[This essay formed the basis of a talk at the Atlas Society celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, in Washington, DC, on October 6, 2007] When Ayn Rand titled her collection of writings on ethics The Virtue of Selfishness, she also provided a clear clue to what kind of selfishness she had in mind. With the subtitle, “A New Concept of Egoism.” she put prospective readers on notice that by using the term … Read on…
Preacher Man slithers to town. Gonna solve problems that we never had – before. Gonna tell us ‘bout sins that we never did – before. He’s packin’ the pews and we’re payin’ big dues to hear his raunchy sermons. Descriptions so good and scenes so hot he leaves us dying to try it. He grins real big at sumptuous sin but tells us not to taste it. Oh, but the fruit so juicy and smells so sweet – seems a … Read on…
Dearest Family and Friends, At a point in my life, it became necessary to honestly examine the religious dogma presented to me as fact, and upon finding it lacking, throw off its shackles and assume personal responsibility for my actions. A decent respect to the opinions of family and friends requires a declaration of the causes that prompt my rejection of religion. This decision required a lifetime to reach, certainly not something that happened impulsively with little thought. There was … Read on…