Just read account of atheistic Ayn Rand cult -- so many similarities to JWs

True North

I just happened across an article titled "The Sociology of the Ayn Rand Cult" that was written in 1972 by the libertarian economist Murray Rothbard. (Ayn Rand was the author of the novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.) As I read the article, I noted so many similarities with JWs, particularly as regards practices of thought and behavior control (including disfellowshipping, shunning, dividing families, banning forbidden books, discouraging free discussion, claims to being the one source of truth, and so forth). While the Watchtower org supplies supposed spiritual justifications for such practices, it's interesting that an organization of committed atheists would develop and employ similar control techniques.

The article is at http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard23.html.

Robert K Stock

I read that work in 1993 when I first began reading Ayn Rand. It helped me not to fall into the trap of becoming a "Randroid." It was not enough to make me dismiss Rand as the greatest mind of the 20th century. As a person Rand was not pleasant. As a philosopher she had no equal. I follow the philosophy Rand developed. It is called Objectivism.

Today Objectivism is divided into different schools, the Ayn Rand Institute continues the intolerant strain in Rand's thinking. If Rand said it that is the end of the discussion.

The Objectivist Center looks to Rand as the begining of the discussion. !00% agreement with Rand is not expected and TOC hopes to spread Rand's thought as far and wide as possible.

Philosophy and religion are very similar. The trick is not to let philosophy repeat the mistakes of religious cults of personalities.

Atheism is the only logical position. Everything else is superstition.

Nathan Natas

I have much respect for the Objectivist's rationality, and I am on TOC's email list.

The Watchtower's doctrine & theology are anything but rational. They are founded on the quicksand of metaphysical superstition.

garybuss

I'm not atheist and I'm not a theist but I may be a teeny bit of a skeptic. I like Ayn Rand's work a lot. I would love to have known her. In my mind I store her lessons and Carl Sagan's in the same apartment.

DanTheMan

Wit and humor, as might be gathered from this incident, were verboten in the Randian movement. The philosophical rationale was that humor demonstrates that one "is not serious about one’s values." The actual reason, of course, is that no cult can withstand the piercing and sobering effect, the sane perspective, provided by humor. One was permitted to sneer at one’s enemies, but that was the only humor allowed, if humor that be.

Good advice for anybody who is dealing with a cultist, be it a Randian or JW - try to make them laugh!

Thanks for sharing that article, Atlas Shrugged has now dropped about 150 places on my list of books I'd like to read :)

JAVA

DanTheMan -- Put any of Ayn Rand's books back into your MUST READ list--just don't start selling her books during the weekends, and attending required meetings! :))