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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGOP:The Party of Satan. (Ayn)Rand Paul, GOP's 2016 Messiah is the Anti-Christ.
http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/ayn-rand-the-mother-of-american-satanism/Ayn Rand: the mother of American Satanism
When I say that Ayn Rand was a wanna be Antichrist who inspired The Satanist Bible, I am not suggesting that Paul Ryan, a huge Ayn Rand fan, shares that distinction. Ryan is struggling to be a good Catholic Christian and a devotee of a woman who turned the teaching of Jesus on its head.
Fortunately, a long list of conservative politicians and Christians has no illusions about Ayn Rand. The late Charles Colson, shortly before his death, made a last ditch attempt to warn fellow conservatives that Ayn Rand and Jesus are antithetical. Atlas shrugged, Colson said, and so should you.
Colson wasnt alone.
In a biting article in First Things, a conservative Christian journal founded by Richard John Neuhaus, Joe Carter addressed the link between the Satanism of Anton LeVey (the author of The Satanic Bible) and Ayn Rands Objectivist philosophy.
".......Even if this were not the case, though, what would warrant the current influence of her thought within the conservative movement? Rand was a third-rate writer who was too arrogant to recognize her own ignorance (she believed she was the third greatest philosopher in history, behind only Aristotle and Aquinas). She misunderstood almost every concept she engaged withfrom capitalism to freedomand wrote nothing that had not been treated before by better thinkers. We dont need her any more than we need LeVay.
Few conservatives will fall completely under Rands diabolic sway. But we are sustaining a climate in which not a few gullible souls believe she is worth taking seriously. Are we willing to be held responsible for pushing them to adopt an anti-Christian worldview? If so, perhaps instead of recommending Atlas Shrugged, we should simply hand out copies of The Satanic Bible. If theyre going to align with a satanic cult, they might as well join the one that has the better holidays...."
Faux historian David Barton wasnt publicly unmasked until conservative Christian scholars, embarrassed by being associated with blatant lies and distortions, went into full revolt. I am hoping the same dynamic plays out in connection with Paul Ryans boyish infatuation with a woman who hated his Jesus with the darkest passion.
This debate transcends partisanship. The big problem is that Ayn Rands Antichrist philosophy drives a business culture where, by design, only the strong survive. Unless you argue that Christian ethics have nothing to do with the teaching of Jesus, or that the teaching of Jesus should be dissociated from business ethics, this is a problem. Paul Ryan like Ayn Rand because, like most American politicians, red and blue, he shares her take-no-prisoners, profit-driven outlook. The only people exempted from this survival of the fittest social Darwinism are your family of origin, your spouse and your children. Everyone else is on their own.
That is the philosophy of Antichrist.
>>>>>>
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)...was trying to distance himself from some GOP stupidity of the moment by declaring to me that he was, "more of a Libertarian". I told him that the 'Satanic Bible' was derived from Ayn Rands teachings, and that Anton Levay himself said the only difference between the two is, 'one has rituals.' He was completely taken aback by it. He had never heard it before.
The Libertarianism/Satanism connection isn't allowed to exist within the right wing Information Bubble®
blm
(112,872 posts)Casual voters and most Christians have no idea that GOP policies of the last 4 decades have come to reflect Ayn Rand's influence on the entire party. They have cleverly used fake Christian leaders to help push their Randian propaganda.
I aim to expose it as often as possible.
raging moderate
(4,276 posts)In their lexicon, only the most vicious, most callous people are truly "strong."
blm
(112,872 posts)"Rand is perhaps the only virulently anti-Christian writer that Republicans nonetheless routinely feel comfortable heaping praise upon. In a charming 1964 interview with Playboy, Rand described the crucifixion of Jesus in terms of mythology, and submitted that she would feel indignant over such a sacrifice of virtue to vice. That Christians are called to care for the most vulnerable of Gods people was, to Rand, manifest proof that the religion has nothing constructive to add to human life: After all, in her philosophy, superiors have no moral obligations to those weaker or more vulnerable than they. According to Rand, the Christian moral imperative to serve the needy is a monstrous idea.
In a surprising jolt of coherence, Rand held precisely the position such a disdain for Christian humility would suggest: that the strong are the rightful lords over the weak, and that those with the capabilities to secure wealth and resources should be more or less unimpeded from doing so, the rest of humankind be damned. Its likely this philosophical tenet that wins her so many fans on the right, among them Paul Ryan, Clarence Thomas, Gary Johnson and Rand Paul.
Speaking of Rand in 2005, Paul Ryan noted I grew up reading Ayn Rand and it taught me quite a bit about who I am and what my value systems are, and what my beliefs are Its inspired me so much that its required reading in my office for all my interns and my staff. Ryan went on to claim that Rand was the very reason he went into politics in the first place, and that its important for the future of America to return to Rands vision. Though hes since repudiated to some confusing degree his former commitment to Rand, Ryans policies have undergone no significant changes between the before and after."
blm
(112,872 posts)Never stop kicking the GOP as long as it is still drawing breath.
factsarenotfair
(910 posts)Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)No, I'm not kidding. Please clarify in the OP title and body that you are talking about Leveyan Satanism and not simply all Satanism. Just as you would not refer to all Islam when talking about Islamic fundamentalists.
blm
(112,872 posts)If you bothered to read it you would know that.
I don't play silly correctness games.
My knees don't jerk for anyone.
"....Joe Carter addressed the link between the Satanism of Anton LeVey (the author of The Satanic Bible) and Ayn Rands Objectivist philosophy."
