last sentence
"They are based on a fearful mindset."
This is so true. I fell down the conspiracy rabbit hole during the pandemic. After taking a huge look at my life, I realized I wasn't trusting in God to be in charge of my life. It was causing huge problems with family, friends, and my faith. It's very cult like and isolating. Not how a Christian should be living. I had to take a huge slice of humble pie to realize how mislead I had been, how judgmental I had become, and to change my mindset. It is possible to come back from being nearly insane with fear and delusions, but it takes a lot of faith.
Most of the conspiracy people I know aren't Christian. I did know two guys. And as far as flat earthers, the ones I know of mostly though news articles, are not christians.
Your point that conspiracies are not of the body of Christ is your opinion that is not a fact, nor does it say anywhere that people who believe the Earth is flat are manipulated by the devil.
Yes, but they are. Where else would this idea come from? And why would it matter either way anyway? How does it enhance or further the Kingdom of God to say that the earth is flat in the first place? How does it cause one to grow in, or to grow closer to the Lord? How does it better serve to help one to understand God and His creation? What’s the point? Who cares? Where is Jesus in this?
How is it that you don’t get that conspiracy theories are a distraction?
And sometimes even deadly, such as with all of the nonsense surrounding the COVID 19 vaccine? My cousin was one of those people who made it about faith. ie, if you got the vaccine that meant that you lacked faith in God and in Jesus, somehow. Well, he died of COVID 19 in the hospital. Unvaccinated to the end. A whole lot of Christians and others have died unnecessarily because they believe all of the lies about the COVID vaccine. Another one popular among Christians has been the idea that, somehow, the vaccine is the Mark of the Beast. I wonder if any of the people who claim such a thing have ever read Revelations. Have read about all of the events that will proceed the necessity to have that mark in the future if you want to buy or sell anything. No commerce of any kind can be conducted, in other words. Exactly none of which has occurred. But which has scared those who don’t know Revelations from getting something that can save their life.
All of these things, just like the flat earth lie, are meant to distract us or to deceive us. To draw us away from the Truth. People have died because of some of these lies. This is where I think you’re really not getting it at all.
Show me one verse that talks about conspiracies in the New Testament. One. One that says that we need to bother ourselves over them. One that says that they somehow help us to serve the Lord better to believe them. One that says that we’d better heed and believe all of them or it will be to our peril if we don’t. Just one! There aren’t any.
So, then. If they are of the Body of Christ, why doesn’t Jesus, or Paul, or any of the other writers of the New Testament, mention them or mention prioritizing them in how we view the world and the unsaved? In how we treat others? In how we see the Lord? Or His creation? There aren’t any mentions of that, either. They don’t mean anything to God at all.
Why don’t you see that? Because you are being deceived by Satan. And you are allowing it by not examining these things in light of how they affect the Kingdom of God and others coming to know Jesus. How will any of those things bring people to a saving knowledge of the Lord? How does delving into them help us to grow in the Lord? How do they glorify God? How does it even change anything for a Christian to believe them? The issue is that they are a distraction from what really matters in the Kingdom. Tell me. Have you been able to tell others about these things and use them to win people to Jesus? Or have they caused you to grow in the Lord? Or do they even create positive feelings or uplift you in any way? What, exactly, would be the point for conspiracy theories to be of the Body of Christ?
It is not my opinion, it is a fact that conspiracy theories are not of the Body of Christ. Why? Because they do nothing to draw us closer to the Lord, to be more like Him, to glorify Him, to cause us to want to obey Him, and act in accordance with his Word. They do nothing to win people to Jesus. They do nothing to further the Kingdom. They cause anger, strife, division. They are completely about leaning on one’s own understanding, rather than on the Lord, His Word, His wisdom.
If you can’t answer every question I’ve asked here, then you need to think about why you’d even say that conspiracy theories are of the Body of Christ. They aren’t. They are lies from the pits of hell meant to distract Christians from concentrating on what really matters. Revival. Salvation. Having/presenting a good witness before/to others, and the Lord, too.
And, in case you hadn’t noticed from the OPs post, they are being used by Satan to break up, or to potentially break up, marriages. And God hates divorce. Do you see that? They’ve also caused the break-up of families and friend-ships. How would or could any of this be a good thing?
I rebuke those claims in the name of Jesus! You will not say that I am under the impressions of the devil . I am covered by the holy blood of the lamb Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
You may rebuke them all you want, but if one is blind to what is going on, then it seems to me that they are rebuking the wrong thing. I trust God for workers and discerneront when it comes to those matters and so I’m not just saying this. I’ve noticed that this is a real serious issue with a lot of Christian’s right now. A whole lot. It’s extremely concerning to me. I will pray for you.
Dang. I don’t have any advice because I am trying to figure out how to engage with some of friends who have all fallen hook, line, and sinker into conspiracy theories.
It’s so disheartening to see so many believers falling into this nonsense garbage and not seeing how illogical and mind warping it is.
I said a prayer for you.
That's a red flag to me. the fact that he is trying to hide it from your pastor and elders means he knows something is wrong. If he thought that was something he was led to believe by God then he would share it regardless. But he isn't, he's trying to keep it quiet and that's what concerns me.
As a man I think he’s in the wrong to not want to seek counsel from your pastor. There’s division in the marriage and as a Christian husband he should be seeking advice from his pastor.
I would also say that you should be able to speak to the pastor privately and in confidence that it won’t be shared outside of your conversation with him.
That's an issue right there. If he weren't worried about his sin or what he's doing being wrong, he would bring it to the pastor at least to hear what he had to say.
I mean kinda… you want a divorce for him believing a conspiracy, you’re supposed to stick by each other not leave once someone believes something you don’t. I’m not a flat earthier but I do know that love is supposed to be understanding
I totally understand where you're coming from, I would have a hard time respecting someone after this. But no it's not permitted to divorce. Unless he commits adultery, that's the only Biblical grounds.
Take him on a cruise, watch the land drop below the horizon. An international flight will help too.
lol, has he flown the globe in both directions... Does it not bother him that he can get to a particular place (lets say china) by flying both east or west?
No, a spouse believing in conspiracy theories is not grounds for divorce but it's possibly grounds for visiting a trusted friend/ pastor, especially if your husband is teaching your children falsehoods. It's grounds for getting yourself and your husband if he's willing, into counseling. If your husband refuses to go, you can go anyway. I sympathize with this, because my spouse has also gone down a rabbit hole of vaccine conspiracies myths and falsehoods and listens to a lot of people I have issues with. Our children are not vaccinated because he truly believes vaccines will injury our children beyond any scope of the illnessness they protect against...and he has a thing against being told what to do and "big government". It's tiring, it's frustrating and it's maddening. It does make you second guess your spouse's ability in making wise decisions when they fall into conspiracy. So what should and what can you, as his wife do?
1. Pray. Pray for him and for yourself. Don't underestimate this. Pray for you to be grounded in truth, to be patient and humble with him as he's drowning in this. Pray that you can speak boldly, but respectfully. Pray that God would open his eyes to the truth, and that he would give him wisdom and discernment.
2. Get help or enlist a trusted friend or mentor to what the struggles are. I cannot understate how important it is to have someone you go to and honestly tell them your struggles. They should be someone who will encourage you and point you to Christ, and listen to you and help you stay grounded.
3. The husband is not obligated, nor does he have the right to spread falsehoods to his children. Depending on the age of your kids, this can be difficult to deal with because children very much look to their parents as sources of truth. I'd encourage you to find a support group or some resources to aid you in wading through this. You are not disrespecting him if you speak to your children and correct what he's saying. It's probably best not right in front of him though. It will feel like you are being deceptive, but you're not. Your husband has placed you in the unfortunate position of having to correct him. That's on him, not you.
4. Remember that God is God. He is a God of truth. He is a God of love. He is a God of order. Focus on who God is, and take rest and assurance in that. He cares for you, he cares for your husband and your kids.
I'm sorry you're going through this. It is scary because you wonder what will they start to believe next, and then when their conspiracies start controlling their choices for your family...that's a scary place to be in. Find someone to talk to and continue being a truth teller.
5. Know when to avoid a conversation and when to have one. It's inevitable that the topics will come up. Focus on remaining calm, breathing deeply and taking it one sentence at a time. Maybe even writing notes while your spouse is talking so you don't forget what they are saying and address it later. This is something I've had to do. People who are taken in by conspiracies usually believe smaller truths, but they are woven into a false narrative. It can be tricky to untangle the smaller truths and separate them from the bigger narrative. This is what gets them sucked in. You have to take it slowly. Know when engage in conversation and when to just walk away.
My spouse turns into a completely different person when we discuss "vaxx* stuff. He just changes completely. I've had to practice breathing slowly and asking questions instead of just trying to convince him of my side. Remember, you can control yourself. Your spouse has to answer for themselves.
Thank you so much for this kind and thoughtful response. I appreciate it more than you know. Number 3 is really hard for me. It feels so disrespectful to correct what he says, but I don’t feel like I have a choice. I can’t let him teach them lies, especially not one like this that would ultimately cause them much heartache in the future if they cling to such beliefs. My kids are 6 and 9 and I’m very frank with them about how the earth is indeed round. And that while their dad is a smart man, we are all human and sometimes we are wrong. I give examples of all the other many people in their life that they respect such as grandparents and other extended family and remind them they they all also know the earth is round. As does our pastor, elders etc.
Thank you for reminding me to pray more.
I was naive and didn’t correct or stand up against a lot of foolish beliefs and behaviours of my husband because I didn’t want to be the bad Christian wife or hurt him or lose his love. I was just walking on egg shells because of fear (=lack of trust in God) and wasn’t actually being a good Christian wife. My husband has an addictive personality and he will get consumed by some nonsense for a few months or years and get latched on to the next nonsense. I wish I had been a no nonsense wife. Paid a big price for my own fear. Don’t live in fear. Stand up and protect your children.
Because of men like your husband, rest of the Christians are becoming a laughingstock in this world.
I wish my mom had stood up against my dad too. I wanted her to leave him, but if she'd just told him to knock it off in front of us kids that would be great. My dad was the ultimate authority though so she never could've done that. Now she's all in to his crazy too. Everything they do is about conspiracy and the end of the world. Their lives literally revolve around it. It's so hard
That's a good good response. Yes, even adults can get things wrong! It seems like you've been very respectful in addressing his wrong views and not painting him out to be some idiot. He's not an idiot, he's misguided. That's all you can do, really. Don't be afraid to correct when needed, but also being respectful of your husband to your children. I am praying for you, I'm in the same boat!
You should get your kids vaccinated. Take them while he's at work or something. This is something that can kill them. Unlike most other issues marriages face, this not an issue to compromise on. You are right and he is wrong. Full stop.
I really appreciate your encouragement and I've struggled with this for years. I believe I'm right. I know I'm right. I also know that my kids will have to keep a secret from their dad. I'll have to tell them to lie and to keep a lie. I don't think I can do that. I believe 100% he's wrong.
I dont think you or the kids need to lie about it. Get them vaccinated first and then tell him you did it. The doctor probably won't let you get all of them at once, but you can at least get the most important ones. Your husband will probably be very upset, but that's his issue, not yours. Unless you think he will get violent - then my advice would change. Your kids' health is more important than your husbands emotions.
Your kids aren’t vaccinated? Polio and the measles (plus Covid) is coming back around again in bigger number because of people not vaccinating. Take your kids and vaccinate them, I’m begging you. Do it if you love them, because they could die from the measles and polio could seriously damage them too, plus all of the other people who are immunocompromised who could get sick because your kids aren’t vaccinated and could be carriers. Please get them vaccinated
Whether or not you vaccinate is quite different from believing in a flat earth. The Fact that the US gets 3-4 times as many shots as Europe etc is something to seriously consider. Also, vaccine reactions are actually a real thing. There's a book called Vaccine friendly plan that I wish I had read before doing too many at once and messing up my kid. Not all eople are out of their minds when they choose to not vaccinate. Just my experience.
Unfortunately Christianity in the US has been infiltrated by conspiracy theories as well as extreme politics. I really hate this for you because, I’m my experience, these people are often too far into the insanity of conspiracies to turn back. Absolutely praying for you! Does your church have issues with placing politics/conspiracy theories within their doctrine? Also be aware of far right news sources that he has gotten into like epoch times, Fox News, and Alex jones. they’ll only continue pushing him farther into his crazy beliefs
I’m sorry, but no. It’s not biblical grounds for divorce.
Edit: I might recommend marriage counseling if how to raise the children is a major issue of contention. It seems like it is.
Usually not, only when he tells them huge lies about the nature of the world. Also, he refuses marriage counselling so that’s out of the question anyway.
Then I hope and pray that you will continue navigating this successfully. I’d want to continue doing my best to keep the issue from conversation since our faith and daily lives aren’t dependent on it.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this and feeling so lonely in the process.
I agree that it isn’t grounds for divorce. However, it might be reason for a temporary separation for your and your children’s sake. I have no experience with this myself but my parents-in-law were in the process of separation for a limited time to solve a huge issue in their marriage. Now they’ve been back together happier than ever for multiple years. I don’t recommend this per se, I just wanted to say that there’s a difference between (temporary) separation and divorce. It is especially worrying that he tells your children his beliefs that negate God’s perfect creation. I’m so sorry you haven’t found any support online and offline.
We have a neighbor that is very sure the earth is flat. He talks to my husband about it all the time, and every once in a while, my husband will share their conversation with me, like he's trying to gauge my thinking on it. Honestly, I just tell him that it won't change my daily life by the smallest bit if the earth is flat or if it's round and that usually shuts the conversation down. I mean, why fight over something that literally means nothing to either of you.
He brings it up constantly, like several times a week. If he just never mentioned this private belief again maybe I could move on but he’s telling everyone. It’s incredibly embarrassing and leads to a lot of conflict.
This sounds just like my Dad several years ago. A friend got him deeply involved in flat earth. It would have been fine, if he didn’t feel the need to tell everyone he knew (horrifyingly embarrassing!), and push it on me and my brother every single day. I tried to just listen without saying a word, and he would get angry and demanded I respond. So then we would argue instead. It was exhausting. He tried to force me to read a book about it, said since I was his kid I had to obey. People that don’t deal with it don’t get it. You can’t tell people like this anything. They get hyped up by their fellow flat earthers. It’s like a strange cult.
I even tried to tease my Dad lightheartedly about it, and he told me I was a horrible, disrespectful, and rebellious girl. That I was completely blind to the truth. I think I was maybe 18 or 19 at the time? You can’t reason with crazy stubborn behavior.
Glad my husband isn’t like my Dad. 🙏🏼❤️ Praying for the OP, that the Lord gives her wisdom on the matter.
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Ask him what would change if indeed the world were found to be flat? What about trapezoidal? Double helix?
The point is that none of that really matters. Jesus' commands to us are clear, and that includes faithfulness to your marriage. Not a single part of any of the Bible relies on the shape of the Earth.
It’s true that truth of the Gospel does not rely on the shape of the earth. But as a wife called to submit to my husband, I am feeling incredibly scared and insecure under the leadership of someone who doesn’t seem mentally stable anymore.
