Posted on 04/18/2011 1:59:33 AM PDT by EternalVigilance
I was able to read the book without losing or compromising my faith. I am able to function in today’s society among people who have no faith without having to question my relationship with God.
“Atlas Shrugged” was not a book about faith, it was a book about runaway, unresponsive, corrupt, government and crony capitalism. I don’t really care a whit what Ms. Rand’s standing was with her maker, what ever she believed had no influence on me whatsoever. I tend to think that it was what she intended, she had what she considered to be much more important areas in which she wanted to influence her readers. I don’t recall a single passage in that book that I thought was challenging my faith in God.
Perhaps some of us don’t really have as much strength in their convictions as they might hope. I’m pretty sure that Plato was not a Christian. Does that mean we should fear to pursue his work?
How to elevate the discussion, genius. Nice.
IMO, Rand described quite vividly and quite accurately what evil does. Unfortunately, she was unable or unwilling to see the true source of that same evil...
Why use the f word to make your point? You seem to have a pretty good vocabulary.
(eyeroll)
“They do not exist, except in your feverd imagination. No Christian alive would ever even consider doing such a thing.”
Hmmm. Mike Hucksterbe jumps to the forefront on this one. Many of the so-called religious conservatives rabidly support him.
Any of the Christians who demand special tax breaks for church property, school vouchers for parochial school, national holidays observing religious events, imposition of “sin taxes,” etc. are culpable. They want to redistribute money and power with the force of government but to their pet causes.
Still second-hand looting. Just a matter of which undeserving bunch benefits from the theft.
“You speak like an atheist who read all the wrong labels growing up.”
Actually, I believe in God. Just not in faux Christian conservatives and their ilk who want me to pay more in taxes to fund their pet causes.
“A dull one at that.”
Tsk. Tsk. Personal attack. Please read FR posting guidelines.
Are you really the same person that said to me a few days ago?
The two most potentially disasterous topics as meat tossed before the wolves are politics and religion. Like gas and flame, they are not a combination conducive to civil discourse or rational behavior.
Thanks for the reasoned defense of your position.
I didn’t notice much to filter out. God was never mentioned, positively or negatively, abortion was never mentioned. I just enjoyed the handful of free marketers trying to survive in an increasingly state sponsored collectivist hell. It very nicely parallels what’s going on today in our society. The SSI was a wonderful parallel to the EPA and the global warmists. I forget the name on the van giving out food, but look at the increase in food stamps here. Yesterday I read where the govt had spent5 million in a campaign to sign people up for food stamps. I pray this movie is a smash hit.
And yours as well...
Hey, you girls have a nice day, I have to go make a couple more million buying gold today.
8^D
Exactly.
I saw Atlas Shrugged Saturday - and I was fully able to take the message of a totalitarian government and what it does to the incentive to create products and services that make the world a better place and separate that from Rand’s beliefs on eternity - which she surely regrets now herself.
The main message of Atlas Shrugged is a brilliant and important one. I don’t care what Rand’s other beliefs were. I’m an adult. I can filter them out. If the Apostle Paul was able to debate nonbelievers on their terms, then believers can take Rand on hers.
AMEN! (No pun intended!)
And that, my fellow freepers is what (I'd like to think) seperates us from the "Group-Think" of our mind-numbed, Leftist, brethren (and, sistahs) in that we operate on a different plane than they do and are "Blessed" with what appears to be missing from their DNA: "Common sense," and "Logic."
That is the same reason most of us can "seperate" what Trump is doing (attacking Dear Leader; exposing his corrupt and Hate-American/Capitalism agenda, etc.) from his previous support for Demo-Rats and WHY henceforth--until such time as he has either declared or not--REFUSE to read any further article (here) on Trump, cuz too many are so fixated on his past ("Trees") that they can't see and appreciate what he is doing to help our cause ("Forest")
Ouch, you sure got me. Have fun with your billions.
My guess is that the author of this article has never read Rand and never has plans to. Consider the fact that by the sixth sentence of the “article”, he has already demonstrated a complete and utter misunderstanding of the foundation of Objectivist epistemology.
I guess that’s what happens when you do all your research on the internet instead of actually reading the source material.
You are right, there was not much else mentioned in the movie. What I meant by filter out was — to filter out whatever other Randian philosophy is available today from the message of Atlas Shrugged Part 1. Sorry I was not more clear. You and I are on the same page here.
Sounds like we're on the same page. Hard-line Objectivism doesn't realize that God is the ultimate Creator, the source of all imagination. I appreciate the celebration of our God-given gift of the urge to create and build and Rand missed the goal.
Socialism, Marxism, collectivism, etc., all have the same results -- the elevation of groupthink over the rights of the individual. Nothing good ever came out of committees.
My daughter and I had an excellent discussion after we went to see "Atlas Shrugged." She was one of several teens in the audience, and can't wait for the next film.
Says the guy who thinks “religiously infallible” is actually a philosophical absolute and signs his posts with ASCII smileys.
Run along, proven negative.
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