Besides, this thought is completely backwards.
The pain you feel today is the strength you'll have tomorrow.
Posted on 09/10/2012 3:32:33 AM PDT by Kaslin
Increasingly, priests and pastors are preaching that socialism (in the name of “social justice”) is Christ-like. In truth, capitalism, not socialism, reflects Christian values. I think Christians would be less likely to embrace socialism if they understood that the economic philosophy of Ayn Rand is compatible with Christianity.
‘Social Justice’ Evolves
In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle speaks of a general form of justice that encompasses all virtue. Describing general justice, Aristotle writes: “It is complete virtue and excellence in the fullest sense… It is complete because he who possesses it can make use of his virtue not only by himself but also in his relations with his fellow men; for there are many people who can make use of their virtue in their own affairs, but who are incapable of using it in their relations with others.”
Thomas Aquinas, a renowned Catholic philosopher adopted a form of Aristotle’s idea of general justice. Eventually, the Catholic Church attempted to modernize Aristotle and Aquinas’ idea of general justice by calling it “social justice.”
The Catholic Church developed the term primarily to help explain justice in a modern society that was moving from farming to more complex forms of production and human interaction. As Michael Novak with the Heritage Foundation points out, Pope Leo XIII specifically slammed socialism and praised the natural differences in talents and abilities among human beings as beneficial to society.
Novak explains how, over time, progressives warped the term “social justice” to mean “equality” (redistribution of wealth and resources based on arithmetic, not individual production), the “common good” (determined by federal bureaucrats) and “compassion” (forced sharing).
Today, numerous pastors are preaching a version of social justice that is basically no different from socialism. I encourage Christians to exchange the convoluted idea of “social justice” for “capitalism.”
Atheism, A Mere Distraction
Rand was one of the best defenders and articulators of capitalism. Unfortunately, many Christians dismiss her economic philosophy because of her personal beliefs on religion.
Rand was an atheist. However, one does not need to be an atheist in order to be a capitalist. Indeed, in Rand’s magnum opus novel, Atlas Shrugged, the core takeaway is not that the hero is an atheist but that he is a capitalist.
Rand and her fictional heroes believe with almost religious zeal that there is no God—a belief that takes “faith.” For, it is impossible to prove beyond reasonable doubt that God does not exist, just as it is impossible to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he does exist. To say either with absolute certainty takes faith (rational yet unconfirmed belief).
If it is rational for Rand to believe (without proof) that God does not exist, it is also rational for a Christian to believe that God exists. Since both atheists and Christians are rational, atheism is unessential to being a capitalist.
If there is a God, He is a Capitalist
That said, one may not believe in any “god” and still claim to be rational. For example, one cannot believe that God condones socialism because socialism is inherently irrational and violates natural law, as I explained here.
Natural law (that which we know through reason alone) tells us that private property and freedom are inherent human rights. Aquinas writes in his Treatise on Law that all human laws must stem from natural law: “But if in any point it [human law] deflects from the law of nature, it is no longer a law but a perversion of the law.”
Jesus did not say: “Blessed are the wicked, for they shall obtain equal salvation.” Jesus did not tell Caesar: “Take 90 percent from the wealthy and redistribute it among the poor.” As I’ve written, Jesus’ own biblical teachings were capitalistic in nature. So, if you claim to be a rational Christian, you must admit that Jesus is a capitalist.
Capitalism, Not Social Justice, Reflects Christianity
Rand may have been an atheist, but she embraced reason and natural law. Christians must do likewise. As Aquinas writes, if Christians embrace laws that violate reason and natural law, such as wealth redistribution mandates, they are in fact embracing injustice.
When Rand’s hero, John Galt, explains justice, he does so in a manner that is consistent with Aristotle, Aquinas and the biblical definition justice—in relation to objective truth and goodness: “Justice is the recognition of the fact that… just as you do not pay a higher price for a rusty chunk of scrap than for a piece of shining metal, so you do not value a rotter above a hero—that your moral appraisal is the coin paying men for their virtues or vices, and this payment demands of you as scrupulous an honor as you bring to financial transactions…”
I think Christians should avoid rushing to judgment on Rand’s philosophy because, at core, she has much to say about living with integrity and pursuing true happiness. No matter what term a pastor uses (think “social justice”), socialism is neither ethical nor Christian. Next week I will delve deeper into explaining how Rand’s beliefs are compatible with Christianity.
