Finally! Someone is asking the right question! Can a person follow Ayn Rand and Jesus?

[jorno67]

It's about time...

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/29/jesus-or-ayn-rand-can-conservatives-claim-both/?&hpt=hp_c2

[calimary]

1. And the answer is - NO.

[tekisui]

2. Of course! Neither require intelligence, logic or consistency.

[WCGreen]

4. Wow, you sure are a callow fellow to condemn a whole belief system

that way...

I know a lot of Christians who are smart, intelligent and compassionate.

You can't seriously lump a whole mess of people with Pat Robertson's crowd.

[tekisui]

6. I said it isn't required. I am specifically pointing to those

like the one you mention and those who simultaneously hold Randian ideas.

I also know many very intelligent and compassionate Christians. Intelligence is not a prerequisite, neither is it a bar to holding christian beliefs.

[Johonny]

11. +1

[FiveGoodMen]

3. Can anyone server two masters?

[kestrel91316]

5. Thou cans't not follow both God and Mammon. It's in that there Holy Bible.

[Fumesucker]

7. Supply Side Jesus..

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/09/17_franken.html







Finish the gospel at the link..

[jorno67]

16. that's funny and sad.

[vssmith]

8. Lots of Christians follow Rand....

but remember what Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

[immoderate]

9. I don't think it's the first time, and unfortunately, it won't be the last.

People like the simple solution. They can be swayed with a "let's pretend reality isn't -- now hold that thought." If everybody "would act just so" we can all live happily ever after.

Enter W.C. Fields, with the creed of these predators: "You can't cheat an honest man; never give a sucker an even break, or smarten up a chump."

There's no new styles; there's just new people.

--imm

[RebelOne]

10. I do not follow either one.

Even though I am an atheist, I believe in the the biblical (I think it is from the bible) adage of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

[theophilus]

12. Jesus answered the question. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot

serve God and Mammon. You will love the one and hate the other. Choose.

[provis99]

13. of course they can. It's called cognitive dissonance.

[jorno67]

14. I don't think that the majority purposely follow both...

I mean they do choose the follow each of them but are not putting two and two together to realize they are conflicting teachings. I believe this is because the right wing has done such a wonderful marking job that they can get the poor to vote for things that only help the rich and can get people of faith to to practice "godlessness". It's the 700 hundred club, Abortion, Gay rights, and the America is God's Country view that fans the flames of this fire and boosts the sales of snake oil salesmen (and women) of the right wing.

[LeftishBrit]

15. IMO, no.

At least, Rand's ideology seems inconsistent with the words from the Gospels about camels and needle's eyes; what you did/ did not to to the least of these; etc.

However, many conservative Christians seem to accept Rand's ideology. I once 'met' someone on a message-board who quoted Rand (first time I heard of her), and was a right-wing atheist, and considered that both Christianity and socialism are similar ways of manipulating people into parting with their hard-earned money to help people who are not entitled to it. But most supporters of Randian-type ideology are Christians, who interpret their religion as implying that individuals should be charitable but it's not the job of the state, and emphasize the statement that 'if a man does not work, neither shall he eat' as a justification for harshness towards the 'undeserving' poor. (In fact, though I'm hardly a theologian, reading that sentence in context, it seems to be more an attack on people who joined early-Christian communities as hangers-on without intending to contribute, rather than a general comment on social welfare.) Worldview Weekend, which has been spamming me on and off for the last eight years, seems to regard economically-right-wing views as an essential part of a 'Biblical worldview'.

[Viking12]

17. Given that the both represent imaginary concepts, yes.

Belief in god and in free-market economics both rely on unproven/unprovable magical forces. I like unicorns, myself.

[jorno67]

18. It's the wealthy right wing power brokers who buy

the votes of the non critical thinking masses using God and patriotism as its currency.

[Romulox]

19. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matt. 6:24. nt

[War Horse]

20. Heh - I was actually called a "theocrat" the other day

by a young Libertarian/Paulian. He was hooked on Rand, and I guess me mentioning horrible stuff like "compassion" etc was what brought it on (and I just MAY have used the phrase "God of Self" when describing Randian thought ;))...

That was a first for me! I'm much more used to being called things like godless commie and things along those lines :)