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Rand's most famous and powerful follower was [[Alan Greenspan]] (b. 1926), long-time head of the Federal Reserve System (1987–2006), though it is difficult to see manifestations of Rand's ideas in Greenspan's work.  

Rand's most famous and powerful follower was [[Alan Greenspan]] (b. 1926), long-time head of the Federal Reserve System (1987–2006), though it is difficult to see manifestations of Rand's ideas in Greenspan's work.  

Rand was a moral absolutist with the virtues of rationality and hard work as central themes to her writing. However, conservatives reject Rand's elevation of reason over faith, sentiment, and tradition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlassociety.org/myth-ayn-rand-was-conservative|title=Myth: Ayn Rand was a Conservative|author=William R. Thomas}}</ref> Social conservatives in particular reject Rand's view that sexual fulfillment is an important part of life and not merely limited to procreation. Her views are seen as hedonistic, selfish, and sinful—she accepts the usage of birth control and abortion<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5105|title=Abortion:An Absolute Right|publisher=The Ayn Rand Center}}</ref> as proper means to an active sexual life without the consequences of child-rearing. In general Rand's view of the perfection of human character is at odds with the Christian view of man's essential sinfulness.

Rand was a moral absolutist with the virtues of rationality and hard work as central themes to her writing. However, conservatives reject Rand's elevation of reason over faith, sentiment, and tradition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlassociety.org/myth-ayn-rand-was-conservative|title=Myth: Ayn Rand was a Conservative|author=William R. Thomas}}</ref> Social conservatives in particular reject Rand's view that sexual fulfillment is an important part of life and not merely limited to procreation. Her views are seen as hedonistic, selfish, and sinful—she accepts the use of birth control and abortion<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5105|title=Abortion:An Absolute Right|publisher=The Ayn Rand Center}}</ref> as proper means to an active sexual life without the consequences of child-rearing. In general Rand's view of the perfection of human character is at odds with the Christian view of man's essential sinfulness.

Rand's philosophy was anti-Christian to the point of even declaring that "faith, as such, is extremely detrimental to human life: it is the negation of reason."<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_topic_religion%</ref>  While Rand advocates absolutes in the realm of ethics,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/absolutes.html

Rand's philosophy was anti-Christian to the point of even declaring that "faith, as such, is extremely detrimental to human life: it is the negation of reason."<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_topic_religion%</ref>  While Rand advocates absolutes in the realm of ethics,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/absolutes.html

|title=Absolutes|author=Ayn Rand}}</ref> her ethical principles are at odds with traditional Christianity.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/religion.html|title=Religion|author=Ayn Rand}}</ref> Her followers support an "absolute right" to [[abortion]] at any time during pregnancy,<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5105</ref> including partial-birth abortion.  Ayn Rand's philosophy and followers also support a "right" to have same-sex marriage, and oppose California's [[Proposition 8]] defining marriage as between one man and woman.<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=21821</ref>

|title=Absolutes|author=Ayn Rand}}</ref> her ethical principles are at odds with traditional Christianity.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/religion.html|title=Religion|author=Ayn Rand}}</ref> Her followers support an "absolute right" to [[abortion]] at any time during pregnancy,<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5105</ref> including partial-birth abortion.  Ayn Rand's philosophy and followers also support a "right" to have same-sex marriage, and opposed California's [[Proposition 8]] defining marriage as between one man and one woman.<ref>http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=21821</ref>

Rand was an [[atheism|atheist]] and opponent of traditional family values, who personally adhered more to [[Hollywood Values]] than conservative ones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/bio/biofaq.html|author=Richard Lawrence|title=Ayn Rand FAQ}}</ref>  She was a strident opponent of altruism.  As far back as 1957, [[Whittaker Chambers]] denounced the “wickedness” of ''Atlas Shrugged'' in ''National Review,'' and Dr. Gabe Vertin derided her "senseless self-aggrandizement."

Rand was an [[atheism|atheist]] and opponent of traditional family values, who personally adhered more to [[Hollywood Values]] than conservative ones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/bio/biofaq.html|author=Richard Lawrence|title=Ayn Rand FAQ}}</ref>  She was a strident opponent of altruism.  As far back as 1957, [[Whittaker Chambers]] denounced the “wickedness” of ''Atlas Shrugged'' in ''National Review,'' and Dr. Gabe Vertin derided her "senseless self-aggrandizement."

In Atlas Shrugged, Rand put a great deal of emphasis on the use of informal procedures as a way to rob victims of any tools they might be able to use in their defense; production tribunals in the book met and had an informal discussion, so that the producers that they were strangling could not call any kind of precedent or procedure to rescue them from the abuse of power. In the crumbling socialist world of Atlas Shrugged, the only defense was to agree with those in power. Orwell envisioned (and had seen) the same problem, a world in which the marketplace of ideas was as strangled as the marketplace of goods and services, only done in private and hellish jail cells.

In Atlas Shrugged, Rand put a great deal of emphasis on the use of informal procedures as a way to rob victims of any tools they might be able to use in their defense; production tribunals in the book met and had an informal discussion, so that the producers that they were strangling could not call any kind of precedent or procedure to rescue them from the abuse of power. In the crumbling socialist world of Atlas Shrugged, the only defense was to agree with those in power. Orwell envisioned (and had seen) the same problem, a world in which the marketplace of ideas was as strangled as the marketplace of goods and services, only done in private and hellish jail cells.

Both of these authors had some very liberal characteristics, Orwell being a socialist himself and Ayn being an atheist and egoist, but in spite of their liberal traits they couldn't help but look at the world that liberals created and decry how wicked it was. Author [[Christopher Hitchens]], writing about Orwell, called this a "power of facing", wherein Orwell was able to face the issues on his own side, a very important characteristic shared by many great academics and philosophers in the Christian tradition.

Both of these authors had some very liberal characteristics, Orwell being a socialist himself and Ayn being an atheist and egoist, but in spite of their liberal traits they couldn't help but look at the world that liberals created and decry how wicked it was. Author [[Christopher Hitchens]], writing about Orwell, called this a "power of facing," wherein Orwell was able to face the issues on his own side, a very important characteristic shared by many great academics and philosophers in the Christian tradition.

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