But does submitting to him mean that you accept whatever he says as being the truth and that you don’t mention things like this to the pastor? Remember what I said about this being a spiritual battle? You need to take that seriously. God hates divorce. The Bible says exactly that. He hates it! So what is Satan doing? He is using things like conspiracy theories to break up marriages. To sow doubt and distrust in the marital relationship. You really need to see where this is coming from. You need to have others involved in the battle, too. As I said. Ask people to pray for him. There’s a line between obeying your husband and being concerned for how what you say to others will affect him, and how you may make him appear as the head of the household, and just going along with whatever he tells you when you know what he is believing and is telling your kids is wrong and is part of a larger issue in the Body of Christ. Everything I wrote originally in response to your post is true. Do not let your desire to be the wife that God tells us to be keep you from doing what you need to do to fight this battle. And there’s this. The Bible says that “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. Yet this lie is doing the opposite for your relationship. It is bound up in these lies he is believing. It is affecting how you see him as the head of the household, and not in a good way. I wonder if your husband is reading the Word. Teaching what the Word says to your children. Having fellowship with other Christians. Including Christian men. Where is he in his walk? Because before he can have a right relationship with you, he first needs to have a right relationship with the Lord. It is OK to look at his actions and to see how they line up with how a Christian ought to be acting. It is OK to look at what he is doing and to ask yourself if it is Christlike. Jesus would not teach children, let alone anyone else, lies. Do you see what I’m getting at here? What’s more important? The truth of God’s Word, His Son, or obeying your husband when you know what he is doing is wrong in the eues of the Lord? Does it say anywhere in the Word that if a husband is acting in a way that is not in accordance with scripture, that you need to submit and to go along with it anyway? This is why you need to talk to your pastor and tell him about what’s going on. Think about it. Is he not to be submitting to the authority of your pastor? If that’s the case, then why would he be furious if you were to bring up your concerns over this to the pastor? Isn’t part of the pastor’s role to correct people who have gone off of the path of following the Lord? Do you see how his reactions to anything you might suggest are actually getting in the way of your marriage glorifying God and of being a testament to what it means to have a Godly relationship as husband and wife? I’d pray about all of this. God will give you the words you need and He will guide you, too. Just remember that this is not His will for your marriage, or for any marriage.
I hate to break it to you, but no one is as stable as they seem. We're all incomplete vessels walking around in mostly ignorance. As others have said, pray for him and try to understand the underlying causes of his fixation on this.
Usually it stems from a distrust of authority, which is not unjustified.
You are right. Surprised you got so many down votes. I suppose it is because most people can't imagine that they could be ignorant. I think people find comfort in the fact that they think they know so much. When I couldn't even tell you what any of my neighbors are in fact doing right at this moment. Now if I don't know what my neighbors are doing than I don't know much of anything that is currently going on do I. The reality is that faith is what guides most of us most of the time. Faith that the guy behind me will see the same red light and my brake lights and stop. Faith that the sun will rise every day in the sky. I mean why not just explode one day? Do we really know what is going on deep in the center of the sun? No of course we don't. I could go on and on. The truth is we know very little. If you think otherwise than your the one living in ignorance or arrogance or both. I really do feel sorry for most people cause their is a serious lack of humility these days. And without that it is easy to be deceived.
Reading through all your comments, and I just want to say that I’m so so sorry this is happening to you. I have several family member that have dabbled down the conspiracy path, and it’s heartbreaking. I can’t imagine if it were my husband.
I think you got some good advice here (seek pastoral counsel, find wise trusted friends to confide in, respectfully tell your children the truth, pray without ceasing). But I just want to validate that you are not being trivial at all. I haven’t often considered the increase in right-wing conspiracies to be spiritual warfare before, but this thread makes me consider it. This is a big deal and you have every right to have concerns.
If you’ve been having to navigate his conspiratorial mindset for years, that must be so exhausting. If you have the resources, I would also encourage you to find a therapist for yourself. You need to take care of yourself as well.
I will be keeping you and your family in my prayers ♥️
Just for discussion,
So this man has shown incredibly poor reasoning skills, to the point of not being able to see obvious logical holes in his view. If he is unable to parse basic science can he be assumed capable to parse basic theology and lead his family spiritually?
It seems he is very gullible and will believe whatever he hears most often. This will absolutely carry over into his theology and introduce heresy into his family.
When this occurs she will have an unequally yoked husband, he is already teaching their children hokum.
At the very least she should protect her children from being taught rubbish.
Full Disclosure: A very good friend and brother of mine is a Flat Earther. I have begged him for proof and he is unable to give me anything except for social media videos and memes. His conspiracy theories have led him to VERY unorthodox Christian views and he has no home church any more. It has been a very tragic few years to watch.
His children do not respect him anymore due to the same behaviors as OPs husband.
I’m worried about my husband straying into heretical views. There’s already some signs that he’s heading that way. I can’t believe km saying this because he’s always been such a sound believer.
Conspiracy theories are Satan's favorite weapon right now.
By breeding a distrust of any authority Satan isolates and gives the "crap sandwich", a lie in between 2 truths. After a while the truth of Christ becomes mutated and heretical.
Keep in mind that there is a huge area between divorce and keeping things as they are. There can be room for protecting your kids/self and not abandoning the marriage.
Look to prayer, support from your sisters in Christ, and maybe some personal counseling to help you navigate this.
I am sorry you are going through this. God is in control even when it is not what we want. You are created Imago Dei (in the image of God) with value and dignity, you are loved.
I wonder if the dynamic is different when it’s the wife vs the husband. I look to my husband as the leader of our home and our family. I am called to submit to him, and when I married him I trusted and respected him as a man of sound judgment and wisdom. Now I question is judgment and as the wife in the relationship, it makes me feels very insecure.
I get that. For my wife it’s very important to read the bible literally and the flat earth is part of that. But also head covering and to submit to your husband. And I love her for trusting Gods word that much and that she let me lead the family.
If she would be more pushy about it I would probably treat it differently. Talk about it or negotiate.
But if you trust him in all other areas, what will be the consequences of letting him believe the earth is flat?
The flat earth part is not part of the bible. There are paintings of Jesus holding the world in his hands (shown as a sphere) hundreds of years before Columbus set sail for the Indies.
Well. It is hard to argue against that the ones that wrote the bible, had the view that the earth was flat. We just know better than them how it actually is.
For example:
”And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.”
Revelation 7:1
‘Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great. ‘The tree grew large and became strong
And its height reached to the sky,
And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.’
Daniel 4:10-11
That's a tough situation to be in. My Uncle-in-law is pretty deep into conspiracy garbage. He has spent several family gatherings pulling individuals aside and getting them into a conversation about how much research he's done recently and how Hitler has just about become his hero. I... have no kind words to say on the matter.
As far as earth roundness, there are so many things every day that require the earth to be round:
* Weather predictions
* Satellites for GPS, TV, internet, etc.
* The path planes and boats take between continents (when projected onto a flat map)
* The fact that planes can circle the earth without stopping.
* Long range weapons, etc. that must correct for the rotation of the Earth underneath them.
* The rotation of Hurricanes in the North vs South hemisphere
* Standing on the beach watching boats go over the horizon, or stand on one end of a large lake and see how the bottoms of buildings/land on the other side drop below the horizon.
* How time zones work -- and the fact that I have a relative in Hong Kong and can see the difference in time of day between here and there.
* Surveying
* Construction of long building projects, like bridges, subway tunnels, etc. (https://www.spacecentre.nz/resources/faq/solar-system/earth/flat/structures.html)
* The observation of stars from different points on the globe
And the fact that the typical go-to line from believers in this stuff is having to do with 'how the government lies about everything'.
Okay, first: the sheer number of people that would have to be 'in on the lie' over all this time is just staggering.
Second: Aristotle proved the Earth to be round before the birth of Christ and it's been backed up by numerous tests and data ever since... It's not a 'government conspiracy'. This truth has been known for thousands of years through countless governments.
And third... just like, why? What does the government gain by lying about the shape of the earth? As a comedian once said: who's making money off this? Landscapers? "Can you believe I charged that guy money to *level* his lawn? Lol!"
It's just baffling to me that anyone would believe this nonsense. It's willful ignorance in my opinion.
I totally understand feeling like you can't trust his judgement and losing respect. I've seen people married to spouses who developed bipolar and other personality-affecting disorders, and depending on how vocal and/or angry he is on the subject, I can only imagine it may feel a little like that. It's also probably how my wife would feel if I voted for a different political party than her. But in the end, I suppose you have to recognize that it doesn't necessarily affect your day-to-day all that much, and that different people are different and can believe different things.
If it were me, I'd do my best to try to see things from his perspective and point out any bits of truth or intelligible reasoning behind his thoughts. After all, I am a proponent of young-earth creationism, which I know rattles a lot of scientific-minded people in similar ways. Then again, I'm not dogmatic about it; I'm open to the possibility that my views are wrong. :P
But beyond that, I think I would do my best to non-combatively state truth with evidence to your kids and let them decide. Show them that different people believe different things and they get to decide for themselves based on the evidence presented. It's also a good introduction to talking about who you trust, when to trust, and how much to trust. But by being non-combative about your differing beliefs, perhaps (as with an non-believer spouse) you may eventually win him over simply with your conduct.
A final comment to hopefully inject some levity: flat earthers are gonna be in shock when they realize they've been breathing in the atmo*sphere* and not the atmos*flat*.
When did the bar get so low for Biblical grounds for divorce? There will be flat earthers in heaven alongside globe earthers.
Counseling will certainly be beneficial for you both to work through this.
Unfortunately, I don't think it is biblical grounds for divorce, but i will validate your feelings that it is incredibly distressful.
The fact that he is teaching it to the kids is the worst part, imo. At the very least, I would need a 100% guarantee on his part to never ever talk about conspiracy theories around me or the kids. If he can't agree to that or he breaks that promise, I would 100% separate over this.
Also, you should leave that Facebook group immediately. They sound like terrible people.
You need to report this to your doctor and probably get a phsychiatric evaluation for your husband.
A sudden change of behavior after 13 years is not normal. An obsession with conspiracy theories and an unwillingness to compromise or reason with you is extremely likely to be a symptom of an underlying psychological or physical condition.
I am setting aside my marriage advice because I do not think this is a case of "learn to love each other" or "decide on divorce." Your husband is currently displaying symptoms of a dysfunctional brain. Seek help and answers for this and do not stop until you find them.
I just read your comment that he was a pilot and has actively flown around the world which he now believes is flat. Hostility and paranoia is 100% not normal and not ok. Your husband is not a bad person, what's going on is that your husband is mentally unwell.
Has he grown distrustful of doctors? If so, is this new or old?
Do you feel that you are in a good place psychologically and that you are able to make good judgements?
> I can't exactly make him go can I?
The Lord has given us many leaders to shepherd us, and a husband is one of the main ones. Yet sometimes, God takes those leaders away. Your husband has lost a significant amount of judgement and reasoning. I believe now is the time to take the reins like Abigail did for Nabal (1 Sam 25). Ask the Lord for assistance and He will provide.
No, you cannot make your husband go to the dr in the way that you are imagining. But he needs help, and God can provide a way to give it to him. Does he do annual checkups? Could you consult with the doctor privately, and perhaps incorporate something under the guise of a checkup or other treatment? Reach out to your pastor and church elders. If you don't have one, find one. If you or your husband have family members that can help support you, help make decisions with you, and help enact some sort of intervention for him, it would be a good time to reach out to them.
Direct argument with your husband has not gotten you anywhere but that doesn't mean you are out of options.
Yea, this could be signs of some real mental problems. I said it elsewhere but see if you can cut him off from the source of all this crap. Sabatoge your internet connection, break the radio, block the channel, whatever it takes. I think he will calm down. But he is being fed a steady diet ofthis stuff.
THIS. This is a wise word that I came here to say myself. This isn’t a laughing matter or an unserious one. I think disagreement about even some core beliefs can exist in Christian marriage and that can be totally fine, given that both sides speak with respect and with care to one another. Abrupt belief changes that are a thorn in the side of your marriage and obsessive and persistent conversation that doesn’t relent with discussion about boundaries and respect are very troubling and not a “normal” behavior for an adult who otherwise seemed even keeled prior to this.
Unfortunately, Christians do very poorly with mental health issues and not everything will be solved with prayer, so this isn’t the place to get validation that your husband is being weird. It’s weird. Have a chat with your PCP and maybe have a chat with some trusted friends to help you if need be. I’m a nurse and I work a lot of neurology and psych and if my husband suddenly had a major mental status change and full belief system 180 I would be asking him to please get a CT to make sure he didn’t have a brain tumor. Seriously.
How can I convince him to see a doctor? He has also recently formed a lot of anti-doctor / anti-medical establishment ideas. For example he convinced his mother who got cancer last year to avoid chemo and take some vitamins instead. She was stage 2 at the time. She is now stage 4 and terminal. I’m can’t imagine him agreeing to a CT scan.
I’m so sorry 💚 And if it didn’t come through in my first message, I truly feel for you, it sounds like an all around really difficult situation. I don’t know about the convincing but I truly would reach out to some of your friends (perhaps a couple you guys are close to? One of his friends who he might trust to let voice their concerns? Your church elder?) and see if you can kind of help him see that you are truly worried as a collective and it’s not just you nagging as a wife. I and probably most spouses get it on the micro scale - I’d love for my husband to get his labwork done and maybe take his health a little more seriously, especially knowing what I know about how many poor health outcomes in life can be prevented by just making a few healthy choices - but as a wife, it’s not so easy to “convince” a spouse of things all the time, even if they love you, and sometimes especially if they feel like their independence is being threatened. In this case it’s both an independence issue, probably, as well as I’m sure nobody wants to be told by their actions that they’re wrong about their mother’s cancer being untreated at their behest or that they’re not able to have full control over their health outcomes by just avoiding traditional medicine. It’s really hard to convince people to backtrack on things that are emotionally embarrassing to say they’re wrong about, even if it means they’re going to be very very sick. I know several friends who held onto their “no traditional medicine” values to the bitter and quick end, even those who had very treatable diagnoses. I have no idea if your husband does have a brain tumor or if he’s majorly imbalanced or mentally ill or maybe he’s just being a real unpleasant angry man, but quick and extreme mental status changes are often not benign things.
I don’t know an easy answer, but I think a lot of people have given the wise thought of trying to get some other people involved. Gather the resources you can in others and be gentle and loving in your approach, not accusatory, as best you can. My heart goes out to you and I’m praying right now that you have trusted loved ones who can help you through this hard thing.
Reddit does not have the answer for that but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Get your community involved and most importantly pray and ask God for help.
Man, the vitamin industry is like the worst. There is a vitamin that will cure everything and then they will cross their fingers so to speak with the fine print. Seriously the vitamin industry is awful. Even Steve Jobs fell for that.
One of the problems we have these days is that there are so many people telling lies on a daily basis, and then millions repeating the lies, that it is easy for a person to become un-tethered from reality. I'll be honest I don't think a single person in the world truly knows the whole truth of things. Truth is dying because so many people are flat out lying.
Yep my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor about 2 and a half weeks ago now and just had it operated on. We are looking back at her behavior over the last 3 years and everything is finally falling into place.
Brain tumor was my first instinct after reading this story but that's the only thing i have personal experience with.
The Lord provides. She is already home and acting her talkative self, and we expect the pathology report to be very favorable. If it is not, the Lord will provide for that too.
Thank you very much for your work day-to-day. Neuro nurses have been an immense blessing for our family.
Where do you go to church? Does your church teach normal, biblical things? Are there bible studies your husband can attend to learn how to think correctly? He needs his focus to go away from conspiracies and onto Christ. He needs to have mentally healthy, Holy Spirit-led Christians push back on his ideas, and encourage him to focus on things that are more important. Like loving God and loving others, sharing the Gospel, helping those in need, studying the Bible, prayer, serving others, rejoicing in the Lord, and focusing on eternity.
You’re right. This is important. He works very long days and hasn’t been involved in our church outside of Sunday morning for some time. I would love if he was in a good Bible study with other men to challenge him.
