Catholics Take on the Republican Cult of Ayn Rand
Right-wingers have long been fascinated by Ayn Rand, the mid-century pop philosopher who defined moral behavior as doing whatever will make you, the individual, happy, and opposed any government intervention in the economy or charitable giving. Based on her economic beliefs, you can understand why, for example, Rep. Paul Ryan makes each of his staff members read her most famous novel Atlas Shrugged. But shouldn't it bother some of these right-wingers that she was, to use their own language, a "radical atheist," too?
Ryan, a Catholic, was confronted on this rather obvious friction last Friday, as he was leaving notorious GOP grifter Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington D.C. A young man supposedly representing a religious organization concerned with promoting economic justice — just like in the old days! — caught up with Ryan as he made his way through the hallway. He introduced himself as a Catholic and began hurling questions to Ryan about why he supports the economically immoral cult of atheist Ayn Rand. He offers Ryan a Bible and suggests he pay more attention to Luke!
This comes less than a month after 75 Catholic professors sent a scolding letter to Speaker John Boehner, a Catholic, for pushing a harsh budgetary agenda which they see as violating their religious principles.
All we're trying to do is give a "heads up" to those policymakers who run their mouths about being devout Catholics while simultaneously promoting Randian economics: Get your canned responses ready, because people are starting to notice.
