Atlas Shrugged, Jesus Wept: OLIVER'S TAKE

The Gospel According to St. Mathew

The Begining of the Sermon on the Mount

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

The Beatitudes
Lk. 6.20-23

3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 ¶ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Is. 61.2

5 ¶ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Ps. 37.11

6 ¶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Is. 55.1, 2

7 ¶ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 ¶ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Ps. 24.4, 5

9 ¶ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 ¶ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: 1 Pet. 3.14 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 ¶ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 1 Pet. 4.14

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets 2 Chr. 36.16 · Acts 7.52 which were before you.

Ayn Rand Quotes

It only stands to reason that where there’s sacrifice, there’s someone collecting the sacrificial offerings. Where there’s service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master.

Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue.

So you think that money is the root of all evil? Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?

When I die, I hope to go to Heaven, whatever the Hell that is.

For centuries, the battle of morality was fought between those who claimed that your life belongs to God and those who claimed that it belongs to your neighbors - between those who preached that the good is self-sacrifice for the sake of ghosts in heaven and those who preached that the good is self-sacrifice for the sake of incompetents on earth. And no one came to say that your life belongs to you and that the good is to live it.

Atlas Shrugged, Jesus Wept

OLIVER'S TAKE

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