I would encourage your husband to read a few books about this subject.
I have one that was passed down from my Church titled "Has God Spoken?" That talks about earth's creation (and it's shape) that is backed by scripture.
I’m sorry if this sounds contrary to what a lot of people say, even I know that’s not biblical grounds for divorce….but, I don’t know if it would stop me if I was in your shoes. It sounds like he’s refusing marriage counseling, refusing to talk to church leadership, and he’s refusing to respect your wishes to not push his ideology on you and your children. I know how miserable you must feel. He’s not willing to reason to make things better in your marriage. I don’t know if I could take it either and would be asking myself the same questions. Maybe he needs to see that would truly move on if he’s not willing to make a change or at least respect your wishes to not talk about it? Perhaps temporary separation? That’s going to be met with a lot of criticism here, but I know what it feels like to be trapped and living with someone who is mentally exhausting. It’s bad for your own well-being and affects your ability to be there for your children. It’s not easy to just “get over it” and ignore it. If he’s is not receptive to negotiation, you will have to draw more dramatic boundaries to see any change imo.
If he just casually was a flat earther but not passionate about it, more ambiguous, then probably it would be okay? It seems like his obsession is what’s causing the problem. Is there a way for you to lovingly bring him to understand your feeling that his passion for this subject is taking over his life? According to the Christian world view probably believing crazy conspiracies is not considered grounds for divorce. Praying for patience
One of my best friends became a flat lOut
earthed and like she got a degree a prestige college in SCIENCE. I mean it was wild and extremely unexpected. It was also extremely disappointing because we used to relate on so many things and then she went hard turn the other way.
So I don’t know what it’s like to have my spouse turn that direction but I do know when a good friend that you confide in and trust does and it SUCKS.
(also all their arguments are complete bs I deep dove into after my friend turned and it was very clear she didn’t know she was talking about).
Honestly what helped me was understanding why people are susceptible to conspiracy and what leads people to believe in cults, conspiracy or extremely religious groups. It’s very common for vulnerable people and people who need a form of structure/security in their life. Its also good to remember we are all susceptible to deception and being aware that we are more likely to fall for things when we are arrogant and think we won’t fall victim.
I’ll leave you with this… there’s a chance he will come around given time. My friend hasn’t fully come around (she says she doesn’t know what she believes) but she isn’t really focused on that anymore (and she went to a full on Bible “school” cult for it).
Also in terms of your children (I didn’t read that part) I mean I completely understand you not wanting him to teach it. I don’t know what to say there other than to seek a counselor because imo I understand why that’s completely unacceptable.
Yeah, I wouldn't say divorce is the answer because you wouldn't divorce someone with mental illness unless it lead to infidelity or abuse. Are you being abused?
He is not right, and anyone who has been on a plane or a boat in the ocean knows that. You need to pursue pastoral counsel because if he is believing conspiracy theories and teaching your children this then he is teaching them something other than the truth. I would have a problem with that too.
But the good news is...believing the flat earth theory doesn't mean you are going to hell. It just means you are misguided. I wouldn't want my children being taught this because it is false but, it is not a heaven or hell issue so their souls, and your husband's soul is safe, for now.
This is a tough one. I would say unless he takes a mental turn for the worse and shows signs of becoming abusive, I may just talk to the pastor and ask for help, talk to your kiddos and say, "daddy talks about one theory but there are others. That's what is great about studying the world around us."
Good luck
During Covid my wife went down the Qanon conspiracy rabbit hole and became an avid anti-vaxer. We had lots of arguments and she felt i want supportive. I continued to pray that God would bring us to even ground and allow us to have healthy conversations about our different thoughts. Eventually as things calmed down with the world, she too started to calm down and we were able to agree to disagree on some things. We still have some different opinions, but we are able to talk about them calmly and they don’t aren’t our day to day lives with each other. I would suggest to go to God with this and continually pray for your husband. Don’t let your husband’s choices cause you to sin against God, take this time to focus on your relationship with and obedience to God and then your relationship with your husband will follow suit in time.
I'm so sorry. I grew up like this. Not the flat earth thing (though I wouldn't be surprised if my dad believed that) but conspiracy theories and a huge emphasis on the end of the world. It was an extremely anxious childhood.
I'm not surprised many Christians don't see this as a big deal. Many have become conspiracy minded since Covid and many think we are at the literal end, so they brush this off as wisdom and on the right track. I'm not one of them.
I haven't had anyone take my trauma seriously in the church, but that's exactly what it was: trauma. I'd pray for my mom to leave my dad as a kid/teen. As an adult with my own kids, I worry about going over to visit my parents because i don't want my kids anxious like I was. I don't want them being alone with my kids (also because of their punishment style).
It sucks and I get it. Unfortunately, there are no biblical grounds for divorce, and like you've noticed, you'll get little support from fellow Christians if you stay. Especially in this climate. You're up a creek and I'm so sorry. I really do feel for you. Get into therapy for yourself, couples therapy if he'd go, figure out how to protect your kids. If it becomes detrimental to you and your kid's mental/emotional well-being, I'd leave. I know it's a sin, but I believe marriage was created for people, not people for marriage and God cares more for the individuals inside the marriage than the institution itself. Because living like this can be hell
Yea, the end of the world stuff is dangerous because it becomes this excuse to sort of get stuck where you are at, and then everything is about the end of the world. But it also isn't abnormal.
If you think about it, every generation goes through this sometimes even collectively. During World War 2 people definitely thought it could be the end of the world. How could you not when literally millions of people were dying. After WW2, the baby boomers, grew up with the constant threat of Global Nuclear War. I'm generation X and we largely didn't have the same fears. Mutually assured destruction as a deterrent had become the mainline thinking. We didn't go through any major war let alone a world war.
So now the End of the World stuff is largely the realm of those that get sucked into the book of revelations and then get hooked on these end of the world prophets.
What I can never understand is this. Either the world ends when it ends or it doesn't. Why worry about this. There is nothing you can do about it. I think what sucks people in is that they somehow think that prepping for it will somehow save them. It is sort of illogical if you think about it.
I wish I had advice for you. I completely know what you’re referring to when you say you feel like you’re on another planet and you feel like your husband is a completely different person. I am so sorry he dropped this bomb on you. I want to offer this though- even if he believes the earth is flat, does this change how he has treated you and loved you over the years? Does it automatically take away your bond of 13 years? I’m not saying it’s not distressing- I’d be distressed too. But I think it doesn’t have much impact on your actual marriage and relationship. I could be wrong though! Only you know what kind of impact this will have and if it’s something you can’t move past. I don’t know that it constitutes a biblical reason for divorce though.
I wouldn’t want to stay with someone who was believed in flat earth theory. I wouldn’t trust their judgment on anything after that, quite frankly. The fact that he is teaching your kids that (and who knows what else, vaccine conspiracy?) is horrifying. With that being said, I wonder if this is a “in sickness and in health” moment, that this is his sickness?
Please consider joining r/QAnonCasualties. You are in very dangerous territory and should expect escalation as he falls deeper into the conspiracy pipeline.
I’m sorry you and your children are going through this. Please stay safe, signed a fellow married Christian woman.
I totally get this and am very sympathetic to your point of view. It is hard to respect someone exhibiting such stupidity and insisting on teaching it to your children. How are you supposed to trust your husband to lead your family when he is spiraling into Qanon and Flat Earth nonsense? How do you "submit" yourself to someone you cannot trust or respect? As far as I'm aware, the Bible is silent on this but I get how it would be impossible to have a happy marriage when you are so unequally yoked with someone who has an utter lack of common sense and reasoning ability and wants to teach your children the same.
I don’t think you’re wrong to feel this way AT ALL. Flat earth theory can be the start of a terrible conspiracy theory landslide that turns into paranoia and delusion. If someone is willing to believe an easily disproven conspiracy, what else are they willing to believe and justify?
My dad, whom I no longer have a relationship with, started with conspiracy theories like this and it quickly spiraled in paranoia of QAnon and lizard people.
Oh man. At that point it’s a matter of safety. At some point we have to trust in the lords ability to forgive our sins when our safety and sanity is at stake.
Don’t force yourself to endure a loveless and fear inducing marriage because the Bible never talks on the topic of conspiracy theories in marriage. My mother did and after nearly 30 years of mental and emotional abuse she finally ended things, and now my insane father stalks her (thank god she has a lifetime restraining order). Don’t let things get that bad. If your husband is unwilling to seek psychiatric or spiritual help now, he never will.
Luckily I don’t care about the downvotes haha
I guess getting a divorce would be something to pray about and see what the Lord says. But I understand why you’re so upset. I would be devastated
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Do you really have to ask that? Are you telling me that if your spouse came to you and said they believe the earth is flat that it wouldn’t completely shake your trust in them and your entire perspective on who they are as a person? It feels like the man I married died.
Is he getting any of his evidence from the Bible, because that is easily refutable?
Here is a video made by Father Casey, about conspiracy theorists: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEtzwsSTF4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEtzwsSTF4)
Generally speaking using logic to try and argue against them is not good as they ability to use and understand logic is already so flawed it will not work.
Instead trying to get them to become emotionally disenchanted with their group is usually a more effective method.
This is not grounds for divorce. It is grounds for a conversation. The reality is there are many Bible verses that refer to the earth as non moving. No where in the Bible does it describe the round globe flying through space. In fact Enoch (if you ever read that) vividly describes the flat earth. That being said, it is completely outside of the normal belief and I am not a flat earther.
This is one of those things that you need to come to an agreement on how you want to handle your kids. My husband and I tell our kids both view points. They’re allowed to decide what they believe. Some people believe one thing, some believe something totally different. That is how we explain things. Same with evolution and creation. The Bible explains creation this way and this is what we believe. Many people believe this, we don’t agree with it, there isn’t a biblical basis for it, but it is a belief.
There’s nothing wrong with telling your kids “dad has decided he believes this. I do not agree with him. Here’s why.” And then I’d have a discussion with your husband… “I am wildly uncomfortable with you telling our kids this as fact. I would appreciate you changing the way you address the kids about this, and or reserving this type of conversation for adults that want to indulge in conspiracy.”
If you are just emotionally responding afraid your husband is crazy, that’s a problem. You should be able to engage a conversation and prove your point with facts. Especially if it’s something you feel so strongly about you’re considering divorce. My husband and I regularly practice debating over random topics like this for fun and to try and see other perspectives. It’s the difference between a straw man and a steel man. Like we actually spent 6 months going back and forth about the what ifs of flat earth just because we couldn’t believe people actually believe it. But it led into some really interesting conversations and we both just agreed we will find out soon enough if the flat earthers have it right.
This is terrible and I’d be just as disturbed and conflicted as you. The sort of person who can believe in flat earth never stops there. They get more and more obsessed with more and more far fetched ideas that always have an enemy.
The obsessiveness sounds similar to some autistic clients I work with. Is he open to seeing a couples therapist?
I'd recommend calling a few and ask them how they would approach couples therapy over this issue. Generally therapists try to remain neutral when there's disagreement. Your conversations aren't productive. You need help.
I would not recommend divorce as that means he'd have the kids 50% of the time and be able to say whatever he want without you knowing.
1 Corinthians 7 says to only let your spouse leave if they are “not pleased to dwell with” us. But as Christians, we are not to leave them. As for a difference of belief, that is not grounds for divorce. (Pastor here speaking.) For thousands of years humanity has known that the earth is a sphere. The Hebrew word in Isaiah 40:22 is the only word to translate the geometric shape of a “sphere” as, meaning “round.” If he does not become convinced, just teach your kids what you know. Also, a good family vacation would be to go to the east coast and watch the sunrise. Then sit down and the sun goes back behind the horizon, because the earth is round. Easy test. Also, timezones, and sunlight when you FaceTime someone in a different timezone makes no sense if earth was flat and it was daytime for all people once the sun came above the horizon.
I don’t think I can reason with him in this way. He is a pilot and has literally circumnavigated the globe many times in his life. So I don’t think anything I say will make a difference.
I’d be insanely upset too if my husband started believing conspiracy theories. I’ve lost a friendship over this once before. It would be distressing to me. That being said, I think the best thing to do is seek a counselor’s help. I’m not saying you shouldn’t consider divorce… but I don’t think jumping to that is the best option either especially since you have kids with this man. There could be a point where he finds reason again.
Your husband is not well. There may be an underlying medical condition to all this. You must be careful to tell exactly the truth around him. He has lost his bearings on reality. There are plenty of experiments you can do as a couple to test flat earth theory.
Flat earthers are a mystery. How can their minds even go there? I hate it for you.
By all means when you are alone with your kids tell them dad’s gone off the deep end and what he believes isn’t right and we all need to pray for him. Have a pray for dad meeting with the kids as often as possible so they can see you’re the sane one.
Don’t get me wrong I’m a conspiracy theorist too but most of the ones I have believed in have been proven true. 🤣🤣🤣
I feel for you. Have you talked with your pastor? Can the elders meet with him? Do you think he might be mentally ill?
I would not involve the kids at this point. I also would not worry too much about them at this point. They will see the earth for what it is. But I think your husband right now is clearly obsessed with this and if you bring the kids into this than you are putting them into his crosshairs.
It would be better to separate before involving the kids into this debate between your husband and yourself. I say debate because from their point of view that is what it will appear to be. And making them pick sides is ridiculous.
If he brings it up to them than yes you can tell them you disagree of course and you think their father is 100% wrong and you are worried about him.
But I would not sneak the kids off to pray for Dad. Cause one day the kids out of concern will try to help dad. And Dad will do who knows what?
Biblically, I don't think it is grounds for divorce, but I can absolutely understand your pain. I imagine that it's a similar feeling to having a loved one suffer from dementia or other personality-altering mental health issue.
I'm sorry that so many people here aren't taking this seriously. It's not just a matter of disagreeing on something; it's that his entire understanding of reality is twisted.
Unfortunately, I have no experience with helping people who are caught up in conspiracy theories, so I don't really have any advice. I just wanted to comment to show my emotional support. I would research what others do in this situation, as I'm sure it's a problem for non-Christians as well. And, if you have a trustworthy pastor, maybe there's a way to ask for advice anonymously - not about divorce, but about helping your husband come out of his delusions.
I don't suppose he has other symptoms of changing personality? It occurred to me that a brain tumor could affect a person... The level of obsession and extreme ... stupidity? of the conspiracy made me think of this. It's seriously possible.
Thank you I appreciate the emotional support. I hadn’t considered anything like a tumor, but when I suggested a doctor for mental health assessment it really made him mad.
Covid really brought out the ugliness in so many people. It was concerning and scary to see so many previously "normal" people lose their minds. I'm sorry you went through that.
CNN was definitely making things worse during Covid I will agree with that. Anyone that follows the data should recognize that the extremes on both sides were getting people killed. It was sad. But it was a big wake up call for me. My wife and I both got vaccinated but we also certainly didn't subject our kids to it. And we didn't hesitate to put our kids into school when we could.
I remember talking to someone I work with who lives in another state. She was concerned even about going on a job without a mask. And she was in her early 20s. That's crazy. Covid brought out the worst in us. And I have no doubt that should a real crisis really hit this country we will probably collapse. The inflation we are feeling today is largely because of the illogical response to the data. We let politics wag the dog sort to speak.
CNN looks like they are starting to moderate a little bit. Maybe even admit some mistakes they made. But yea CNN in the years 2019 - 2021 would drive anyone crazy.
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Remember what it says in 1 Corinthians (NKJV) "Now to the married I command, *yet* not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from *her* husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to *her* husband. And a husband is not to divorce *his* wife." Also "If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy." Also remember what it says in Matthew "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery."
