Thom Hartmann: To be a follower of Ayn Rand - is it necessary to be an atheist?

Eric Sapp, American Values Network joins Thom Hartmann. There's an inherent contradiction emerging within today's Republican Party. For decades now - Republicans have been courting the religious right - claiming to be the party of family values and morality - and that courtship has paid off very well at the polls. But now - as highlighted by the emergence of the Tea Party - and the passage of Paul Ryan's budget plan - the Republican Party has embraced a new ideal...one belonging to Ayn Rand - an atheist who despised common religious morality.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Thom Hartmann
• Big Picture
• theBigPictureRT
• RTAmerica
• RT America
• Ayn Rand
• Eric Sapp
• American Values Network
• budget
• religion

[republicunderground]

This show will ruin RT, this guy is so Disingenuous his show should be called the "the myopic window" just another desperate Marxist looter, ask yourself Thom, who is John Galt?

[ORagnar]

Hartmann is not the most honest guy in the world, and Sapp does his best to evade an understanding of Ayn Rand's philosophy. It is true that Ayn Rand had no truck with religion, but she wasn't militantly anti-religious. What she was was pro-reason and reality. And the morality she espoused was for life and happiness on earth. It's a very pro-life philosophy. Remember "The Pursuit Of Happiness" is written in stone in America's founding, not "suffer and die".

[mcufre]

Its so ironic, because if you wanna support the needy, which are an overwhelming amount of the world population, you actually need people to create industry, and to create industry you need selfish motivation. You can't force people to be industrious for the sake of the needy. In any case you can let people succeed and expect that their success will create success for everyone. The only other choice is to enslave people. In this regard, I totally agree with libertarianism.

[UnchainTheNight1]

Wow, defending Ayn Rand against Thom Hartmann? I never thought this would have to happen. Thom is full of shit here. Normally, he makes good (but often overstated) points; this is just an outright butchering of journalism. This is something Glenn Beck would do.

[IHeartDenver]

It is 100% necessary to be an atheist if you wish to support Capitalism. If you accept the morality of Jesus Christ, of self sacrifice, of loving ones neighbors as yourself. Christians who claim the name of "capitalists" are contradictions. Christ would have dismissed capitalism & the moral reasoning behind it. As an objectivist, it hits a nerve when I hear the right claim Ayn Rand. They have no idea what they're talking about. Additionally, these men are idiots.

[IHeartDenver]

It is 100% necessary to be an atheist if you wish to support Capitalism. If you accept the morality of Jesus Christ, of self sacrifice, of loving ones neighbors as yourself. Christians who claim the name of "capitalists" are contradictions. Christ would have dismissed capitalism & the moral reasoning behind it. As an objectivist, it hits a nerve when I hear the right claim Ayn Rand. They have no idea what they're talking about.

[scottvska]

What is the logical connection between austerity measures and objectivism?

[annata12]

Not that i defend Ayn Rand, since she was very short sighted as to what lies in a persona rational self interest, which often manifests as pure self interest with not interest into society, which i contend is not rational! You don't wanna be a rich person in a poor country, that's not rational

[annata12]

Ayn Rand did not promote what those Republicans promote, she promoted rational self interest which is something different than the irrational self interest those dumb bible thumper promote

[agiann1]

@ORagnar Makes sense to me :-)

[agiann1]

I wish people would stop using the word "Folks" it is pathetic!

[agiann1]

Rand paid into social security many years, She earned it, Rand did not sit around and do nothing waiting for others to feed her and support her, She did not cheat or lie or scam the government out of money, This was her reward for paying into the system all these years like so many other Americans. Rand did not approve a welfare system/state because it creates bottom feeders, they don't put a penny into the system and yet they are entitled to it without doing anything for it. Makes sense to me.