It is hard to image the courage it took, by Charles K. Johnson, to stand alone, against a screaming, jeering crowd, as he did.
The amount of “new technology” that came out in the 1950’s through the 1990’s was astounding. And much of it seemed to put God and the Bible in the rear view mirror of most people’s understanding. Out with the old and in with the new.
One of the first people to attend the San Diego FE Meetup, was a lady from Arkansas. She grew up attending a church, where she said, many of the members believed and agreed that the earth was flat. Despite the tv showing moon landings and round-earth pics. They remained steadfast in their understanding of God’s word being true, no matter what gimmicks and tricks man tries to pull.
That was the first I had ever really heard of that kind of “biblical flat earth belief”. I was impressed.
Now I’m comparing them to this video I have posted of Charles Johnson on a popular tv show in the 1980’s. The audience was mostly young people, and they could not have been more vocal in their disrespect towards Charles. But he didn’t blink an eye. They seemed to give him strength.
I love when the show host asked him about the moon landing.
“CARNEY’S, CARNEY’S I TELL YA’!!! …Phony” Charles barked above the crowd.
Charles was CLASSIC!!! A “carney” is a carnival worker, or employee. It’s all a BIG SHOW, is what Charles was saying.
In the beginning of the interview, Charles clarified the name of his organization. He was introduced as the head of the “Flat Earth Society”. He corrected the host with “Flat Earth RESEARCH Society”.
Charles was an amazing torchbearer for the “all but disappeared” flat earth believers in the world. He considered his organization to be a direct descendant of Rowbothams original Zetetic Institute and library.
In 30 years of unwavering faithfulness (1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s) to the understanding of the flat plain, Charles grew his Flat Earth group to over 3500 dues paying members, mostly, if not all, bible believing Christians.
His home burned to the ground in 1997, and with it, the entire mailing list of his organization he took 30 years to build. Gone in an instant. His life’s work gone, he lost hope and died a few short years later.
It took a number of years for the question of the true shape of the earth, to come gurgling back to the surface, and become “a thing” again. The only difference is that this time, it came back into view during this internet era. It took Charles 30 years to find 3500 co-believers. The internet has facilitated the opening of UNTOLD MILLIONS of people’s eye’s and mind’s, to this most basic, fundamental truth – WHERE WE LIVE – in well under 10 years.
Thank you Charles, job well done brother.
I wish I would have known. I would loved to have met him.
And a great lesson to all of us – BACK UP YOUR HARD DRIVE… lol…
Russell Dibird