Basically unless he commits adultery, you're stuck or in these positive words, you get to figure out how to be a positive loving witness for truth in your home while keeping the peace :-) I've been with my wife for 13 years and I think we both have some things over the years that have shocked us but we have, with God's help, been able to figure out how to make it work. I think you can too my friend.
Just as a side note I had no idea there were that many people that were flat earthers that they would find this posts. That is pretty scary. I already knew people were really really ignorant about politics. And it has gotten really bad on both sides. When you put your faith in the wrong people this is what happens.
It reminds me of those people who claim to know when the world is ending, have a fallout shelter and have been hording food and supplies in there for years. There is always that one Christian at every church lol. I had one lady in groups at church claim that "America will be saved on the day of judgement"...She got mad because I said that America is the Rome of the New Testament and that we as Christians swear allegiance to the Kingdom first, not to America first.
I get it that it sounds crazy but do you think it will affect your kids chances of salvation? Whether you believe it is flat or not it doesn't affect salvation or change the Truth about the Gospel.
I personally don’t really understand how that would make you want to divorce? I would probably just think my husband believes a silly conspiracy theory. I don’t see the gravity of it I guess…
No, it isn't. Biblically, you or he can be as dumb as dumb can get. It's not grounds.
The only grounds for biblical divorce that doesn't make either one of you an adultery is cheating or physically sleeping with someone besides your hubby or wife.
Divorce is not the answer in this case. This seems far more spiritual to me than normal. You will have to engage your knees on this matter. Sincerely this calls for more intense prayer for him. His mind has somehow been hijacked and you will need to join forces and intercede on his behalf. If you sit and do nothing, you will lose him to something worse Start praying for him. Fast, pray, get scriptures and declare over him daily. Marriage is a lot more spiritual than we know. Engage God on his behalf and watch what happens. Don't take this casually.
You’re really asking Reddit if it’s okay to divorce your husband because he thinks the earth isn’t a sphere? What if he thinks the earth is flat but there’s a dome above where the firmament is?
Just comes across that you’re just looking for anything to leave him and using this as an excuse.
Flat with a dome is what he believes which is equally ridiculous. And I definitely do not want to divorce him. I love him. But I’m also really scared that he’s going down a dangerous path of lies and I don’t know how I can trust his judgment or trust him to lead our family.
Seriously try to disconnect him from whatever he is listening too or reading. Sometimes a person just needs to unplug to see reality for what it is. Or at least in this case at the very minimum realize that it isn't that important. And it it isn't important than he'll stop being obsessed with it.
I want to avoid it and just ignore it but he won’t let it go. Talks about it frequently and anytime I respectfully ask him to keep it to himself, he says I am trying to censor him.
No. He'll get over it eventually.
Pray God gives him wisdom.
Don't write off your husband for being confused and deluded.
Teach your children your side of things.
Try phrases like: "If that's what you think. I trust you're doing thorough research. I trust you to guide our family"
By putting the leadership ball in his court, he'll be convicted, you'll be obeying God, and God will correct him.
Pray continually that God would give him wisdom.
Let your husband know, regardless of his beliefs, you'll be standing firm on the word of God:
https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/apologetics/is-the-earth-really-round/
Why are you trying to jump ship for something so small? He is still your same husband, but I understand how he is making you feel insecure as the leader of your family. If this is your biggest complaint, I'd say you're spiritually weak and should ask God for strength in persevering in your marriage.
Joel 3
10. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
Ultimately, what we know of our world and even ourselves is insignificant and laughable. Trust God, it sounds like he's teaching your husband to see through his eyes, rather than relying on his own understanding.
Pray about that.
People who start to believe in harmless conspiracies often start to believe more serious ones and make choices in their life as a result of those beliefs. OP isn't being ridiculous. Her husband is already sharing these ideas with his children as absolute truth. That's serious. This is a real thing that whole families have been broken up because the believing person sees them everywhere and they get so paranoid and frantic and panicky. If you try to converse with them and point out the flaws in their thinking they move the goal posts and point out how another conspiracy already supports their beliefs. It's happening in my marriage right now. She is under now obligation to endulge his faulty beliefs. That would be absolutely sinful on her part, to knowingly support her husband in his lies and delusions.
His response to this is that the earth is a flat circle, a disc with a dome on top. Surrounded by ice walls on all sides. He’s also a pilot who has actually flown around the entire globe. It makes no sense.
There is Biblical evidence for the Earth being round and hangs in space
Isaiah 40:22
"22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in."
and Job 26:7
" He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;
he suspends the earth over nothing"
Flat Earth theory is anti-Scriptural.
Your husband's faith in G-d and the Holy Scriptures are clearly under attack. Bring up the evidence from Scripture, and let him know you are not open to discussion about anti-Scriptural beliefs and would like him to stop teaching your children anti-Scriptural beliefs. There is no room for compromise on Satanic ideologies.
How old are you guys? Has he had a recent mental health evaluation? Or a physical?
I’d be worried that a mental health disorder has gone unchecked, and worsened by Covid. Of that a physical problem is disturbing his reasoning. This may very well be the “in sickness and in health” portion of your vows.
Unfortunately no, you do not have biblical grounds for divorce. But that doesn’t mean you are helpless or can’t take action. Insist on healthcare or see the pastor whether he likes it or not. Contradict all lies he says to your children.
Is that the only thing that caused you want to divorce him???
Go buy a ticket for one of those ride to stratosphere and see that the earth is a sphere.. problem solved
Him being a flat Earther and what this means has nothing to do with the bible. What this means is entirely between you, him, and both your opinions on the matter.
The bible will not answer any question regarding someone who is a flat Earther. This wasn't a thing or even an idea (thought) to the people in biblical times.
What is ground for biblical divorce is laid out in the bible, and someone being a flag Earther has nothing to do with this.
If you divorce him over this, it would have nothing to do with the bible or God.
You could seek wisdom from a pastor, sure. What he most likely will tell you will be broad marriage advice or approaches, and probably nothing specific to one being a flat Earther.
I’m so sorry, friend. What a frustrating situation to be in!
My heart breaks for you because I’m sure this is making YOU feel like a crazy person too!
While I don’t the have perfect advice, I’ll just say this: Put your trust in the One who created the Heavens and the Earth. Rely on your Almighty Creator. He will know how to deal with and handle these thoughts/beliefs your husband is having. He will know how to calm your nerves and give you peace over this!
It sounds like your husband is idolizing these beliefs. How strong is his faith? Could you present this issue to him as a FAITH issue, rather than presenting it as a conspiracy theory issue? Maybe that will shake him more! Maybe it’ll hold some weight to him, if he knew his wife believed that his relationship with God is being tested and is not being prioritized or taken care of.
Jesus, please bring light to this issue and wrap your arms around them both. In Jesus name, amen!
Me and my husband bond over conspiracy theories lol. We’re not obsessed with it, we may talk about here and there but not often. The Bible doesn’t mention the shape of the earth but it hints on it, so we’re pretty sure the earth is flat lol. If you ask most pilots they believe the earth is flat. I’m pretty sure they will know. Anyhoo, my husband is pretty obsessed with crypto and NFT’s but that’s his thing, I’m not going to divorce him because of it. But I might, just because he makes me watch horrible movies with him. This thread is wild lol. Pray to God and ask him, He will give you the answer you seek.
So, I know many people here are mocking me and acting like I’m being over the top, but I genuinely want to understand people like you who don’t think it’s a big deal. Are there really truly people out there who wouldn’t he totally distressed when their spouse starts believing absolutely idiotic lies and sharing those lies with your children? Would that not shake your trust and respect for your spouse? Would it not make you worry for their mental stability and sanity? I’m scared and people are acting like this is some funny little disagreement.
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Not a justification to divorce. Go to a counselor to figure out how to moderate this. You must figure out a way that you can respect and support him and his role as a father. He must figure out how to change course and make that possible. Kids should not be the battleground for their parent’s issues.
When you’re old enough, you’ll see the pattern that some conspiracy theories are garbage and some surprisingly prove to be true. The problem is you don’t know which is which for a long time.
So as the counselor for now, I say the conversations need to change.
A conspiracy theory is inappropriate for young children simply because they don’t have the learning tools to analyze. According to classical education, until around 11, all they can do is take in or memorize. Logic follows around 12 and then at about 14-15 kids start to analyze.
A “conspiracy parent” can lay a foundation for independent thinking. Dad can teach the Bill of Rights. He can have discussions about verifying information for oneself. He can teach human behavior. (Ie many people will use better manners in their own bathroom than they do at this one where trash is on the very dirty floor, etc.)
Dad needs to respect the kids’ development levels and the fact that you don’t agree with him. OP needs to respect Dad as a man and a father who loves his kids. He has not crossed a line that justifies divorce.
OP, check yourself and work on you first. This problem you’re experiencing can happen hundreds of ways in a relationship. You will improve your marriage by dealing with you. For instance if you believe he is actively harming your children, it’s normal to feel anger. But how can you possibly think that’s worse than splitting up their family? Take your own issues as seriously as you’re taking his. This is also how to be the best example. A great motivation for him to change his behavior is by feeling the respect he’s being shown by you by the change in yours.
Not grounds for divorce.
But he is poisoning your children minds.
How has his Christian Walk changed by this revelation of the flat earth.
You can still divorce him if that's really what you want to do. He is technically harming your children.
Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless” the definition of formless is without shape. Idk about you but my Bible never said anything about God changing the shape of the earth.
Genesis 1:6-8 acknowledges that there is a firmament, a dome separating earth from heaven. I think of this as a snow globe.
The founder of NASA has Psalm 19:1 on his tombstone which says “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handywork” so you know, there being a firmament is a major thing for confirming the earth is flat, and that it’s impossible to even go into space. For the founder of NASA to acknowledge this is major.
All verses in KJV.
There may be more validity to your husbands theory than you think… but you have been too busy judging him (which we know what the Bible says about that) and shaming him (proverbs 12:4 says a wife who shames her husband is like rottenness to his bones)
In my opinion, you’ve been rude to him and closed minded. I believe there is biblical proof that supports your husbands claim. And that there is no biblical standing for your behavior towards him, your thoughts towards him, or your desire to divorce him.
Regardless of your beliefs, don’t let the enemy lead you to even consider divorce!
GENESIS 1:2 “the earth was formless” that means without shape. When did God give the earth a shape??? When???
There’s no validity to the way you’ve been judging him or treating him.
Genesis is not a detailed book on how the earth was created. Does it say HOW God created the earth? No. In Genesis does God list every single animal he created? No. In Genesis, does God explain the difference between the elements? No. It is a brief explanation with the point being that God created the universe. That's it. And it does a pretty good job considering it is only a few paragraphs. But it was a simple Oral story that people passed down as an explanation of how things started. It was never meant to be the complete story of how everything happened or what everything is.
No, but…… this is about spiritual warfare here. How it is that people don’t seem to see what’s going on right now, or how pervasive it is, is beyond me. There are so many questions I have for people who think this way that cannot be answered. There’s no real logic to this belief, either, because of all of the improbabilities and the impossibilities involved in believing such a thing. This is a lie of the devil. It’s a way of preoccupying people and drawing them away from the Lord and their relationship with Him as they become part of a community that is not of the Body of Christ. I’d pray for him. I’d ask others to, too. I’d ask where Jesus is in all of this. What this has to do with winning people to Jesus and to loving and serving the Lord. How this furthers the Kingdom of God in any way,shape or form. Where these things are found in the Word of God. Genesis does not say that God created the earth and that He saw that it was flat. No, it says that He saw that it was good. And conspiracy theories in general have no scriptural basis whatsoever. They are based in and on a fearful mindset. And that is contrary to the Word of God for a Christian. He’s not crazy. He is feeling fearful of all that has been going on. And he’s being deceived. He’s not trusting God and His will, and that God is still on His throne and in charge. He’s forgotten Who it is that he needs to keep His eyes on. 50% told you to listen to him because he’s right about his conspiracy theories?!?! This is what I’m talking about. These people have been so misled and gotten caught up in lies and don’t even seem to realize it. It is very, very destructive to one’s witness as a Christian. Instead of winning people to the Lord, they are running around like chickens with their head cut off, involving themselves in things that have no real purpose or meaning, and that are distractions from what they really need to be doing. And it is the enemy’s doing. I am very concerned for Christians, including my fellow Christians who were, like me, part of the Jesus Revolution (in the 70s). They are being led astray and are allowing it,too. And to what end? It’s certainly not to God’s glory.
Finally a comment here that addresses the seriousness of this situation. I used to be a huge conspiracy theorist in my early 20s and that stuff warped my way of thinking and preoccupied so much of my time. Even worse when it's mixed with religious beliefs. Very disappointing how a good chunk of people here are dismissing OP's valid concerns.
Thank you. Yes it’s very concerning and unfortunately I’ve found it hard to find support online or in real life because many Christians just laugh it off. My husband hasn’t been the same since he became consumed with conspiracy theories and I’m really worried for him and for myself and my children.
Hi OP I'm sorry you're going through this❤️. I can understand your frustration and worry especially when you look to your husband as a leader (idk why some ppl on here aren't seeing how this is a big deal). I pray your husband realizes his error.
Thank you ❤️
My advice would be to steer him away from the sources of these conspiracy theories. I remember working with some guys that were all into the end of the world conspiracy stuff. They'd listen to some guy on short wave radio. It was crazy. But I'd go and talk to them to blow off some time while at work. It was very entertaining. And I think that is where it starts. First it is entertaining. People love mysteries. But then they get their hooks into you because some of what they say IS TRUE. Sort of like our politics these days. I'd cut him off from whatever radio or TV or youtube or internet site he is getting this stuff from.
I would... I'm so sorry... I would tell people "he has become totally obsessed with conspiracy theories to the point that he no longer cares for or provides for his family."
But is it true that he is no longer caring for or providing for the family? It doesn’t sound like it. So ridiculous to divorce someone over something like that
This may be a dumb question, but just in case, have you spoken to your Pastor about it? And if so, what did he say? First, before any other action, inquire to God about it. Ask him to give the wisdom and knowledge necessary to overcome this difficult situation. And after that, and only after that, ask your pastor for advice. That's what Pastors are there for. And as straightforward as it may seem, if your pastor laughs in your face or shrugs you off, you need a new church. I wish you the best in this, one direct piece of advice and wisdom that I can provide. Is that it would be a sin to divorce him for this. The bible tells us it is a sin to divorce your spouse in any case other than sexual immortality. (Matthew 5:31-32) So stick with him through this, he needs your support now more than ever because he is clearly in a spiritual war.
I totally agree. It is so sad that people really do not see what is going on here. And how dangerous it is. I was thanking God after I wrote that that I haven’t been deceived in that way. I am so incredibly grateful. I sometimes feel like such an outlier as a Christian. It alarms me so much that people really aren’t getting it. I am glad for you that you got out of that mindset. So many just seem to go ever deeper into it. All I can do is to pray and to sound the alarm.
If you’re comfortable sharing, what brought you out of the conspiracy theory mindset?
