"No, its ideas and its impulses have....captured one of America's major political parties."

I wonder when the Christian base of that major political party will notice Rand's hostility towards Christianity? I wonder if they will care? Probably not. Someone will come up with a gloss to make it all seem congruent to the faithful.

Here's my prediction, on which I'm willing to wager actual money: "Objectivist Christianity" will hit the bookstores this year, possibly in time for Christmas. I look forward to reading it's explanation of how Christianity is really, at it's core, about thinking for and about one's self.

Kolmogorov

P.S. I must say, before someone thinks I agree completely with the article author, that I think there are important kernels of truth to Rand's ideas. Rush, the band, has a Rand inspired song that has the line, "It was for me, not you, that I came to write this song." I think in general that's the truth , that the best accomplishments of human kind are born, and fueled, out of pride or other selfish motives (probably true of Lennon's beautiful song "Imagine", for example). Where this basic kernel of truth becomes repellant is when this is taken as the only value in the world, or when selfishness itself is taken to be an adequate end. I am also fond of the better angels of Christianity, though I think that Jesus' admonition to give all you have to the poor is no more workable or practical than Rand's admonition to give nothing to them. I am, alas, some kind of moderate, and I think that both sides ignore the element of truth in the other side at their peril.

I actually believe that as Libertarians come further out of the closet, we will see fiscal and/or secular conservatives split from the GOP. You're right, the two ideologies are completely incompatible, and it's only going to be a matter of time before the GOP sheds it Rand conservatives. We may see the rise of the Libertarian Party on a local level in the next few election cycles.

Yeah, influential as Rand might be, a little ole guy named Jesus has her beat by a mile, especially in the USA.

Now with regard to paying taxes, Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's (money) and render to God that which is God's (prayer, faith, etc.)

With regard to the poverty-stricken, Jesus admonished Judas for caring about them saying, "there will always be poor people, but you won't always have me; best to pamper me a bit now".

Taxes? Pampering? Entitlement? Sounds like the big guy was a liberal elitist to me.

Kolmogorov-- I asked a similar question (and probably didn't express it as well as I would've liked) a few posts back on this thread. I think it was some kind political fluke that conservative Christians ended up getting sucked into the Republican party at all, and I'm guessing that a lot of them don't even realize who they share a party with. I think what one of the previous posters said about the Republicans splitting into a religious branch and a secular/Randian branch makes a lot of sense, and I don't think that would necessarily be a bad thing. As a Christian myself, I've become tired of Christianity being treated as a "base". Both parties do it, but the Repubs seem to do it the most. It's become a given that everyone running for president has to throw around a few references to prayer or God and kiss up to Rick Warren a bit in order to get elected. GWB was one of the worst offenders in this regard. During the election, I began to really wish that we had a professed atheist as a candidate, because in that case I'd at least know he was being honest about it!

Here's my prediction, on which I'm willing to wager actual money: "Objectivist Christianity" will hit the bookstores this year, possibly in time for Christmas. I look forward to reading it's explanation of how Christianity is really, at it's core, about thinking for and about one's self.

It's already been written: The Family by Jeff Sharlat, all about the New Chosen. Here's an excerpt:

Doug Coe, David Coe’s father and leader of The Family fellowship going back to the mid ’60s, likes to call The Family “The Christian Mafia.” I knew Coe when I was part of The Family. He explained what it means to be a chosen politician.

Talking to another man, he said, “Let me explain to you the concept of ‘chosen.’ Suppose I hear you raped three little girls. What would I think of you?”

The man says, “You would think I was awful, a monster.”

And Doug Coe said, “No, I would not, because you’re chosen, and when you’re chosen, the normal rules don’t apply.”

I don't necesasrily disagree. What that leaves the Republican Party with is the Christian Right and what I guess one would have to call the State Capitalists, i. e., the big-spending Bush Republicans.

Not a great base, it seems.