Socialism’s violation of the horizontal commandments:
10 - “The rich have too much and you have too little”
9 - “You have too little BECAUSE they have too much”
8 - “Put me in power and I’ll take it from them”
7 - not socialism, per se, but maybe - “screw whatever you want and we’ll make others pay for any consequences”
6 - “if they don’t comply, we’ll force them to comply, at the point of a sword”
5 - “disregard what the founders established”
Compatible analysis of Christianity to any social structure is blasphemy.
Every form of governance is subordinate to Christianity — period.
I despise the material and political characterizations of Christ.
The problem with Rand is that even though she is right about some things it is not for the right reasons.
Paul Ryan’s bishop wrote a letter stating that the Ryan economic/budget plan is consistent with Catholicism.
Since by doctrine, the bishop of your diocese is your spiritual leader, that is the only important voice in any “Catholic activists say about capitalism...” discussion.
An absolute rejection of the super natural. Terrible.
Ayn Rand was a champion of individualism and therefore of capitalism, no doubt about it, but not theism.
Is "Ayn Rand" the standard against which all things are to be measured?
What sort of person asks "Is Christ compatible with Rand?" Since when do we measure The Creator against a mere creature?"
Amen, and thank you.
great point!!!
...the Bible encourages us to give to the poor.
NOT to be forced to give,
by poor people voted for the transfer!!!
Thank you.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Matthew 13:44
Reconciling Ayn Rand with the Gospel
"One of the hallmarks of Rand's Objectivist philosophy is the supremacy of an individual's capacity for logic and reason. Those two words, logic and reason, appear over and over again in all of Rand's writings. Here is a quote from Rand herself, emphasis mine:"
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."The Christian reconciliation of all of this lies in the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse one: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' "
"In John's creation narrative, he immediately identifies and establishes Jesus Christ as divine, co-eternal with God the Father, begotten, not made. Today, we simply say that Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. But what we must focus on in terms of this discussion is the word that John uses to name and identify Jesus: John calls Him 'the Word.' In the original Greek, the word John uses is 'Logos.' The word 'logos' in Greek is the same word used for the concepts of logic and reason. This Greek root is indeed the etymological source for the modern English word 'logic.' What John did in the very first sentence of his Gospel is to specifically identify Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, as Logic and Reason Itself. Logic and reason are intrinsic, constitutive qualities of God. They are His essence. They are who He is."
Ping
Besides, this thought is completely backwards.
The pain you feel today is the strength you'll have tomorrow.
Ping to the book club.
How?
Ayn Rand’s John Galt absolutely blasted religion in his 17 page radio speech. Plus none of the other characters were exactly very Christian in their actions.
me either.
Free Markets are compatible Christianity
I can agree with that
The premise is off, way off
Rand never said that.
Rationality requires the use of logic which is laughably absent from this statement.
I was gleaning through a copy of Liberal Fascism, Jonah Goldberg, just last week and an interesting recounting of a bit of history came to light and could likely go a long way into someone like Rand's ‘atheism.’ Much like today...the churches succumbed to the ideals of socialism. (The Birth of the Liberal God-State, pg. 215-223)
A discussion on another thread in the religion forum have several of us bemoaning the FACT we can't find a parish in our midst that is not hell bent on social justice.
If this is the atmosphere one might question...’where is God now?’ or one might forsake a faith or belief for one cannot believe in a dogma so blasphemed you know it cannot be true. Rand was an atheist and while we question her now, somewhere in her past I strongly suspect she ran as far and as fast as she could away from the social justice faith as she could. She knew it was wrong, against natural law and logic...it is a shame she didn't bump into the real Christ along the way.
From 1888, starting with Looking Backward, by Edward Bellany to 1944 when FDR proposed a second bill of rights.
Refer to my earlier post, but Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg would do well as to explain an atheist capitalist. Especially Rand, who would see the church/god as the vehicle of socialism.
God is not a collectivist.. He loves each individually.
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