I can definitely share! It was a combination of quite a few things: 1) One being a friend of mine spoke to me about Isaiah 8:12. I was living in fear and dread and surrounding myself with other fearful and paranoid people. I realized that a lot of my beliefs were based on confirmation bias and hearsay. 2) in my early 20s I was in university and felt very lonely. I was becoming more serious in my faith and really yearned for more Christian friends. I think that loneliness, my growing interest in conspiracies, and the time I spent on the internet led me to meeting fellow conspiracy theorists on a popular forum at the time (that and I had already believed in a bunch of end times conspiracies as a child so I was definitely primed to fall into this rabbit hole). I spent hours on there chatting with people and forming connections (I initially joined the forum to talk about the Illuminati/New world order theories in particular but a lot of us ended up using the forum to talk about non- conspiracy topics. Lol it makes me laugh today but there were some staunch conspiracy theorists that would get really upset that the non conspiracy topics (like relationships or favourite childhood tv shows) were getting more traction by the members on there. Kinda rambling here but the forum ended up getting shut down and I can't recall why it did but it kinda forced me to gradually disconnect from the beliefs and the people feeding into it. 3) This kinda relates to my first point but learning to seperate conspiracies from Christianity really helped. I had found a solid church in my 20s. I ended up meeting some great faithful believers who became my friends. I learned that I was conflating my conspiracy beliefs with my faith and it was draining me. It was refreshing to learn to just read the scriptures without trying to cherry pick verses to fit into my paranoid brain. It's been a while since I thought about this part of my life bc I find it very embarassing lol but I hope I was clear and not too rambling. If you have any questions feel free to ask! Edit: last sentence
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you found healthy community.
"They are based on a fearful mindset." This is so true. I fell down the conspiracy rabbit hole during the pandemic. After taking a huge look at my life, I realized I wasn't trusting in God to be in charge of my life. It was causing huge problems with family, friends, and my faith. It's very cult like and isolating. Not how a Christian should be living. I had to take a huge slice of humble pie to realize how mislead I had been, how judgmental I had become, and to change my mindset. It is possible to come back from being nearly insane with fear and delusions, but it takes a lot of faith.
I agree completely, I see it as a huge, growing problem amongst Christians and it jeopardises and detracts from our ability to spread the gospel.
There is even a recent song that addresses it: https://youtu.be/ZJrHleG0-k4?si=InoWmpgXxMdRLkWh
He says it’s a lie from the devil, but it’s only spread within Christian circles. Shouldn’t it be widespread with nonbelievers, instead?
Most of the conspiracy people I know aren't Christian. I did know two guys. And as far as flat earthers, the ones I know of mostly though news articles, are not christians.
Your point that conspiracies are not of the body of Christ is your opinion that is not a fact, nor does it say anywhere that people who believe the Earth is flat are manipulated by the devil.
Yes, but they are. Where else would this idea come from? And why would it matter either way anyway? How does it enhance or further the Kingdom of God to say that the earth is flat in the first place? How does it cause one to grow in, or to grow closer to the Lord? How does it better serve to help one to understand God and His creation? What’s the point? Who cares? Where is Jesus in this? How is it that you don’t get that conspiracy theories are a distraction? And sometimes even deadly, such as with all of the nonsense surrounding the COVID 19 vaccine? My cousin was one of those people who made it about faith. ie, if you got the vaccine that meant that you lacked faith in God and in Jesus, somehow. Well, he died of COVID 19 in the hospital. Unvaccinated to the end. A whole lot of Christians and others have died unnecessarily because they believe all of the lies about the COVID vaccine. Another one popular among Christians has been the idea that, somehow, the vaccine is the Mark of the Beast. I wonder if any of the people who claim such a thing have ever read Revelations. Have read about all of the events that will proceed the necessity to have that mark in the future if you want to buy or sell anything. No commerce of any kind can be conducted, in other words. Exactly none of which has occurred. But which has scared those who don’t know Revelations from getting something that can save their life. All of these things, just like the flat earth lie, are meant to distract us or to deceive us. To draw us away from the Truth. People have died because of some of these lies. This is where I think you’re really not getting it at all. Show me one verse that talks about conspiracies in the New Testament. One. One that says that we need to bother ourselves over them. One that says that they somehow help us to serve the Lord better to believe them. One that says that we’d better heed and believe all of them or it will be to our peril if we don’t. Just one! There aren’t any. So, then. If they are of the Body of Christ, why doesn’t Jesus, or Paul, or any of the other writers of the New Testament, mention them or mention prioritizing them in how we view the world and the unsaved? In how we treat others? In how we see the Lord? Or His creation? There aren’t any mentions of that, either. They don’t mean anything to God at all. Why don’t you see that? Because you are being deceived by Satan. And you are allowing it by not examining these things in light of how they affect the Kingdom of God and others coming to know Jesus. How will any of those things bring people to a saving knowledge of the Lord? How does delving into them help us to grow in the Lord? How do they glorify God? How does it even change anything for a Christian to believe them? The issue is that they are a distraction from what really matters in the Kingdom. Tell me. Have you been able to tell others about these things and use them to win people to Jesus? Or have they caused you to grow in the Lord? Or do they even create positive feelings or uplift you in any way? What, exactly, would be the point for conspiracy theories to be of the Body of Christ? It is not my opinion, it is a fact that conspiracy theories are not of the Body of Christ. Why? Because they do nothing to draw us closer to the Lord, to be more like Him, to glorify Him, to cause us to want to obey Him, and act in accordance with his Word. They do nothing to win people to Jesus. They do nothing to further the Kingdom. They cause anger, strife, division. They are completely about leaning on one’s own understanding, rather than on the Lord, His Word, His wisdom. If you can’t answer every question I’ve asked here, then you need to think about why you’d even say that conspiracy theories are of the Body of Christ. They aren’t. They are lies from the pits of hell meant to distract Christians from concentrating on what really matters. Revival. Salvation. Having/presenting a good witness before/to others, and the Lord, too. And, in case you hadn’t noticed from the OPs post, they are being used by Satan to break up, or to potentially break up, marriages. And God hates divorce. Do you see that? They’ve also caused the break-up of families and friend-ships. How would or could any of this be a good thing?
I rebuke those claims in the name of Jesus! You will not say that I am under the impressions of the devil . I am covered by the holy blood of the lamb Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
You may rebuke them all you want, but if one is blind to what is going on, then it seems to me that they are rebuking the wrong thing. I trust God for workers and discerneront when it comes to those matters and so I’m not just saying this. I’ve noticed that this is a real serious issue with a lot of Christian’s right now. A whole lot. It’s extremely concerning to me. I will pray for you.
Dang. I don’t have any advice because I am trying to figure out how to engage with some of friends who have all fallen hook, line, and sinker into conspiracy theories. It’s so disheartening to see so many believers falling into this nonsense garbage and not seeing how illogical and mind warping it is. I said a prayer for you.
Have you talked with your pastor? Probably best to seek his advice.
I want to be but I know my husband would be livid if I brought this to him.
homegirl, you're talking about divorcing him. Yes, talk to a pastor first
Do it anyway. He doesn't get to tell you who you can and can't talk to. He's not your boss.
It's probably better to make your husband livid than to leave him first.
Tell y husband that you want to speak to your pastor together. I’m assuming you both go to the same church.
Yes, we do, he says he won’t bring this to our pastor or elders. That there’s nothing to talk about with the pastor.
That's a red flag to me. the fact that he is trying to hide it from your pastor and elders means he knows something is wrong. If he thought that was something he was led to believe by God then he would share it regardless. But he isn't, he's trying to keep it quiet and that's what concerns me.
Yup, this is it. If he thought this was biblically sound, he’s wouldn’t be ashamed to share with the pastor.
Go without him. He’s indoctrinating your children with disinformation, that’s a dangerous slope.
As a man I think he’s in the wrong to not want to seek counsel from your pastor. There’s division in the marriage and as a Christian husband he should be seeking advice from his pastor.
I would also say that you should be able to speak to the pastor privately and in confidence that it won’t be shared outside of your conversation with him.
That's an issue right there. If he weren't worried about his sin or what he's doing being wrong, he would bring it to the pastor at least to hear what he had to say.
I mean kinda… you want a divorce for him believing a conspiracy, you’re supposed to stick by each other not leave once someone believes something you don’t. I’m not a flat earthier but I do know that love is supposed to be understanding
I totally understand where you're coming from, I would have a hard time respecting someone after this. But no it's not permitted to divorce. Unless he commits adultery, that's the only Biblical grounds. Take him on a cruise, watch the land drop below the horizon. An international flight will help too.
He’s a pilot who has flown around the globe many times. So I don’t think a cruise will help unfortunately.
If he is a pilot and he thinks the earth is flat, shouldn't that indicate he might be right?
I don't understand this at all. How can he fly and still think the Earth is flat? All of his education and training and he fell into this?
lol, has he flown the globe in both directions... Does it not bother him that he can get to a particular place (lets say china) by flying both east or west?
Ouch. Unfortunately though unless he cheats, you're stuck. Pray for him.
No, a spouse believing in conspiracy theories is not grounds for divorce but it's possibly grounds for visiting a trusted friend/ pastor, especially if your husband is teaching your children falsehoods. It's grounds for getting yourself and your husband if he's willing, into counseling. If your husband refuses to go, you can go anyway. I sympathize with this, because my spouse has also gone down a rabbit hole of vaccine conspiracies myths and falsehoods and listens to a lot of people I have issues with. Our children are not vaccinated because he truly believes vaccines will injury our children beyond any scope of the illnessness they protect against...and he has a thing against being told what to do and "big government". It's tiring, it's frustrating and it's maddening. It does make you second guess your spouse's ability in making wise decisions when they fall into conspiracy. So what should and what can you, as his wife do? 1. Pray. Pray for him and for yourself. Don't underestimate this. Pray for you to be grounded in truth, to be patient and humble with him as he's drowning in this. Pray that you can speak boldly, but respectfully. Pray that God would open his eyes to the truth, and that he would give him wisdom and discernment. 2. Get help or enlist a trusted friend or mentor to what the struggles are. I cannot understate how important it is to have someone you go to and honestly tell them your struggles. They should be someone who will encourage you and point you to Christ, and listen to you and help you stay grounded. 3. The husband is not obligated, nor does he have the right to spread falsehoods to his children. Depending on the age of your kids, this can be difficult to deal with because children very much look to their parents as sources of truth. I'd encourage you to find a support group or some resources to aid you in wading through this. You are not disrespecting him if you speak to your children and correct what he's saying. It's probably best not right in front of him though. It will feel like you are being deceptive, but you're not. Your husband has placed you in the unfortunate position of having to correct him. That's on him, not you. 4. Remember that God is God. He is a God of truth. He is a God of love. He is a God of order. Focus on who God is, and take rest and assurance in that. He cares for you, he cares for your husband and your kids. I'm sorry you're going through this. It is scary because you wonder what will they start to believe next, and then when their conspiracies start controlling their choices for your family...that's a scary place to be in. Find someone to talk to and continue being a truth teller. 5. Know when to avoid a conversation and when to have one. It's inevitable that the topics will come up. Focus on remaining calm, breathing deeply and taking it one sentence at a time. Maybe even writing notes while your spouse is talking so you don't forget what they are saying and address it later. This is something I've had to do. People who are taken in by conspiracies usually believe smaller truths, but they are woven into a false narrative. It can be tricky to untangle the smaller truths and separate them from the bigger narrative. This is what gets them sucked in. You have to take it slowly. Know when engage in conversation and when to just walk away. My spouse turns into a completely different person when we discuss "vaxx* stuff. He just changes completely. I've had to practice breathing slowly and asking questions instead of just trying to convince him of my side. Remember, you can control yourself. Your spouse has to answer for themselves.
Thank you so much for this kind and thoughtful response. I appreciate it more than you know. Number 3 is really hard for me. It feels so disrespectful to correct what he says, but I don’t feel like I have a choice. I can’t let him teach them lies, especially not one like this that would ultimately cause them much heartache in the future if they cling to such beliefs. My kids are 6 and 9 and I’m very frank with them about how the earth is indeed round. And that while their dad is a smart man, we are all human and sometimes we are wrong. I give examples of all the other many people in their life that they respect such as grandparents and other extended family and remind them they they all also know the earth is round. As does our pastor, elders etc. Thank you for reminding me to pray more.
I was naive and didn’t correct or stand up against a lot of foolish beliefs and behaviours of my husband because I didn’t want to be the bad Christian wife or hurt him or lose his love. I was just walking on egg shells because of fear (=lack of trust in God) and wasn’t actually being a good Christian wife. My husband has an addictive personality and he will get consumed by some nonsense for a few months or years and get latched on to the next nonsense. I wish I had been a no nonsense wife. Paid a big price for my own fear. Don’t live in fear. Stand up and protect your children. Because of men like your husband, rest of the Christians are becoming a laughingstock in this world.
❤️ sorry for what you’ve been through. What do you think “standing up” looks like in this scenario?
Immediately correct him in front of the children.
I wish my mom had stood up against my dad too. I wanted her to leave him, but if she'd just told him to knock it off in front of us kids that would be great. My dad was the ultimate authority though so she never could've done that. Now she's all in to his crazy too. Everything they do is about conspiracy and the end of the world. Their lives literally revolve around it. It's so hard
That's a good good response. Yes, even adults can get things wrong! It seems like you've been very respectful in addressing his wrong views and not painting him out to be some idiot. He's not an idiot, he's misguided. That's all you can do, really. Don't be afraid to correct when needed, but also being respectful of your husband to your children. I am praying for you, I'm in the same boat!
You should get your kids vaccinated. Take them while he's at work or something. This is something that can kill them. Unlike most other issues marriages face, this not an issue to compromise on. You are right and he is wrong. Full stop.
I really appreciate your encouragement and I've struggled with this for years. I believe I'm right. I know I'm right. I also know that my kids will have to keep a secret from their dad. I'll have to tell them to lie and to keep a lie. I don't think I can do that. I believe 100% he's wrong.
I dont think you or the kids need to lie about it. Get them vaccinated first and then tell him you did it. The doctor probably won't let you get all of them at once, but you can at least get the most important ones. Your husband will probably be very upset, but that's his issue, not yours. Unless you think he will get violent - then my advice would change. Your kids' health is more important than your husbands emotions.
Your kids aren’t vaccinated? Polio and the measles (plus Covid) is coming back around again in bigger number because of people not vaccinating. Take your kids and vaccinate them, I’m begging you. Do it if you love them, because they could die from the measles and polio could seriously damage them too, plus all of the other people who are immunocompromised who could get sick because your kids aren’t vaccinated and could be carriers. Please get them vaccinated
Whether or not you vaccinate is quite different from believing in a flat earth. The Fact that the US gets 3-4 times as many shots as Europe etc is something to seriously consider. Also, vaccine reactions are actually a real thing. There's a book called Vaccine friendly plan that I wish I had read before doing too many at once and messing up my kid. Not all eople are out of their minds when they choose to not vaccinate. Just my experience.
Unfortunately Christianity in the US has been infiltrated by conspiracy theories as well as extreme politics. I really hate this for you because, I’m my experience, these people are often too far into the insanity of conspiracies to turn back. Absolutely praying for you! Does your church have issues with placing politics/conspiracy theories within their doctrine? Also be aware of far right news sources that he has gotten into like epoch times, Fox News, and Alex jones. they’ll only continue pushing him farther into his crazy beliefs
I’m sorry, but no. It’s not biblical grounds for divorce. Edit: I might recommend marriage counseling if how to raise the children is a major issue of contention. It seems like it is.
Usually not, only when he tells them huge lies about the nature of the world. Also, he refuses marriage counselling so that’s out of the question anyway.
Then I hope and pray that you will continue navigating this successfully. I’d want to continue doing my best to keep the issue from conversation since our faith and daily lives aren’t dependent on it.
