--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Church says that the Earth is flat…" description: "\"The Church says that the Earth is flat, but I know that it is round. For I have seen the shadow of the Earth on the moon, and I have more faith in the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/ferdinand-magellan-70239_church_the-church-says-that-the-earth-is-flat-b_1824692.jpg" --- # The Church says that the Earth is flat, but I know that it… ![“The Church says that the Earth is flat, but I know that it is round. For I have seen the shadow of the Earth on the moon, and I have more faith in the shadow than in the Church.” quote by Ferdinand Magellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/ferdinand-magellan-70239_church_the-church-says-that-the-earth-is-flat-b_1824692.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/ferdinand-magellan-70239_church_the-church-says-that-the-earth-is-flat-b_1824692.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/ferdinand-magellan-70239_church_the-church-says-that-the-earth-is-flat-b_1824692.jpg) > “The Church says that the Earth is flat, but I know that it is round. For I have seen the shadow of the Earth on the moon, and I have more faith in the shadow than in the Church.” Ferdinand Magellan ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empirical observation can contradict institutional doctrine; personal evidence may outweigh accepted authority. **In simple terms:** Seeing evidence can challenge official belief. Key Takeaway Trust direct observation over unverified claims. Themes science skepticism authority empiricism Mood inquisitive skeptical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - navigation training - science education - public discourse - policy making Key Concepts Astronomy critical thinking historical exploration Questions to Reflect On - What evidence would you need to change a deeply held belief? - How do you handle conflict between personal knowledge and authority? A Different Perspective Counterpoint: Institutional inertia can resist change despite evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Magellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magellan/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) ## Related quotes > [“The Church says that the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-church-says-that-the-earth-is-flat-but-i-know-that-it-is-round-2/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The church say the earth is flat,but I know that it is round ,for I have seen the shadow on the moon,and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-church-say-the-earth-is-flat-but-i-know-that-it-is-round-for-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-magellan/the-church-says-the-earth-is-flat-but-i-have-seen-its-shadow-on-the/) Ferdinand Magellan > [I have seen the shadow of the Earth on the moon, and I have more faith in the shadow than in the church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-magellan/i-have-seen-the-shadow-of-the-earth-on-the-moon-and-i-have-more-faith/) Ferdinand Magellan > [The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore...unlike the mediocre, intrepid spirits seek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-magellan/the-sea-is-dangerous-and-its-storms-terrible-but-these-obstacles-have/) Ferdinand Magellan > [“He says the earth is an oval marble that nobody can win. He says the sky is not blue and the grass is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/he-says-the-earth-is-an-oval-marble-that-nobody-can-win-he-says-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Earth walks on Earth, Glittering in gold; Earth goes to Earth, Sooner than it wold; Earth builds on Earth, Palaces and towers; Earth says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/earth-walks-on-earth-glittering-in-gold-earth-goes-to-earth-sooner/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [The Bible says that the earth is immovable. It cannot be moved. So now is your chance to prove your point. Run outside and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/the-bible-says-that-the-earth-is-immovable-it-cannot-be-moved-so-now/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Even after all this timeàThe sun never says to the earth,àyou owe me. Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-runwal/even-after-all-this-time-the-sun-never-says-to-the-earth-you-owe-me-2/) [Vikas Runwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-runwal/) > [“And still, after all this time, The sun never says to the earth, "You owe Me." Look what happens with A love like that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafiz/and-still-after-all-this-time-the-sun-never-says-to-the-earth-you-owe/) [Hafiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafiz/) > [“Mama says that we work in order to grow and keep up with the earth’s heartbeat. She says that the earth is for our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unathi-magubeni/mama-says-that-we-work-in-order-to-grow-and-keep-up-with-the-earth-s/) [Unathi Magubeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unathi-magubeni/) > [The sun never says to the earth you oweme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafiz-of-persia/the-sun-never-says-to-the-earth-you-oweme/) Hafiz Of Persia > [Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, 'you owe me.' Look what happens with a love like that! It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-after-all-this-time-the-sun-never-says-to-the-earth-you-owe-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Charlie Brown says that we're put here on earth to make others happy." "Is that why we're here? I guess I'd better start doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/charlie-brown-says-that-we-re-put-here-on-earth-to-make-others-happy/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [“Magellan's thirst for glory, under cover of religious zeal, led him fatally astray.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-bergreen/magellan-s-thirst-for-glory-under-cover-of-religious-zeal-led-him/) [Laurence Bergreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-bergreen/) ## More by Ferdinand Magellan > [“The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-magellan/the-church-says-the-earth-is-flat-but-i-have-seen-its-shadow-on-the/) Ferdinand Magellan > [The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore...unlike the mediocre, intrepid spirits seek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-magellan/the-sea-is-dangerous-and-its-storms-terrible-but-these-obstacles-have/) Ferdinand Magellan > [I have seen the shadow of the Earth on the moon, and I have more faith in the shadow than in the church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-magellan/i-have-seen-the-shadow-of-the-earth-on-the-moon-and-i-have-more-faith/) Ferdinand Magellan Explore all 4 Ferdinand Magellan quotes ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Church says that the Earth is flat, but I know that it is round. 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