tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post3306284535336945442..comments2023-10-29T03:07:29.951-05:00Comments on left cheek: Ayn Rand v Jesus Christ, Round 1jasdyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17492591447246532970noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-58180983043785388892011-05-11T18:38:32.081-05:002011-05-11T18:38:32.081-05:00interesting. i'll look into that, Rachel. Than...interesting. i'll look into that, Rachel. Thank you for your suggestions and kind words.jasdyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17492591447246532970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-30261098120013752712011-05-11T16:34:54.201-05:002011-05-11T16:34:54.201-05:00Thank you so much for this great piece and for dra...Thank you so much for this great piece and for drawing people's attention to Rand's philosophy. This is a really important issue. I came across your blog while doing my own research on Rand for the non-profit, the American Values Network (AVN). My apologies for reaching out through the comments section, but I couldn't find another way to reach you. In case you might do further writing on Rand, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of this resource that AVN put together that might be useful to you - http://americanvaluesnetwork.org/aynrandvsjesus/. It's a pretty exhaustive collection of her quotes, broken down by topic, specifically focused on what she said the goal of her books and teachings were. Specifically, we focus on how she stands in complete opposition to Judeo-Christian morality and her condemnation of Christ’s teachings and those who follow them. And for her quotes, we supply specific Biblical passages on what the Bible teaches on these subjects. Thank you again for raising these issues. Please feel free to use AVN's memo however you would like if you find it useful.Rachelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-5446455259111665702011-04-29T01:22:18.154-05:002011-04-29T01:22:18.154-05:00I don't think many Christians have bothered to...I don't think many Christians have bothered to look into her philosophy too much. I believe they are primarily attracted to her dislike of government intervention and the rise of the Nanny State, and they would be disappointed to know how deep-seated her antipathy is toward helping or serving others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-27132172564060150082011-04-28T16:28:34.422-05:002011-04-28T16:28:34.422-05:00@Jasdye, no I was in such shock that I was hearing...@Jasdye, no I was in such shock that I was hearing these words, all I could do was write down the quote. But that was a good question.Pat Popehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00816630368283863195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-62880058958500295732011-04-28T13:18:01.215-05:002011-04-28T13:18:01.215-05:00Pat,
did you ever tell the finances guy, "The...Pat,<br />did you ever tell the finances guy, "The poor will always be among you, Judas"? LOL. <br /><br />Brian,<br />yes. very yes. <br /><br />Anonymous #4,<br />in short, yes. very much yes. some are friends of mine.jasdyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17492591447246532970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-55808569039358383022011-04-28T10:42:26.484-05:002011-04-28T10:42:26.484-05:00Pat Pope: I know what you mean. I am a missionar...Pat Pope: I know what you mean. I am a missionary and I am stunned sometimes by how we behave. One elder in a church I know said that the reason to hire a professional worship pastor was the proverb: You need to spend money to make money.<br /><br />Really we need a worship pastor to make money!! Sad very, very sad. But I think this is product of the business culture in America more than any influence by Ayn Rand. Many Christians don't have any idea how much they have allowed their business or professional lives affect their beliefs and even how they read the Bible.<br /><br />BrianBrianhttp://briangeorgiamission.posterous.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-5202136492072461082011-04-27T09:25:32.102-05:002011-04-27T09:25:32.102-05:00I personally do not know of Christians that buy in...I personally do not know of Christians that buy into her philosophy, but I do know the Christians that believe in bootstrap spirituality. I knew of one man over finances at a church that said, "God didn't call us to solve social problems." While God didn't call us to solve the world's problems, I believe He does call us to be part of radical change by being salt and light and being generous with that which God has blessed us. This particular individual was always a hard sale when it came to outreach in the church. He was more interested in getting and keeping money within the church. It was always a "what's in it for us" mentality.Pat Popehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00816630368283863195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-45221745208662994282011-04-27T05:06:50.017-05:002011-04-27T05:06:50.017-05:00I am curious have you met Christians that buy into...I am curious have you met Christians that buy into Ayn Rand's philosophy? I am an evangelical Christian and involved in conservative politics and know a lot of Christians that are involved in politics and I don't know any that buys into Ayn Rand politics.<br /><br />BrianAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-13089263495569973612011-04-26T22:13:10.855-05:002011-04-26T22:13:10.855-05:00I understand why she appeals to some Christians. ...I understand why she appeals to some Christians. Probably the same ones who believe in pulling one's self up by the bootstraps and believes others should do for themselves as they have done. These type of people have very little empathy for the human condition.Pat Popehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00816630368283863195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-675942241951240422011-04-26T14:10:54.238-05:002011-04-26T14:10:54.238-05:00To love someone as God intends does not mean you a...To love someone as God intends does not mean you are a doormat to them. If you love someone and desire what is best for them, that does not mean that you give them everything that they want. People who use their talents, strengths and even their weaknesses to their fullest potential for success are making the most of God's gifts. The definition of "love" is so watered down these days. We forget some of the following. You can love someone and not agree with them. You can love someone and not support their lifestyle. You can love someone and refuse a request. Think of how we all love our children. We love them enough to tell them "no" sometimes and to require that they grow up, clean their rooms, develop their talents, work hard, respect themselves/others, and eventually move out of our house! I agree that the perspective of Ayn Rand's interview presented here doesn't embrace my definition of love. However, I still believe in God's love AND in man's responsibility to take care of the task at hand by making the most of what he has been given.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-47876001565429212132011-04-26T11:49:50.019-05:002011-04-26T11:49:50.019-05:00If Anon#2 was merely pointing out that Ayn Rand ma...If Anon#2 was merely pointing out that Ayn Rand may have been highly dysfunctional in her thought due to experiences of Stalinesque communism, not a bad point. But central here isn't as much Rand herself as the fact her dysfunction is embraced by the Right, who in turn must be dysfunctional themselves. The huge -- and huge is not even descriptive enough -- disconnect between those who say they love Jesus Christ yet turn to embrace Rand's philosophy is simply inexplicable. Unless, I suppose, we explain it *as* dysfunction rather than anything else. I'm tempted to call it sin; it was C. S. Lewis who said in The Great Divorce that there are indeed sins of the intellect.Jon Trotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05269111052515857956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-43110880912048053422011-04-21T19:18:57.270-05:002011-04-21T19:18:57.270-05:00i'm sure you were trying to make a point, but ...i'm sure you were trying to make a point, but i'm not sure what that point is, Anon #2.<br /><br />Love isn't blanket. It's not generic, and not everybody is going to receive the same kind of objective love. That's utterly nonsensical. Loving your neighbor means getting to know your neighbor.jasdyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17492591447246532970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-73465172129909472462011-04-21T19:02:22.434-05:002011-04-21T19:02:22.434-05:00"Love thy neighbor as thyself!" How can ..."Love thy neighbor as thyself!" How can I presume to know if my neighbor likes the same kind of love that I do? Which reminds me of my neighbor, a gorgeous Nazi camp survivor, who when making love would urge her husband to beat her. We stopped summoning the police when we learned that that is precisely how she wanted love. Ayn Rand was a Jewish refugee from Communist Russia and whose work is in part a rebellion vs Russia.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12126432.post-67827997769315877182011-04-20T15:30:07.262-05:002011-04-20T15:30:07.262-05:00Wow. You nailed it right there.Wow. You nailed it right there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com