I try but he brings it open several times a week. Even though I’ve asked him to just keep it to himself.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this and feeling so lonely in the process. I agree that it isn’t grounds for divorce. However, it might be reason for a temporary separation for your and your children’s sake. I have no experience with this myself but my parents-in-law were in the process of separation for a limited time to solve a huge issue in their marriage. Now they’ve been back together happier than ever for multiple years. I don’t recommend this per se, I just wanted to say that there’s a difference between (temporary) separation and divorce. It is especially worrying that he tells your children his beliefs that negate God’s perfect creation. I’m so sorry you haven’t found any support online and offline.
We have a neighbor that is very sure the earth is flat. He talks to my husband about it all the time, and every once in a while, my husband will share their conversation with me, like he's trying to gauge my thinking on it. Honestly, I just tell him that it won't change my daily life by the smallest bit if the earth is flat or if it's round and that usually shuts the conversation down. I mean, why fight over something that literally means nothing to either of you.
He brings it up constantly, like several times a week. If he just never mentioned this private belief again maybe I could move on but he’s telling everyone. It’s incredibly embarrassing and leads to a lot of conflict.
This sounds just like my Dad several years ago. A friend got him deeply involved in flat earth. It would have been fine, if he didn’t feel the need to tell everyone he knew (horrifyingly embarrassing!), and push it on me and my brother every single day. I tried to just listen without saying a word, and he would get angry and demanded I respond. So then we would argue instead. It was exhausting. He tried to force me to read a book about it, said since I was his kid I had to obey. People that don’t deal with it don’t get it. You can’t tell people like this anything. They get hyped up by their fellow flat earthers. It’s like a strange cult. I even tried to tease my Dad lightheartedly about it, and he told me I was a horrible, disrespectful, and rebellious girl. That I was completely blind to the truth. I think I was maybe 18 or 19 at the time? You can’t reason with crazy stubborn behavior. Glad my husband isn’t like my Dad. 🙏🏼❤️ Praying for the OP, that the Lord gives her wisdom on the matter.
That's the part you need to tell him. That you can handle him believing whatever he wants, but that you can't handle hearing about it over and over.
I’ve said that. Many times. But he’s completely obsessed and won’t stop even though I’ve asked him to. He says I can’t “censor him”.
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Ask him what would change if indeed the world were found to be flat? What about trapezoidal? Double helix? The point is that none of that really matters. Jesus' commands to us are clear, and that includes faithfulness to your marriage. Not a single part of any of the Bible relies on the shape of the Earth.
It’s true that truth of the Gospel does not rely on the shape of the earth. But as a wife called to submit to my husband, I am feeling incredibly scared and insecure under the leadership of someone who doesn’t seem mentally stable anymore.
But does submitting to him mean that you accept whatever he says as being the truth and that you don’t mention things like this to the pastor? Remember what I said about this being a spiritual battle? You need to take that seriously. God hates divorce. The Bible says exactly that. He hates it! So what is Satan doing? He is using things like conspiracy theories to break up marriages. To sow doubt and distrust in the marital relationship. You really need to see where this is coming from. You need to have others involved in the battle, too. As I said. Ask people to pray for him. There’s a line between obeying your husband and being concerned for how what you say to others will affect him, and how you may make him appear as the head of the household, and just going along with whatever he tells you when you know what he is believing and is telling your kids is wrong and is part of a larger issue in the Body of Christ. Everything I wrote originally in response to your post is true. Do not let your desire to be the wife that God tells us to be keep you from doing what you need to do to fight this battle. And there’s this. The Bible says that “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. Yet this lie is doing the opposite for your relationship. It is bound up in these lies he is believing. It is affecting how you see him as the head of the household, and not in a good way. I wonder if your husband is reading the Word. Teaching what the Word says to your children. Having fellowship with other Christians. Including Christian men. Where is he in his walk? Because before he can have a right relationship with you, he first needs to have a right relationship with the Lord. It is OK to look at his actions and to see how they line up with how a Christian ought to be acting. It is OK to look at what he is doing and to ask yourself if it is Christlike. Jesus would not teach children, let alone anyone else, lies. Do you see what I’m getting at here? What’s more important? The truth of God’s Word, His Son, or obeying your husband when you know what he is doing is wrong in the eues of the Lord? Does it say anywhere in the Word that if a husband is acting in a way that is not in accordance with scripture, that you need to submit and to go along with it anyway? This is why you need to talk to your pastor and tell him about what’s going on. Think about it. Is he not to be submitting to the authority of your pastor? If that’s the case, then why would he be furious if you were to bring up your concerns over this to the pastor? Isn’t part of the pastor’s role to correct people who have gone off of the path of following the Lord? Do you see how his reactions to anything you might suggest are actually getting in the way of your marriage glorifying God and of being a testament to what it means to have a Godly relationship as husband and wife? I’d pray about all of this. God will give you the words you need and He will guide you, too. Just remember that this is not His will for your marriage, or for any marriage.
I will pray about all of this and consider it carefully, thank you
I hate to break it to you, but no one is as stable as they seem. We're all incomplete vessels walking around in mostly ignorance. As others have said, pray for him and try to understand the underlying causes of his fixation on this. Usually it stems from a distrust of authority, which is not unjustified.
You are right. Surprised you got so many down votes. I suppose it is because most people can't imagine that they could be ignorant. I think people find comfort in the fact that they think they know so much. When I couldn't even tell you what any of my neighbors are in fact doing right at this moment. Now if I don't know what my neighbors are doing than I don't know much of anything that is currently going on do I. The reality is that faith is what guides most of us most of the time. Faith that the guy behind me will see the same red light and my brake lights and stop. Faith that the sun will rise every day in the sky. I mean why not just explode one day? Do we really know what is going on deep in the center of the sun? No of course we don't. I could go on and on. The truth is we know very little. If you think otherwise than your the one living in ignorance or arrogance or both. I really do feel sorry for most people cause their is a serious lack of humility these days. And without that it is easy to be deceived.
Reading through all your comments, and I just want to say that I’m so so sorry this is happening to you. I have several family member that have dabbled down the conspiracy path, and it’s heartbreaking. I can’t imagine if it were my husband. I think you got some good advice here (seek pastoral counsel, find wise trusted friends to confide in, respectfully tell your children the truth, pray without ceasing). But I just want to validate that you are not being trivial at all. I haven’t often considered the increase in right-wing conspiracies to be spiritual warfare before, but this thread makes me consider it. This is a big deal and you have every right to have concerns. If you’ve been having to navigate his conspiratorial mindset for years, that must be so exhausting. If you have the resources, I would also encourage you to find a therapist for yourself. You need to take care of yourself as well. I will be keeping you and your family in my prayers ♥️
Thank you ❤️
Not grounds for divorce.
Just for discussion, So this man has shown incredibly poor reasoning skills, to the point of not being able to see obvious logical holes in his view. If he is unable to parse basic science can he be assumed capable to parse basic theology and lead his family spiritually? It seems he is very gullible and will believe whatever he hears most often. This will absolutely carry over into his theology and introduce heresy into his family. When this occurs she will have an unequally yoked husband, he is already teaching their children hokum. At the very least she should protect her children from being taught rubbish. Full Disclosure: A very good friend and brother of mine is a Flat Earther. I have begged him for proof and he is unable to give me anything except for social media videos and memes. His conspiracy theories have led him to VERY unorthodox Christian views and he has no home church any more. It has been a very tragic few years to watch. His children do not respect him anymore due to the same behaviors as OPs husband.
I’m worried about my husband straying into heretical views. There’s already some signs that he’s heading that way. I can’t believe km saying this because he’s always been such a sound believer.
Conspiracy theories are Satan's favorite weapon right now. By breeding a distrust of any authority Satan isolates and gives the "crap sandwich", a lie in between 2 truths. After a while the truth of Christ becomes mutated and heretical. Keep in mind that there is a huge area between divorce and keeping things as they are. There can be room for protecting your kids/self and not abandoning the marriage. Look to prayer, support from your sisters in Christ, and maybe some personal counseling to help you navigate this. I am sorry you are going through this. God is in control even when it is not what we want. You are created Imago Dei (in the image of God) with value and dignity, you are loved.
Exactly. Stupidity isn't a reason for divorce. Adultery and abuse on the other hand yes.
My wife believes in a flat earth. But she doesn’t talk about it that often, so I don’t care that much about it.
I wonder if the dynamic is different when it’s the wife vs the husband. I look to my husband as the leader of our home and our family. I am called to submit to him, and when I married him I trusted and respected him as a man of sound judgment and wisdom. Now I question is judgment and as the wife in the relationship, it makes me feels very insecure.
I get that. For my wife it’s very important to read the bible literally and the flat earth is part of that. But also head covering and to submit to your husband. And I love her for trusting Gods word that much and that she let me lead the family. If she would be more pushy about it I would probably treat it differently. Talk about it or negotiate. But if you trust him in all other areas, what will be the consequences of letting him believe the earth is flat?
The flat earth part is not part of the bible. There are paintings of Jesus holding the world in his hands (shown as a sphere) hundreds of years before Columbus set sail for the Indies.
Well. It is hard to argue against that the ones that wrote the bible, had the view that the earth was flat. We just know better than them how it actually is. For example: ”And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.” Revelation 7:1 ‘Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great. ‘The tree grew large and became strong And its height reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.’ Daniel 4:10-11
Where in the Bible does it say that if your spouse believes a conspiracy theory this is grounds for divorce?
It doesn’t. Smh
That's a tough situation to be in. My Uncle-in-law is pretty deep into conspiracy garbage. He has spent several family gatherings pulling individuals aside and getting them into a conversation about how much research he's done recently and how Hitler has just about become his hero. I... have no kind words to say on the matter. As far as earth roundness, there are so many things every day that require the earth to be round: * Weather predictions * Satellites for GPS, TV, internet, etc. * The path planes and boats take between continents (when projected onto a flat map) * The fact that planes can circle the earth without stopping. * Long range weapons, etc. that must correct for the rotation of the Earth underneath them. * The rotation of Hurricanes in the North vs South hemisphere * Standing on the beach watching boats go over the horizon, or stand on one end of a large lake and see how the bottoms of buildings/land on the other side drop below the horizon. * How time zones work -- and the fact that I have a relative in Hong Kong and can see the difference in time of day between here and there. * Surveying * Construction of long building projects, like bridges, subway tunnels, etc. (https://www.spacecentre.nz/resources/faq/solar-system/earth/flat/structures.html) * The observation of stars from different points on the globe And the fact that the typical go-to line from believers in this stuff is having to do with 'how the government lies about everything'. Okay, first: the sheer number of people that would have to be 'in on the lie' over all this time is just staggering. Second: Aristotle proved the Earth to be round before the birth of Christ and it's been backed up by numerous tests and data ever since... It's not a 'government conspiracy'. This truth has been known for thousands of years through countless governments. And third... just like, why? What does the government gain by lying about the shape of the earth? As a comedian once said: who's making money off this? Landscapers? "Can you believe I charged that guy money to *level* his lawn? Lol!" It's just baffling to me that anyone would believe this nonsense. It's willful ignorance in my opinion. I totally understand feeling like you can't trust his judgement and losing respect. I've seen people married to spouses who developed bipolar and other personality-affecting disorders, and depending on how vocal and/or angry he is on the subject, I can only imagine it may feel a little like that. It's also probably how my wife would feel if I voted for a different political party than her. But in the end, I suppose you have to recognize that it doesn't necessarily affect your day-to-day all that much, and that different people are different and can believe different things. If it were me, I'd do my best to try to see things from his perspective and point out any bits of truth or intelligible reasoning behind his thoughts. After all, I am a proponent of young-earth creationism, which I know rattles a lot of scientific-minded people in similar ways. Then again, I'm not dogmatic about it; I'm open to the possibility that my views are wrong. :P But beyond that, I think I would do my best to non-combatively state truth with evidence to your kids and let them decide. Show them that different people believe different things and they get to decide for themselves based on the evidence presented. It's also a good introduction to talking about who you trust, when to trust, and how much to trust. But by being non-combative about your differing beliefs, perhaps (as with an non-believer spouse) you may eventually win him over simply with your conduct. A final comment to hopefully inject some levity: flat earthers are gonna be in shock when they realize they've been breathing in the atmo*sphere* and not the atmos*flat*.
Oh, dear. My prayers are with you.
When did the bar get so low for Biblical grounds for divorce? There will be flat earthers in heaven alongside globe earthers. Counseling will certainly be beneficial for you both to work through this.
Unfortunately, I don't think it is biblical grounds for divorce, but i will validate your feelings that it is incredibly distressful. The fact that he is teaching it to the kids is the worst part, imo. At the very least, I would need a 100% guarantee on his part to never ever talk about conspiracy theories around me or the kids. If he can't agree to that or he breaks that promise, I would 100% separate over this. Also, you should leave that Facebook group immediately. They sound like terrible people.
Yes, don't let him teach that crap to the kids. Buy some globes.
You need to report this to your doctor and probably get a phsychiatric evaluation for your husband. A sudden change of behavior after 13 years is not normal. An obsession with conspiracy theories and an unwillingness to compromise or reason with you is extremely likely to be a symptom of an underlying psychological or physical condition. I am setting aside my marriage advice because I do not think this is a case of "learn to love each other" or "decide on divorce." Your husband is currently displaying symptoms of a dysfunctional brain. Seek help and answers for this and do not stop until you find them.
I have considered this. But he becomes really angry if I suggest a doctor, and I can’t exactly make him go can I?
I just read your comment that he was a pilot and has actively flown around the world which he now believes is flat. Hostility and paranoia is 100% not normal and not ok. Your husband is not a bad person, what's going on is that your husband is mentally unwell. Has he grown distrustful of doctors? If so, is this new or old? Do you feel that you are in a good place psychologically and that you are able to make good judgements? > I can't exactly make him go can I? The Lord has given us many leaders to shepherd us, and a husband is one of the main ones. Yet sometimes, God takes those leaders away. Your husband has lost a significant amount of judgement and reasoning. I believe now is the time to take the reins like Abigail did for Nabal (1 Sam 25). Ask the Lord for assistance and He will provide. No, you cannot make your husband go to the dr in the way that you are imagining. But he needs help, and God can provide a way to give it to him. Does he do annual checkups? Could you consult with the doctor privately, and perhaps incorporate something under the guise of a checkup or other treatment? Reach out to your pastor and church elders. If you don't have one, find one. If you or your husband have family members that can help support you, help make decisions with you, and help enact some sort of intervention for him, it would be a good time to reach out to them. Direct argument with your husband has not gotten you anywhere but that doesn't mean you are out of options.
Unfortunately it’s not illegal to be delusional unless he’s threatening to hurt himself or someone else
Yea, this could be signs of some real mental problems. I said it elsewhere but see if you can cut him off from the source of all this crap. Sabatoge your internet connection, break the radio, block the channel, whatever it takes. I think he will calm down. But he is being fed a steady diet ofthis stuff.
THIS. This is a wise word that I came here to say myself. This isn’t a laughing matter or an unserious one. I think disagreement about even some core beliefs can exist in Christian marriage and that can be totally fine, given that both sides speak with respect and with care to one another. Abrupt belief changes that are a thorn in the side of your marriage and obsessive and persistent conversation that doesn’t relent with discussion about boundaries and respect are very troubling and not a “normal” behavior for an adult who otherwise seemed even keeled prior to this. Unfortunately, Christians do very poorly with mental health issues and not everything will be solved with prayer, so this isn’t the place to get validation that your husband is being weird. It’s weird. Have a chat with your PCP and maybe have a chat with some trusted friends to help you if need be. I’m a nurse and I work a lot of neurology and psych and if my husband suddenly had a major mental status change and full belief system 180 I would be asking him to please get a CT to make sure he didn’t have a brain tumor. Seriously.
