Ayn Rand Hating on C.S. Lewis

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

"Ayn Rand was no fan of C.S. Lewis. She called the famous apologist an “abysmal bastard,” a “monstrosity,” a “cheap, awful, miserable, touchy, social-meta­physical mediocrity,” a “pickpocket of concepts,” and a “God-damn, beaten mystic.” (I suspect Lewis would have particularly relished the last of these.)"

-- Matthew Schmitz

This seems like a challenge for those who care for neither Christian mysticism nor Ayn Rand rationality.

Comments

[joshthevegan.livejournal.com]

I can't believe that I can say that I agree with Ayn Rand on something.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

"Abysmal bastard" seems a bit harsh and personal, but at least she was clear on not being a supernaturalist.

[joshthevegan.livejournal.com]

The anti-supernatural aspects I'm not on board with her, but the fact that he is a third rate hack who cheaply borrowed concepts from his friends and contemporaries, that I can get behind.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Why would that be a challenge? Someone doesn't have to suddenly like Christianity just because Rand didn't. Nor like rand just because she said something they may or may not agree with. Personally I thought CS Lewis was a fairly ok guy even if I don't share his beliefs on the nature of reality.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

You appear to have put these three words together as a single concept: "Ayn Rand rationality".

I can't parse that. It simply doesn't make any sense, no matter how I look at it.

Are you sure you didn't mean "Ayn Rand lunacy" or "Ayn Rand idiocy"? Because those make sense.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I mean 'her way of thinking and reasoning', so if you strongly disagree with about everything she says, I suppose you could say lunacy or idiocy. A lot of people do agree with her; this is America.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

It's just that in America, as we saw with Paul Ryan, a lot of firm believers in Ayn Rand have to suffer some embarrassment and contortions to reconcile that belief with their strong belief in Christianity. But, sure, there are many with more nimble minds.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Ah! You meant "Ayn Rand rationality" like people say "creation science", "compassionate conservatism", or "Teabagger who isn't racist".

That makes way more sense!

A lot of people do agree with her; this is America.

And the results certainly do show.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Sure I can see it as a challenge for those that both worship Rand and American Jesus, but not the opposite situation.


( I can't say her first name without finishing with -al because I am 12 years old)

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of either of them.
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I would pay to watch this version of Narnia, though.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

A lot of people have to pronounce the last name as 'Rant', and the two would seem to go well together.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

That is pretty demented - like something Ayn Rand might have dreamed.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

What if I LIKE Narnia but just think that he laid on the allegory a bit too thick?

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

You have a decent heart, but remain realistic?

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Libertarian Narnia!

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I don't see where the contradiction is. Objectivism is not incompatible with Christianity and vice-versa, nor all all adherents necessarily responsible for everything everyone else on the matter says.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

You might have a point with respect to 'Objectivism' as formally and properly understood, but Ayn Rand herself in a lot of her public statements is most vehemently anti-Christianity, and I know that I feel that vibe in her novel "Atlas Shrugged", as she places all the onus of all responsibility on the individual, so that it is mistaken and irresponsible to impute anything to some divine character, to a Jesus or a God - we make the world, not some God-creator watching over us.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

But we were talking about idolozing Mrs. Rand. Please, tell us how she's really actually praising Christianity.

[zanganito.livejournal.com]

At least he was a better writer than she was. Even though that's not much of a compliment for him. : /

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I suppose he had a bit more poetry in his soul. Yet, I must confess that I actually loved "Atlas Shrugged", without believing in its philosophy. I thought it was a great novelization of her ideas with great plotting.

[robintheshrew.livejournal.com]

I don't like either of them

[madscience.livejournal.com]

She also called religion a mental illness. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day...

[american-geist.livejournal.com]

It's compatible if you suck out all that nasty caring for the sick and needy stuff. Prosperity gospel, basically.

[american-geist.livejournal.com]

IT'S ALWAYS WINTER BUT NEVER CHRISTMAS!!!

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

That is one way to solve the dilemma.