Churches and Skyscrapers: Why We Need God and Ayn Rand

By Published on August 4, 2015

Ask random people what they think a “conservative” looks like.

Half the respondents will no doubt describe a clean-cut, well-dressed, and very stuffy man with a briefcase, traveling up the elevator of a tall tower on Wall Street where he will begin his day making a lot of money. The other half will, probably, describe a gun-toting, long-bearded hillbilly in overalls sitting on his porch after a Sunday sermon. These are the stereotypes people have in mind when they hear the word conservative.

The question is, why are they so radically different?

It is because conservatism is not as simple as people think, despite John Stuart Mill’s simply equating conservatives and stupidity. The reason there is so much disagreement between even conservative intellectuals about what it means to be a conservative is because there are inconsistencies and puzzle pieces that don’t quite make for a neat picture. But traditionalists who are disgusted by Ayn Rand’s onslaughts against self-sacrifice are just as wrong as the strict libertarians who deify the free market. To be a conservative requires both. We must celebrate the achievements of man as well as be grateful for the blessings of God.

Read the article “Churches and Skyscrapers: Why We Need God and Ayn Rand” on intercollegiatereview.com.

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