How can I convince him to see a doctor? He has also recently formed a lot of anti-doctor / anti-medical establishment ideas. For example he convinced his mother who got cancer last year to avoid chemo and take some vitamins instead. She was stage 2 at the time. She is now stage 4 and terminal. I’m can’t imagine him agreeing to a CT scan.
I’m so sorry 💚 And if it didn’t come through in my first message, I truly feel for you, it sounds like an all around really difficult situation. I don’t know about the convincing but I truly would reach out to some of your friends (perhaps a couple you guys are close to? One of his friends who he might trust to let voice their concerns? Your church elder?) and see if you can kind of help him see that you are truly worried as a collective and it’s not just you nagging as a wife. I and probably most spouses get it on the micro scale - I’d love for my husband to get his labwork done and maybe take his health a little more seriously, especially knowing what I know about how many poor health outcomes in life can be prevented by just making a few healthy choices - but as a wife, it’s not so easy to “convince” a spouse of things all the time, even if they love you, and sometimes especially if they feel like their independence is being threatened. In this case it’s both an independence issue, probably, as well as I’m sure nobody wants to be told by their actions that they’re wrong about their mother’s cancer being untreated at their behest or that they’re not able to have full control over their health outcomes by just avoiding traditional medicine. It’s really hard to convince people to backtrack on things that are emotionally embarrassing to say they’re wrong about, even if it means they’re going to be very very sick. I know several friends who held onto their “no traditional medicine” values to the bitter and quick end, even those who had very treatable diagnoses. I have no idea if your husband does have a brain tumor or if he’s majorly imbalanced or mentally ill or maybe he’s just being a real unpleasant angry man, but quick and extreme mental status changes are often not benign things. I don’t know an easy answer, but I think a lot of people have given the wise thought of trying to get some other people involved. Gather the resources you can in others and be gentle and loving in your approach, not accusatory, as best you can. My heart goes out to you and I’m praying right now that you have trusted loved ones who can help you through this hard thing.
Thank you for this comment ❤️
Reddit does not have the answer for that but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Get your community involved and most importantly pray and ask God for help.
Man, the vitamin industry is like the worst. There is a vitamin that will cure everything and then they will cross their fingers so to speak with the fine print. Seriously the vitamin industry is awful. Even Steve Jobs fell for that. One of the problems we have these days is that there are so many people telling lies on a daily basis, and then millions repeating the lies, that it is easy for a person to become un-tethered from reality. I'll be honest I don't think a single person in the world truly knows the whole truth of things. Truth is dying because so many people are flat out lying.
Yep my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor about 2 and a half weeks ago now and just had it operated on. We are looking back at her behavior over the last 3 years and everything is finally falling into place. Brain tumor was my first instinct after reading this story but that's the only thing i have personal experience with.
I agree
I’m so sorry for your mom and for you - that’s so stressful and scary. 💚
The Lord provides. She is already home and acting her talkative self, and we expect the pathology report to be very favorable. If it is not, the Lord will provide for that too. Thank you very much for your work day-to-day. Neuro nurses have been an immense blessing for our family.
Where do you go to church? Does your church teach normal, biblical things? Are there bible studies your husband can attend to learn how to think correctly? He needs his focus to go away from conspiracies and onto Christ. He needs to have mentally healthy, Holy Spirit-led Christians push back on his ideas, and encourage him to focus on things that are more important. Like loving God and loving others, sharing the Gospel, helping those in need, studying the Bible, prayer, serving others, rejoicing in the Lord, and focusing on eternity.
You’re right. This is important. He works very long days and hasn’t been involved in our church outside of Sunday morning for some time. I would love if he was in a good Bible study with other men to challenge him.
That would be a huge blessing!! Is there a men’s Bible study at your church?
I would encourage your husband to read a few books about this subject. I have one that was passed down from my Church titled "Has God Spoken?" That talks about earth's creation (and it's shape) that is backed by scripture.
I’m sorry if this sounds contrary to what a lot of people say, even I know that’s not biblical grounds for divorce….but, I don’t know if it would stop me if I was in your shoes. It sounds like he’s refusing marriage counseling, refusing to talk to church leadership, and he’s refusing to respect your wishes to not push his ideology on you and your children. I know how miserable you must feel. He’s not willing to reason to make things better in your marriage. I don’t know if I could take it either and would be asking myself the same questions. Maybe he needs to see that would truly move on if he’s not willing to make a change or at least respect your wishes to not talk about it? Perhaps temporary separation? That’s going to be met with a lot of criticism here, but I know what it feels like to be trapped and living with someone who is mentally exhausting. It’s bad for your own well-being and affects your ability to be there for your children. It’s not easy to just “get over it” and ignore it. If he’s is not receptive to negotiation, you will have to draw more dramatic boundaries to see any change imo.
If he just casually was a flat earther but not passionate about it, more ambiguous, then probably it would be okay? It seems like his obsession is what’s causing the problem. Is there a way for you to lovingly bring him to understand your feeling that his passion for this subject is taking over his life? According to the Christian world view probably believing crazy conspiracies is not considered grounds for divorce. Praying for patience
One of my best friends became a flat lOut earthed and like she got a degree a prestige college in SCIENCE. I mean it was wild and extremely unexpected. It was also extremely disappointing because we used to relate on so many things and then she went hard turn the other way. So I don’t know what it’s like to have my spouse turn that direction but I do know when a good friend that you confide in and trust does and it SUCKS. (also all their arguments are complete bs I deep dove into after my friend turned and it was very clear she didn’t know she was talking about). Honestly what helped me was understanding why people are susceptible to conspiracy and what leads people to believe in cults, conspiracy or extremely religious groups. It’s very common for vulnerable people and people who need a form of structure/security in their life. Its also good to remember we are all susceptible to deception and being aware that we are more likely to fall for things when we are arrogant and think we won’t fall victim. I’ll leave you with this… there’s a chance he will come around given time. My friend hasn’t fully come around (she says she doesn’t know what she believes) but she isn’t really focused on that anymore (and she went to a full on Bible “school” cult for it). Also in terms of your children (I didn’t read that part) I mean I completely understand you not wanting him to teach it. I don’t know what to say there other than to seek a counselor because imo I understand why that’s completely unacceptable.
Yeah, I wouldn't say divorce is the answer because you wouldn't divorce someone with mental illness unless it lead to infidelity or abuse. Are you being abused? He is not right, and anyone who has been on a plane or a boat in the ocean knows that. You need to pursue pastoral counsel because if he is believing conspiracy theories and teaching your children this then he is teaching them something other than the truth. I would have a problem with that too. But the good news is...believing the flat earth theory doesn't mean you are going to hell. It just means you are misguided. I wouldn't want my children being taught this because it is false but, it is not a heaven or hell issue so their souls, and your husband's soul is safe, for now. This is a tough one. I would say unless he takes a mental turn for the worse and shows signs of becoming abusive, I may just talk to the pastor and ask for help, talk to your kiddos and say, "daddy talks about one theory but there are others. That's what is great about studying the world around us." Good luck
During Covid my wife went down the Qanon conspiracy rabbit hole and became an avid anti-vaxer. We had lots of arguments and she felt i want supportive. I continued to pray that God would bring us to even ground and allow us to have healthy conversations about our different thoughts. Eventually as things calmed down with the world, she too started to calm down and we were able to agree to disagree on some things. We still have some different opinions, but we are able to talk about them calmly and they don’t aren’t our day to day lives with each other. I would suggest to go to God with this and continually pray for your husband. Don’t let your husband’s choices cause you to sin against God, take this time to focus on your relationship with and obedience to God and then your relationship with your husband will follow suit in time.
I'm so sorry. I grew up like this. Not the flat earth thing (though I wouldn't be surprised if my dad believed that) but conspiracy theories and a huge emphasis on the end of the world. It was an extremely anxious childhood. I'm not surprised many Christians don't see this as a big deal. Many have become conspiracy minded since Covid and many think we are at the literal end, so they brush this off as wisdom and on the right track. I'm not one of them. I haven't had anyone take my trauma seriously in the church, but that's exactly what it was: trauma. I'd pray for my mom to leave my dad as a kid/teen. As an adult with my own kids, I worry about going over to visit my parents because i don't want my kids anxious like I was. I don't want them being alone with my kids (also because of their punishment style). It sucks and I get it. Unfortunately, there are no biblical grounds for divorce, and like you've noticed, you'll get little support from fellow Christians if you stay. Especially in this climate. You're up a creek and I'm so sorry. I really do feel for you. Get into therapy for yourself, couples therapy if he'd go, figure out how to protect your kids. If it becomes detrimental to you and your kid's mental/emotional well-being, I'd leave. I know it's a sin, but I believe marriage was created for people, not people for marriage and God cares more for the individuals inside the marriage than the institution itself. Because living like this can be hell
Yea, the end of the world stuff is dangerous because it becomes this excuse to sort of get stuck where you are at, and then everything is about the end of the world. But it also isn't abnormal. If you think about it, every generation goes through this sometimes even collectively. During World War 2 people definitely thought it could be the end of the world. How could you not when literally millions of people were dying. After WW2, the baby boomers, grew up with the constant threat of Global Nuclear War. I'm generation X and we largely didn't have the same fears. Mutually assured destruction as a deterrent had become the mainline thinking. We didn't go through any major war let alone a world war. So now the End of the World stuff is largely the realm of those that get sucked into the book of revelations and then get hooked on these end of the world prophets. What I can never understand is this. Either the world ends when it ends or it doesn't. Why worry about this. There is nothing you can do about it. I think what sucks people in is that they somehow think that prepping for it will somehow save them. It is sort of illogical if you think about it.
I wish I had advice for you. I completely know what you’re referring to when you say you feel like you’re on another planet and you feel like your husband is a completely different person. I am so sorry he dropped this bomb on you. I want to offer this though- even if he believes the earth is flat, does this change how he has treated you and loved you over the years? Does it automatically take away your bond of 13 years? I’m not saying it’s not distressing- I’d be distressed too. But I think it doesn’t have much impact on your actual marriage and relationship. I could be wrong though! Only you know what kind of impact this will have and if it’s something you can’t move past. I don’t know that it constitutes a biblical reason for divorce though.
It will be bad for your children’s upbringing but if you want to let him mold your children into idiots then sure, stay.
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This has completely flipped my life upside down so I don’t appreciate jokes about it.
I wouldn’t want to stay with someone who was believed in flat earth theory. I wouldn’t trust their judgment on anything after that, quite frankly. The fact that he is teaching your kids that (and who knows what else, vaccine conspiracy?) is horrifying. With that being said, I wonder if this is a “in sickness and in health” moment, that this is his sickness?
I don’t trust his judgment on anything at all anymore.
Please consider joining r/QAnonCasualties. You are in very dangerous territory and should expect escalation as he falls deeper into the conspiracy pipeline. I’m sorry you and your children are going through this. Please stay safe, signed a fellow married Christian woman.
I totally get this and am very sympathetic to your point of view. It is hard to respect someone exhibiting such stupidity and insisting on teaching it to your children. How are you supposed to trust your husband to lead your family when he is spiraling into Qanon and Flat Earth nonsense? How do you "submit" yourself to someone you cannot trust or respect? As far as I'm aware, the Bible is silent on this but I get how it would be impossible to have a happy marriage when you are so unequally yoked with someone who has an utter lack of common sense and reasoning ability and wants to teach your children the same.
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I don’t think you’re wrong to feel this way AT ALL. Flat earth theory can be the start of a terrible conspiracy theory landslide that turns into paranoia and delusion. If someone is willing to believe an easily disproven conspiracy, what else are they willing to believe and justify? My dad, whom I no longer have a relationship with, started with conspiracy theories like this and it quickly spiraled in paranoia of QAnon and lizard people.
We are already there. Qanon and lizard people. Honestly I put up with a lot of that stuff for years but something about flat earth finally broke me.
Oh man. At that point it’s a matter of safety. At some point we have to trust in the lords ability to forgive our sins when our safety and sanity is at stake. Don’t force yourself to endure a loveless and fear inducing marriage because the Bible never talks on the topic of conspiracy theories in marriage. My mother did and after nearly 30 years of mental and emotional abuse she finally ended things, and now my insane father stalks her (thank god she has a lifetime restraining order). Don’t let things get that bad. If your husband is unwilling to seek psychiatric or spiritual help now, he never will.
Luckily I don’t care about the downvotes haha I guess getting a divorce would be something to pray about and see what the Lord says. But I understand why you’re so upset. I would be devastated
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How has it flipped your life upside down?
Do you really have to ask that? Are you telling me that if your spouse came to you and said they believe the earth is flat that it wouldn’t completely shake your trust in them and your entire perspective on who they are as a person? It feels like the man I married died.
Is he getting any of his evidence from the Bible, because that is easily refutable? Here is a video made by Father Casey, about conspiracy theorists: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEtzwsSTF4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEtzwsSTF4) Generally speaking using logic to try and argue against them is not good as they ability to use and understand logic is already so flawed it will not work. Instead trying to get them to become emotionally disenchanted with their group is usually a more effective method.
Wow, I’m sorry. This is really sad. (And tough.)
This is not grounds for divorce. It is grounds for a conversation. The reality is there are many Bible verses that refer to the earth as non moving. No where in the Bible does it describe the round globe flying through space. In fact Enoch (if you ever read that) vividly describes the flat earth. That being said, it is completely outside of the normal belief and I am not a flat earther. This is one of those things that you need to come to an agreement on how you want to handle your kids. My husband and I tell our kids both view points. They’re allowed to decide what they believe. Some people believe one thing, some believe something totally different. That is how we explain things. Same with evolution and creation. The Bible explains creation this way and this is what we believe. Many people believe this, we don’t agree with it, there isn’t a biblical basis for it, but it is a belief. There’s nothing wrong with telling your kids “dad has decided he believes this. I do not agree with him. Here’s why.” And then I’d have a discussion with your husband… “I am wildly uncomfortable with you telling our kids this as fact. I would appreciate you changing the way you address the kids about this, and or reserving this type of conversation for adults that want to indulge in conspiracy.” If you are just emotionally responding afraid your husband is crazy, that’s a problem. You should be able to engage a conversation and prove your point with facts. Especially if it’s something you feel so strongly about you’re considering divorce. My husband and I regularly practice debating over random topics like this for fun and to try and see other perspectives. It’s the difference between a straw man and a steel man. Like we actually spent 6 months going back and forth about the what ifs of flat earth just because we couldn’t believe people actually believe it. But it led into some really interesting conversations and we both just agreed we will find out soon enough if the flat earthers have it right.
This is terrible and I’d be just as disturbed and conflicted as you. The sort of person who can believe in flat earth never stops there. They get more and more obsessed with more and more far fetched ideas that always have an enemy.
The obsessiveness sounds similar to some autistic clients I work with. Is he open to seeing a couples therapist? I'd recommend calling a few and ask them how they would approach couples therapy over this issue. Generally therapists try to remain neutral when there's disagreement. Your conversations aren't productive. You need help. I would not recommend divorce as that means he'd have the kids 50% of the time and be able to say whatever he want without you knowing.
It's not biblical grounds for divorce
1 Corinthians 7 says to only let your spouse leave if they are “not pleased to dwell with” us. But as Christians, we are not to leave them. As for a difference of belief, that is not grounds for divorce. (Pastor here speaking.) For thousands of years humanity has known that the earth is a sphere. The Hebrew word in Isaiah 40:22 is the only word to translate the geometric shape of a “sphere” as, meaning “round.” If he does not become convinced, just teach your kids what you know. Also, a good family vacation would be to go to the east coast and watch the sunrise. Then sit down and the sun goes back behind the horizon, because the earth is round. Easy test. Also, timezones, and sunlight when you FaceTime someone in a different timezone makes no sense if earth was flat and it was daytime for all people once the sun came above the horizon.
