One of the biggest blocks people have to Ayn Rand's philosophy is that she doesn't believe in altruism. Christianity on the other hand teaches that we should take care of others and help those less fortunate. Many people argue that Rand's ideas and Christianity don't and can't go together. But I think Rand's ideas and Christianity can work together. Rand might disagree with me, she certainly would about religion, I'm a christian and she was an atheist.
"I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask none to live for me, nor do I live for any others. I covet no man's soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet." -Anthem
"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” -Atlas Shrugged
Both of these quotes are from two different books both written by Ayn Rand. They both convey the same idea. The idea is that we are all responsible for our own lifes, that we life for ourselves and for no one else. What we do and create, our ideas, our goals are all ours, and not to be used to further someone else. The money ones makes is to be used as they see fit, because they earned it. You say you have read Atlas Shrugged, it's why Rearden refused to sell the rights to his metal, and refused to sell any of his metal to the State Science Institute. He refused to sell because it was his, he thought of it, he worked 10 years to create it, and he has the ability to do with it what he sees fit.
As an individual we choose to help others, I volunteer at my mom's elementary school because I choose to. No one forces me to volunteer. Because I choose to give time and money to help her school, I would say that I'm not living for anyone because at any time I can stop volunteering at my discretion. Helping others becomes a form of slavery as Rand says when we as individuals are forced to help others. Sorry but I'm going to use an example from Atlas Shrugged again! When James and Dagny argue over the trains on the San Sebastian line, James said that the Mexicans needed the trains, regardless of the fact that they had nothing to put on them. This is how helping someone becomes slavery. In order to help the Mexicans, Taggart Transcontinental ran trains to mexico and were losing money to run the trains, the money that they earned, Dagny was forced to run trains to Mexico at a loss because her brother said the Mexicans needed help. When helping people is forced upon individuals it becomes slavery, when my money, my life, are forced to be spent to help other people, when my goals and what I want to do with my life are set aside so I can help others, then helping others becomes slavery because I cannot do what I wish. I cannot live my own life.
In Matthew 25:31-46, it says “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ So Jesus is telling people to help those who are in need, but he is telling the individual, Jesus never walked around telling people to pay their taxes to Rome so they government could help people in need. I think to often we are willing to sit around and not help because we know that the government will help people.
The world in Atlas Shrugged is crazy, but I believe what Rand was trying to do was show people the future we are making for ourselves if we continue on the road we are on. I help people because I choose to, in Atlas Shrugged, pressure is put on business to industrialists to be socially conscious even if it means to loss money, in fact in Atlas Shrugged, making money is considered evil. What I believe Ayn Rand was trying to say what that helping others cannot be involuntary, cannot be forced onto an individual, and by no means should come at the cost of their lives or their goals, and if it does, then it is slavery.
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