1. A little essay on Christianity and the politics of liberty:
Is belief in Jesus compatible with conservative or libertarian political ideas?
In particular, why do there seem to be a large number of online references to Christians using the political ideas of Ayn Rand?
What is the relation of the political thought of Rand and of Christians?
I went looking for Christian fans of Ayn Rand. Here are the results of my search: https://www.codylibolt.com/2014/12/christian-rand-fan/
I found only a handful of Christians who were enthusiastic about Rand’s ideas. Since early 2015 we’ve had a blogging network at reasoninview.com.
I’ve noticed many Christian writers denouncing Rand and any attempt at a political coalition between the Tea Party conservatives and the fans or devotees of Rand.
My guess is that most Christians (even most Christian leaders or pastors) have not heard of Rand. Of those who have heard of her, I think 95% have strong dislike of her, but only rarely is their opinion formed from actually reading her.
Meanwhile, mainstream Christianity is moving toward more overt socialism/collectivism politically.
But social media has allowed the Tea Party and libertarian Christians to gain somewhat of an audience. Though the base is still small, there are many more Christians thinking clearly about liberty and rights today than at any time in the past century.
As a Christian Rand fan myself, I hope to speak to Christians about the need to take Rand’s ideas seriously. Though Christians will not agree with all the answers Rand offered, we will be better off when we begin to ask the questions she asked.