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)Hence, why I'm telling you to correct it. Either that or delete the story.
Leveyan Satanism is not simply "Satanism." It is a subsect. Just as Islamic fundamentalism is not simply "Islam."
I'm asking you nicely because I understand making a simple mistake. But if it isn't corrected even after someone brings it up to you, then you're willfully slandering board members. Which is a TOS violation. Again, please correct the OP.
blm
(112,872 posts)Do you force people to change Christianity to Republican Christianity? To Radical Christianity?
What part of Ayn Rand did you miss?
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)Just as if someone said Osama Bin Laden was the embodiment of Islam, I would be disturbed.
I'm not forcing you to do anything, by the way. You can leave it the way it is. But I would expect a considerate member of this board to be considerate of the beliefs of other members. Which isn't to say that you have to say Satanism is awesome or anything of that nature. But to be considerate you at least have to properly represent said beliefs. Which you are not currently doing.
Satanism is a deeply misunderstood subject. Your post only deepens that misunderstanding.
blm
(112,872 posts)LaVey. You don't think it is properly represented by specifically pointing at Rand and LaVey, too bad. I think you're reaching for something....anything....to claim offense. I don't buy it.
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)I'm not saying the article doesn't discuss Leveyan Satanism. In fact, if you actually had paid attention to my first posts, you would notice that my specific reference to how Leveyan Satanism is not the same as all Satanism implies I understood how the story made references.
What I'm specifically criticizing are the titles which reference only Satan and Satanism. All you would really have to do is modify the title.
I don't care if you buy it or not. What I care about is that you're title is meaningfully offensive to Satanists which do not subscribe at all to the teachings of Levey.
blm
(112,872 posts)After all, the Pope's Christianity isn't anything like the christianity of Franklin Graham, now, is it?
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)Do you possess some sort of special faculty which allows you to observe alternate realities?
Regardless, you've presented a red-herring. What matters is what you're doing wrong, not what you think I might do wrong.
Yet again, we are presented with your inaction regarding a simple fix that would erase the slander of posters on this board. Do you not care about slandering DUers?
blm
(112,872 posts)I suppose I 'slandered' a whole lot of DUers with one subject line, then, eh?
Hundreds of posts are made here in any given week that have Christianity or Christians in the subject line. If you jumped into all those to complain about the subject line slandering all christians, then I have never seen it.
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)But I find it interesting how you are trying to shift the discussion away from what is actually happening in this very thread to what you think may or may not be happening outside.
It's also weird how you seem to think it more acceptable to slander a group because it is made up of less people than other groups. That's really quite out of character for someone who claims to be progressive.
blm
(112,872 posts)If you want to play offended, then hit your alert button.
Prophet 451
(9,796 posts)I'm a Luciferian Satanist (in brief, I consider Lucifer the justified rebel against a tyrannical god). While LaVeyan's are the largest denomination of Satanism, they are far from the only ones. That's not "correctness", that's just facts. You don't respect our faith, that's fine but we get enough shit from the world without being associated with Rand's (and LaVey's) silly "philosophy" of selfishness.
blm
(112,872 posts)Stop trying to pretend that YOU were targeted - - I didn't target you.
You jumped in to a thread about GOPs link to Ayn Rand and LaVey's Satanism.
Prophet 451
(9,796 posts)With all the shit we get from the outside world about our faith, last thing we need is to be associated with Rand's psychopathy.
blm
(112,872 posts)Gee - I'm surprised you didn't notice.
If you jump in to take offense at LaVeyan Satanism being referenced, that will confuse people more than my post which CLEARLY links Ayn Rand to LaVey's Satanism.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,082 posts)While you're not going to get many potential Rand Paul voters here (and the few Repub lurkers who might see it are quite likely not conventional Repubs who be put off it), there may be quite a few over there.
Cha
(295,517 posts)stillwaiting
(3,795 posts)One can NOT follow both Ayn Rand's teachings and Jesus Christ's teachings simultaneously.
One can pretend to follow both, but ultimately you have to put one of their teachings on a higher pedestal and one of their teachings becomes more central to their values and day-to-day beliefs and actions.
Ayn Rand had nothing but absolute disgust for Christians, and she despised altruism. There is plenty of absolute proof of this statement to be found if one takes a very simple and cursory look around.
Ayn Rand's teachings are so foul, disgusting and elitist that I have absolutely no idea how conservative Christians can claim to follow Jesus Christ while adhering to Ayn Rand's philosophies. She had CONTEMPT for the poor. That's not Christ-like. Period.
blm
(112,872 posts).
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)But you're right in that there's nothing Christ-like about any of it.
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)and a disgrace to Christianity period. These fundamentalists and pseudo-Christians give the whole religion a bad name.
Kurska
(5,739 posts)I have major ideological differences with objectivists, but calling them demonic means jack+shite to me.
BarackTheVote
(938 posts)I wanted to read something short by Ayn Rand before diving into a commitment like Atlas Shrugged... Long story short, I never read Atlas Shrugged. My feelings about Anthem were pretty much exactly what this article says. Her philosophy struck me as nothing less than evil, and I do not use that term lightly. Ayn Rand's philosophy and the teachings of Christ are absolutely mutually exclusive, and yet the Right Wing portrays them as sympatoco, twisting the Gospel to it's extreme opposite. If that's not the work of the anti-Christ, I don't know what is.
blm
(112,872 posts).