Perhaps denier captures what you're seeking. From Cambridge:

denier: a person who says that something did not happen or that a situation does not exist, especially something that most people agree did happen or does exist: He has compared climate change deniers to people who denied the link between HIV and Aids.

Climate change deniers resort to all manner of explanations for what's happening with our climate that fly in the face of massive amounts of scientific evidence and an overwhelming consensus in the scientific community. One could say the same for those who deny the evolution of species by natural selection or believe the earth is 6000 years old. Your example of flat-earthers is yet another example. Whenever human knowledge advances, there will probably be deniers standing by all too ready to resist those advances by whatever mental gymnastics necessary: the more evidence, the more gymnastics.

Perhaps denier captures what you're seeking. From Cambridge:

denier: a person who says that something did not happen or that a situation does not exist, especially something that most people agree did happen or does exist: He has compared climate change deniers to people who denied the link between HIV and Aids.

A denier has an obligation to explain their denial, and that's what gives rise to the web of false beliefs/assertions -- each new belief/assertion collides with the ever growing body of data/facts.

For example, climate change deniers must resort to all manner of explanations for what's happening with our climate that fly in the face of massive amounts of scientific evidence and an overwhelming consensus in the scientific community. The more evidence, the harder their job becomes and the larger the web they must weave. 

One could say the same for those who deny the evolution of species by natural selection or believe the earth is 6000 years old. 

Your example of flat-earthers is yet another example. 

Whenever human knowledge advances, there will probably be deniers all too ready to resist those advances by whatever mental gymnastics necessary: the more evidence, the more gymnastics required. Alas, human, all too human.

Perhaps denier captures what you're seeking. From Cambridge:

denier: a person who says that something did not happen or that a situation does not exist, especially something that most people agree did happen or does exist: He has compared climate change deniers to people who denied the link between HIV and Aids.

Climate change deniers resort to all manner of explanations for what's happening with our climate that fly in the face of massive amounts of scientific evidence and an overwhelming consensus in the scientific community. One could say the same for those who deny the evolution of species by natural selection or believe the earth is 6000 years old. Your example of flat-earthers is yet another example. Whenever human knowledge advances, there will probably be deniers standing by all too ready to resist those advances by whatever mental gymnastics necessary.

Perhaps denier captures what you're seeking. From Cambridge:

denier: a person who says that something did not happen or that a situation does not exist, especially something that most people agree did happen or does exist: He has compared climate change deniers to people who denied the link between HIV and Aids.

Climate change deniers resort to all manner of explanations for what's happening with our climate that fly in the face of massive amounts of scientific evidence and an overwhelming consensus in the scientific community. One could say the same for those who deny the evolution of species by natural selection or believe the earth is 6000 years old. Your example of flat-earthers is yet another example. Whenever human knowledge advances, there will probably be deniers standing by all too ready to resist those advances by whatever mental gymnastics necessary: the more evidence, the more gymnastics.