Ayn Rand's Philosophy was a "reaction" to a world where "God" refuses to be seen to act.

Submitted by trans-parere (Canada), Apr 18, 2008 at 19:25

Dear Lactantius jr.

[a] Your post was a good argument against objectivism IF [b] one also maintains your belief that Jesus was the embodiment of the Christian God. In the absence of [b] your argument is no longer valid as you use that as an "authority" from which you draw and your inferences would no longer be accepted as topical nor germane to the debate. There is no proven existence of God. God is a matter of faith and can not be used rhetorically outside of the limitations of religion as an all encompassing authority. This is the argument against Islam today.

You can not use religion to argue philosophy unless you hold your religion as a matter of philosophy and allow it also to be debated using all the methods of reasoning. Religion would have to pass the test. IS FAITH LOGICAL OR RATIONAL? Can all parts be presented logically and rationally? Keeping in mind that if a person has been, even slightly, influenced by personal emotions, feelings, instincts or culturally specific, moral codes and norms, then the analysis may be termed irrational.

I leave you with an admonishment given by Copernicus to Lactantius in1543 when Lactanius tried to use religion to debate the science of astronomy.

"Perhaps there will be babblers who claim to be judges of astronomy although completely ignorant of the subject and, badly distorting some passage of Scripture to their purpose, will dare to find fault with my undertaking and censure it. I disregard them even to the extent of despising their criticism as unfounded. For it is not unknown that Lactantius, otherwise an illustrious writer but hardly an astronomer, speaks quite childishly about the earth's shape, when he mocks those who declared that the earth has the form of a globe. Hence scholars need not be surprised if any such persons will likewise ridicule me. Astronomy is written for astronomers." -Nicolaus Copernicus 1543

Cheers

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