First Things offers an interesting essay on Ayn Rand:
Over the past few years, Anton LaVey and his book The Satanic Bible
has grown increasingly popular, selling thousands of new copies. His
impact has been especially pronounced in our nation’s capital. One U.S.
senator has publicly confessed to being a fan of the The Satanic Bible
while another calls it his “foundation book.” On the other side of
Congress, a representative speaks highly of LaVey and recommends that
his staffers read the book.
A leading radio host called LaVey “brilliant” and quotations from the The Satanic Bible
can be glimpsed on placards at political rallies. More recently, a
respected theologian dared to criticize the founder of the Church of
Satan in the pages of a religious and cultural journal and was roundly
criticized by dozens of fellow Christians.
Surprisingly little
concern, much less outrage, has erupted over this phenomenon. Shouldn’t
we be appalled by the ascendancy of this evangelist of anti-Christian
philosophy? Shouldn’t we all—especially we Christians—be mobilizing to
counter the malevolent force of this man on our culture and politics?
As
you’ve probably guessed by this point, I’m not really talking about
LaVey but about his mentor, Ayn Rand. The ascendency of LaVey and his
embrace by “conservative” leaders would indeed cause paroxysms of
indignation. Yet, while the two figures’ philosophies are nearly
identical, Rand appears to have received a pass.
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