bracketquant
Veteran Member
Who are they?
CHAT Ayn Rand fans?
- Thread starter etdeb
- Start date
foreverkeeps
Veteran Member
Famous authors
bracketquant
Veteran Member
That's it?
RememberGoliad
Veteran Member
Methinks we have a virtue signaller here
bw
Fringe Ranger
Good authors who happen to be famous.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
You couldn't be more wrong. A wretched sinner, here.
bw
Fringe Ranger
Can't get more virtuous than that.
RememberGoliad
Veteran Member
Well, sir, if you know that much, then you're way ahead of MOST people, who haven't a clue how to think for or about themselves, and I retract my statement.
I would suggest that simply reading to learn, and taking that which you can use to glorify Him, regardless of the leanings of the author of it, is not going to put you in a worse-off position. Point I'm making is, Rand arrives at some very virtuous conclusions from a different perspective than ours. That does not make the conclusions wrong, nor does it make them evil when they can be reconciled with the teachings found in the Bible.
Read what philosophers write, discard that which cannot be reconciled with Godliness, and adapt what can be reconciled. A different path to a good conclusion does NOT make the conclusion repugnant, and so long as you recognize and discern the difference you can adapt that conclusion to others that can be supported biblically. Doing so will give you many more tools to be a witness in deeds as well as words for Christ.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
A sincere thank you for your response. However, I do not know much, other than myself. I've read bits and pieces, a line here or there, of authors and philosophers. Nearly all has to be discarded because it is about man's false goodliness, rather than true Godliness.
As for reading to learn, in Rand's books if you've read any, is there sinning involved? Is there lying, cheating, stealing, greed of gain, fornication, anger toward others, etc.. where the end justifies the means, a perceived good over evil, and therefore such acts are considered OK? Knowing that I'm a sinner, and wanting my path to go forward, I really don't want to read about things that could tempt me. I'm that weak in the flesh.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
And someone, like yourself, who welcomes correction knows much. Please correct me at any time you see fit.
von Koehler
Has No Life - Lives on TB
You are imposing your ideas and beliefs onto your understanding of Ayn Rand.
Her philosophy is completely different from yours.
She was an atheist, but retained some of her Jewish background and values. As I re read Atlas Shrugged, her male heros are also Aryan supermen. Described as tall, blonde, blue eyed etc the exact opposite of a typical Jewish man.
Her pure philosophical texts are genius.
Her philosophy is completely different from yours.
She was an atheist, but retained some of her Jewish background and values. As I re read Atlas Shrugged, her male heros are also Aryan supermen. Described as tall, blonde, blue eyed etc the exact opposite of a typical Jewish man.
Her pure philosophical texts are genius.
RememberGoliad
Veteran Member
It might look odd, that I hit "like" for both yours and von Koehler's posts, but I can integrate that and make it consistent.
Yes there is writing about all that. It is done in such a way as to show that the characters had put themselves into that situation by doing that which is not good for their own existence. The only failing I see in her writing is that those characters' errors of knowledge weren't corrected at once. As far as reading about things that evoke feelings of temptation, THAT is precisely what needs to be addressed: The strength of character and conviction to reject such temptation. For me, currently, it's the temptation to rush things, to impose my will instead of His on events. Prayers of that nature are answered, and it seems immediate from my perspective. That allows me to follow the path in the right direction. It matters not what I might read about someone else doing; when I know that emulating them is wrong, I know also precisely where to go to fend off any desire to do any emulating.
Precisely what I'm talking about. Her works of fiction contain illustrations of her philosophy which are absolutely consistent with her non-fiction.
The infidelity doesn't bother me nearly as much as the concept of a man who was snookered by 'society' into putting himself in a position in which he found himself. To me, it would've been equally abominable to suffer for life denying himself the love of his life, and I don't think that a loving God would demand that of one of His children. There are provisions for being deceived into matrimony and the remedies for that. While Rand didn't come right out and state that was the basis for the switching of horses in midstream, so to speak, it is clear that the shift in the man's loyalty was more a recognition of a deep and insidious betrayal and not just a pack rat dropping one shiny for another shinier. Put another way, am I wrong if I were to tell you not to commit murder because it is wrong, instead of quoting the Commandment? They are not any different in the result, from the contemplated victim's point of view.
Admission of any fault, including weakness and sinfulness means nothing, without the resolve to do something about it to gird yourself against continuing it. Do that, and when you combine it with your well-honed discernment between 'false goodliness' and Godliness, you can rest assured that you've made yourself a witness-in-deeds as well as words, for the Lord.
I'm way past getting some sleep. Been a long day for me, and possibly longer tomorrow. Thank you for this conversation, though. It's given me something to think about to keep me from having idle (mental) hands tonight.
Yes there is writing about all that. It is done in such a way as to show that the characters had put themselves into that situation by doing that which is not good for their own existence. The only failing I see in her writing is that those characters' errors of knowledge weren't corrected at once. As far as reading about things that evoke feelings of temptation, THAT is precisely what needs to be addressed: The strength of character and conviction to reject such temptation. For me, currently, it's the temptation to rush things, to impose my will instead of His on events. Prayers of that nature are answered, and it seems immediate from my perspective. That allows me to follow the path in the right direction. It matters not what I might read about someone else doing; when I know that emulating them is wrong, I know also precisely where to go to fend off any desire to do any emulating.
Precisely what I'm talking about. Her works of fiction contain illustrations of her philosophy which are absolutely consistent with her non-fiction.
The infidelity doesn't bother me nearly as much as the concept of a man who was snookered by 'society' into putting himself in a position in which he found himself. To me, it would've been equally abominable to suffer for life denying himself the love of his life, and I don't think that a loving God would demand that of one of His children. There are provisions for being deceived into matrimony and the remedies for that. While Rand didn't come right out and state that was the basis for the switching of horses in midstream, so to speak, it is clear that the shift in the man's loyalty was more a recognition of a deep and insidious betrayal and not just a pack rat dropping one shiny for another shinier. Put another way, am I wrong if I were to tell you not to commit murder because it is wrong, instead of quoting the Commandment? They are not any different in the result, from the contemplated victim's point of view.
Admission of any fault, including weakness and sinfulness means nothing, without the resolve to do something about it to gird yourself against continuing it. Do that, and when you combine it with your well-honed discernment between 'false goodliness' and Godliness, you can rest assured that you've made yourself a witness-in-deeds as well as words, for the Lord.
I'm way past getting some sleep. Been a long day for me, and possibly longer tomorrow. Thank you for this conversation, though. It's given me something to think about to keep me from having idle (mental) hands tonight.
bracketquant
Veteran Member
I've never read her books. Therefore, I cannot have any understanding of her writings, and cannot impose anything upon her writings.
Her philosophy is not completely different than mine, as I have none. I have Christ. Was Jesus a typical looking Jewish man? I don't know. But, if so, why would Rand make her heros the exact opposite in looks?
Genius you say? Were her heros temples? 1 Corinthians 3:16-20.
SurvivalRing
Rich Fleetwood - Founder - author/coder/podcaster
Rearden Steel
Veteran Member
von Koehler
Has No Life - Lives on TB
The Galt clothing line has no connection to Rand.