September 11, 2015: Open Lines - Atheist Debate & Planet X
Ronald from North Hollywood obliges, announcing that he and his wife are packing up and heading to Mount Shasta to ride out an asteroid impact he believes will strike Puerto Rico on September 23rd. His evidence draws from YouTube documentaries, hidden references in Hollywood films, and the Pope's upcoming U.N. visit. Michelle, calling from Japan, and other callers challenge Ronald's reasoning, pointing out the impossibility of pinpointing an asteroid's landing zone and the lack of any scientific confirmation. A caller named Cody insists Planet X is real and shares his plan to survive underground in mountain storm drains.
In the second half, Art sets up a debate between Matt, a self-described atheist from Denver, and a caller from Manila who identifies himself as "His Holy Eminence Junior." The exchange quickly turns personal before touching on the nature of belief, consciousness, and whether morality requires a divine source.
Key Moments
September 23 asteroid: Ronald is packing the car: Ronald from Los Angeles tells Art he and his wife are leaving for Mount Shasta because an asteroid is going to strike Puerto Rico on September 23, splitting the U.S. in half.
Photons, subconscious, and the global military-industrial complex: Pressed by Art, Ronald lays out his metaphysics: photons from the sun carry consciousness, our subconscious creates apparent physical reality, and that subconscious is being controlled by the military's psyops program.
Cody's manhole-cover survival plan: A second Planet X believer, Cody, insists the way to survive the passing planet is to dive into a storm drain or manhole, prompting Art to ask how he plans to lift the cover with debris piled on top.
Art on Father Malachi Martin's third secret: A caller from Mexico City brings up the famous 1998 Malachi Martin appearance, and Art confirms the priest gave him knowledge about the Third Secret of Fatima off-air that he refuses to share.
Atheist Matt: a minute-to-minute atheist: After dispatching multiple challengers, the rabid atheist from Denver finally articulates his position: he's a minute-to-minute atheist because no current evidence supports a god, and morality comes from empathy, not religion.