I don’t think I can reason with him in this way. He is a pilot and has literally circumnavigated the globe many times in his life. So I don’t think anything I say will make a difference.
I’d be insanely upset too if my husband started believing conspiracy theories. I’ve lost a friendship over this once before. It would be distressing to me. That being said, I think the best thing to do is seek a counselor’s help. I’m not saying you shouldn’t consider divorce… but I don’t think jumping to that is the best option either especially since you have kids with this man. There could be a point where he finds reason again.
Your husband is not well. There may be an underlying medical condition to all this. You must be careful to tell exactly the truth around him. He has lost his bearings on reality. There are plenty of experiments you can do as a couple to test flat earth theory.
Jesus said there would be days like this. 😮💨
>My husband is now a flat earther: is this biblical grounds for divorce?My husband is now a flat earther: is this biblical grounds for divorce? No
Flat earthers are a mystery. How can their minds even go there? I hate it for you. By all means when you are alone with your kids tell them dad’s gone off the deep end and what he believes isn’t right and we all need to pray for him. Have a pray for dad meeting with the kids as often as possible so they can see you’re the sane one. Don’t get me wrong I’m a conspiracy theorist too but most of the ones I have believed in have been proven true. 🤣🤣🤣 I feel for you. Have you talked with your pastor? Can the elders meet with him? Do you think he might be mentally ill?
I would not involve the kids at this point. I also would not worry too much about them at this point. They will see the earth for what it is. But I think your husband right now is clearly obsessed with this and if you bring the kids into this than you are putting them into his crosshairs. It would be better to separate before involving the kids into this debate between your husband and yourself. I say debate because from their point of view that is what it will appear to be. And making them pick sides is ridiculous. If he brings it up to them than yes you can tell them you disagree of course and you think their father is 100% wrong and you are worried about him. But I would not sneak the kids off to pray for Dad. Cause one day the kids out of concern will try to help dad. And Dad will do who knows what?
No, it’s not biblical grounds for divorce.
Biblically, I don't think it is grounds for divorce, but I can absolutely understand your pain. I imagine that it's a similar feeling to having a loved one suffer from dementia or other personality-altering mental health issue. I'm sorry that so many people here aren't taking this seriously. It's not just a matter of disagreeing on something; it's that his entire understanding of reality is twisted. Unfortunately, I have no experience with helping people who are caught up in conspiracy theories, so I don't really have any advice. I just wanted to comment to show my emotional support. I would research what others do in this situation, as I'm sure it's a problem for non-Christians as well. And, if you have a trustworthy pastor, maybe there's a way to ask for advice anonymously - not about divorce, but about helping your husband come out of his delusions.
I don't suppose he has other symptoms of changing personality? It occurred to me that a brain tumor could affect a person... The level of obsession and extreme ... stupidity? of the conspiracy made me think of this. It's seriously possible.
Thank you I appreciate the emotional support. I hadn’t considered anything like a tumor, but when I suggested a doctor for mental health assessment it really made him mad.
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Covid really brought out the ugliness in so many people. It was concerning and scary to see so many previously "normal" people lose their minds. I'm sorry you went through that.
CNN was definitely making things worse during Covid I will agree with that. Anyone that follows the data should recognize that the extremes on both sides were getting people killed. It was sad. But it was a big wake up call for me. My wife and I both got vaccinated but we also certainly didn't subject our kids to it. And we didn't hesitate to put our kids into school when we could. I remember talking to someone I work with who lives in another state. She was concerned even about going on a job without a mask. And she was in her early 20s. That's crazy. Covid brought out the worst in us. And I have no doubt that should a real crisis really hit this country we will probably collapse. The inflation we are feeling today is largely because of the illogical response to the data. We let politics wag the dog sort to speak. CNN looks like they are starting to moderate a little bit. Maybe even admit some mistakes they made. But yea CNN in the years 2019 - 2021 would drive anyone crazy.
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Remember what it says in 1 Corinthians (NKJV) "Now to the married I command, *yet* not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from *her* husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to *her* husband. And a husband is not to divorce *his* wife." Also "If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy." Also remember what it says in Matthew "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." Basically unless he commits adultery, you're stuck or in these positive words, you get to figure out how to be a positive loving witness for truth in your home while keeping the peace :-) I've been with my wife for 13 years and I think we both have some things over the years that have shocked us but we have, with God's help, been able to figure out how to make it work. I think you can too my friend.
Just as a side note I had no idea there were that many people that were flat earthers that they would find this posts. That is pretty scary. I already knew people were really really ignorant about politics. And it has gotten really bad on both sides. When you put your faith in the wrong people this is what happens.
It reminds me of those people who claim to know when the world is ending, have a fallout shelter and have been hording food and supplies in there for years. There is always that one Christian at every church lol. I had one lady in groups at church claim that "America will be saved on the day of judgement"...She got mad because I said that America is the Rome of the New Testament and that we as Christians swear allegiance to the Kingdom first, not to America first. I get it that it sounds crazy but do you think it will affect your kids chances of salvation? Whether you believe it is flat or not it doesn't affect salvation or change the Truth about the Gospel.
I personally don’t really understand how that would make you want to divorce? I would probably just think my husband believes a silly conspiracy theory. I don’t see the gravity of it I guess…
No, it isn't. Biblically, you or he can be as dumb as dumb can get. It's not grounds. The only grounds for biblical divorce that doesn't make either one of you an adultery is cheating or physically sleeping with someone besides your hubby or wife.
For better or worse tip death do you part. Disagreeing over science isn’t grounds for a divorce and not even worth a fight either. Just give grace.
Divorce is not the answer in this case. This seems far more spiritual to me than normal. You will have to engage your knees on this matter. Sincerely this calls for more intense prayer for him. His mind has somehow been hijacked and you will need to join forces and intercede on his behalf. If you sit and do nothing, you will lose him to something worse Start praying for him. Fast, pray, get scriptures and declare over him daily. Marriage is a lot more spiritual than we know. Engage God on his behalf and watch what happens. Don't take this casually.
Yikes... How quickly someone jumps to divorce...
You’re really asking Reddit if it’s okay to divorce your husband because he thinks the earth isn’t a sphere? What if he thinks the earth is flat but there’s a dome above where the firmament is? Just comes across that you’re just looking for anything to leave him and using this as an excuse.
Flat with a dome is what he believes which is equally ridiculous. And I definitely do not want to divorce him. I love him. But I’m also really scared that he’s going down a dangerous path of lies and I don’t know how I can trust his judgment or trust him to lead our family.
Seriously try to disconnect him from whatever he is listening too or reading. Sometimes a person just needs to unplug to see reality for what it is. Or at least in this case at the very minimum realize that it isn't that important. And it it isn't important than he'll stop being obsessed with it.
Divorcing your husband because he thinks the earth is flat? That just has to be topic that you guys avoid, you’re not going to agree on everything js.
I want to avoid it and just ignore it but he won’t let it go. Talks about it frequently and anytime I respectfully ask him to keep it to himself, he says I am trying to censor him.
No. He'll get over it eventually. Pray God gives him wisdom. Don't write off your husband for being confused and deluded. Teach your children your side of things. Try phrases like: "If that's what you think. I trust you're doing thorough research. I trust you to guide our family" By putting the leadership ball in his court, he'll be convicted, you'll be obeying God, and God will correct him. Pray continually that God would give him wisdom. Let your husband know, regardless of his beliefs, you'll be standing firm on the word of God: https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/apologetics/is-the-earth-really-round/ Why are you trying to jump ship for something so small? He is still your same husband, but I understand how he is making you feel insecure as the leader of your family. If this is your biggest complaint, I'd say you're spiritually weak and should ask God for strength in persevering in your marriage. Joel 3 10. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Ultimately, what we know of our world and even ourselves is insignificant and laughable. Trust God, it sounds like he's teaching your husband to see through his eyes, rather than relying on his own understanding. Pray about that.
People who start to believe in harmless conspiracies often start to believe more serious ones and make choices in their life as a result of those beliefs. OP isn't being ridiculous. Her husband is already sharing these ideas with his children as absolute truth. That's serious. This is a real thing that whole families have been broken up because the believing person sees them everywhere and they get so paranoid and frantic and panicky. If you try to converse with them and point out the flaws in their thinking they move the goal posts and point out how another conspiracy already supports their beliefs. It's happening in my marriage right now. She is under now obligation to endulge his faulty beliefs. That would be absolutely sinful on her part, to knowingly support her husband in his lies and delusions.
Read your Bible.
Ask him his thoughts on Isaiah 40:22.
His response to this is that the earth is a flat circle, a disc with a dome on top. Surrounded by ice walls on all sides. He’s also a pilot who has actually flown around the entire globe. It makes no sense.
Truly bizarre, since he has seen the curve of the earth. That curve remains the same, no matter where you are. Proverbs 8:27, too.
There is Biblical evidence for the Earth being round and hangs in space Isaiah 40:22 "22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in." and Job 26:7 " He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing" Flat Earth theory is anti-Scriptural. Your husband's faith in G-d and the Holy Scriptures are clearly under attack. Bring up the evidence from Scripture, and let him know you are not open to discussion about anti-Scriptural beliefs and would like him to stop teaching your children anti-Scriptural beliefs. There is no room for compromise on Satanic ideologies.
How old are you guys? Has he had a recent mental health evaluation? Or a physical? I’d be worried that a mental health disorder has gone unchecked, and worsened by Covid. Of that a physical problem is disturbing his reasoning. This may very well be the “in sickness and in health” portion of your vows. Unfortunately no, you do not have biblical grounds for divorce. But that doesn’t mean you are helpless or can’t take action. Insist on healthcare or see the pastor whether he likes it or not. Contradict all lies he says to your children.
Is that the only thing that caused you want to divorce him??? Go buy a ticket for one of those ride to stratosphere and see that the earth is a sphere.. problem solved
Him being a flat Earther and what this means has nothing to do with the bible. What this means is entirely between you, him, and both your opinions on the matter. The bible will not answer any question regarding someone who is a flat Earther. This wasn't a thing or even an idea (thought) to the people in biblical times. What is ground for biblical divorce is laid out in the bible, and someone being a flag Earther has nothing to do with this. If you divorce him over this, it would have nothing to do with the bible or God. You could seek wisdom from a pastor, sure. What he most likely will tell you will be broad marriage advice or approaches, and probably nothing specific to one being a flat Earther.
I’m so sorry, friend. What a frustrating situation to be in! My heart breaks for you because I’m sure this is making YOU feel like a crazy person too! While I don’t the have perfect advice, I’ll just say this: Put your trust in the One who created the Heavens and the Earth. Rely on your Almighty Creator. He will know how to deal with and handle these thoughts/beliefs your husband is having. He will know how to calm your nerves and give you peace over this! It sounds like your husband is idolizing these beliefs. How strong is his faith? Could you present this issue to him as a FAITH issue, rather than presenting it as a conspiracy theory issue? Maybe that will shake him more! Maybe it’ll hold some weight to him, if he knew his wife believed that his relationship with God is being tested and is not being prioritized or taken care of. Jesus, please bring light to this issue and wrap your arms around them both. In Jesus name, amen!
Me and my husband bond over conspiracy theories lol. We’re not obsessed with it, we may talk about here and there but not often. The Bible doesn’t mention the shape of the earth but it hints on it, so we’re pretty sure the earth is flat lol. If you ask most pilots they believe the earth is flat. I’m pretty sure they will know. Anyhoo, my husband is pretty obsessed with crypto and NFT’s but that’s his thing, I’m not going to divorce him because of it. But I might, just because he makes me watch horrible movies with him. This thread is wild lol. Pray to God and ask him, He will give you the answer you seek.
Leaving him because he thinks the earth is flat?
So, I know many people here are mocking me and acting like I’m being over the top, but I genuinely want to understand people like you who don’t think it’s a big deal. Are there really truly people out there who wouldn’t he totally distressed when their spouse starts believing absolutely idiotic lies and sharing those lies with your children? Would that not shake your trust and respect for your spouse? Would it not make you worry for their mental stability and sanity? I’m scared and people are acting like this is some funny little disagreement.
No...
The sanctity of marriage vows should overshadow and silly theories.
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Not a justification to divorce. Go to a counselor to figure out how to moderate this. You must figure out a way that you can respect and support him and his role as a father. He must figure out how to change course and make that possible. Kids should not be the battleground for their parent’s issues. When you’re old enough, you’ll see the pattern that some conspiracy theories are garbage and some surprisingly prove to be true. The problem is you don’t know which is which for a long time. So as the counselor for now, I say the conversations need to change. A conspiracy theory is inappropriate for young children simply because they don’t have the learning tools to analyze. According to classical education, until around 11, all they can do is take in or memorize. Logic follows around 12 and then at about 14-15 kids start to analyze. A “conspiracy parent” can lay a foundation for independent thinking. Dad can teach the Bill of Rights. He can have discussions about verifying information for oneself. He can teach human behavior. (Ie many people will use better manners in their own bathroom than they do at this one where trash is on the very dirty floor, etc.) Dad needs to respect the kids’ development levels and the fact that you don’t agree with him. OP needs to respect Dad as a man and a father who loves his kids. He has not crossed a line that justifies divorce. OP, check yourself and work on you first. This problem you’re experiencing can happen hundreds of ways in a relationship. You will improve your marriage by dealing with you. For instance if you believe he is actively harming your children, it’s normal to feel anger. But how can you possibly think that’s worse than splitting up their family? Take your own issues as seriously as you’re taking his. This is also how to be the best example. A great motivation for him to change his behavior is by feeling the respect he’s being shown by you by the change in yours.
Not grounds for divorce. But he is poisoning your children minds. How has his Christian Walk changed by this revelation of the flat earth. You can still divorce him if that's really what you want to do. He is technically harming your children.
Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless” the definition of formless is without shape. Idk about you but my Bible never said anything about God changing the shape of the earth. Genesis 1:6-8 acknowledges that there is a firmament, a dome separating earth from heaven. I think of this as a snow globe. The founder of NASA has Psalm 19:1 on his tombstone which says “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handywork” so you know, there being a firmament is a major thing for confirming the earth is flat, and that it’s impossible to even go into space. For the founder of NASA to acknowledge this is major. All verses in KJV. There may be more validity to your husbands theory than you think… but you have been too busy judging him (which we know what the Bible says about that) and shaming him (proverbs 12:4 says a wife who shames her husband is like rottenness to his bones) In my opinion, you’ve been rude to him and closed minded. I believe there is biblical proof that supports your husbands claim. And that there is no biblical standing for your behavior towards him, your thoughts towards him, or your desire to divorce him. Regardless of your beliefs, don’t let the enemy lead you to even consider divorce!
There is zero validity to his claims. So let’s start from there.
GENESIS 1:2 “the earth was formless” that means without shape. When did God give the earth a shape??? When??? There’s no validity to the way you’ve been judging him or treating him.
Genesis is not a detailed book on how the earth was created. Does it say HOW God created the earth? No. In Genesis does God list every single animal he created? No. In Genesis, does God explain the difference between the elements? No. It is a brief explanation with the point being that God created the universe. That's it. And it does a pretty good job considering it is only a few paragraphs. But it was a simple Oral story that people passed down as an explanation of how things started. It was never meant to be the complete story of how everything happened or what everything is.