Libertarian revisionist history holds that the United States was actually founded by hemp-smoking Judeo-Christian-despising athiests and deists on the principle that Judeo-Christianity is a collection of detestable superstitions that are anathema to liberty.
If you'd like to know more about Rand, then I suggest you read the books Barbara and Nathaniel Branden wrote. They both had a huge falling out with Rand, but I do think they are able to give a fair assessment of Rand's many faults and virtues. And if there's an immensely entertaining science-fiction novel by Matt Ruff named Sewer, Gas, and Electric, which deals quite heavily with Both Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged, that is worth checking out as well.
Go back and re read the book. Capitalism is the result of free people in the pursuit of happiness. Trading value for value, by mutual agreement to mutual profit.
So donating to charity, in her mind, is immoral. To me, donating to charity is perfectly moral.
Atlas Shrugged may not be the best on this subject, Read The Fountainhead, Roark says that when you come upon suffering, you want to help and provide assistance, it is only natural. But to make the relief of suffering your prime goal, is to elevate suffering to a value.
Another strange aspect to her writing is her animus toward religion
True, my only problem with her. In The Fountainhead, she definitely makes the case for a spirit in each man, and what is right and proper that emenates from that spirit. IMHO the reason that she couldn't associate this spirit with God, was because she looked at every availlable religion, and all of their teachings. She found too many inconsistencies, which led her to believe that they were all wrong.
God has to be found within oneself, he cannot be found in other people. Some may light the way, but you must take the road yourself. I encourage you to read The Fountainhead, for her description of the "spirit of man", and then Read The Book of Matthew, specially Chapters 5 thru 8, (including the Sermon on the Mount). The case for Individualism was put forth first by Christ.
'Nuff said.
What she is saying is that man's life and worth must be measured by something more than whether he lived in service to others. If the highest value is to serve others, then life is nothing more than a daisy chain of slavery.
Nothing wrong with helping someone out, but it should not be the highest value, or even raised to the level of a value.
Besides, I can't give you the shirt off my back, if I haven't pursued my own self-interest and earned the shirt in the first place.
When self-immolation becomes a virtue and man is most virtuous when serving as a sacrifice for the need of others, you have a society of cannibals who serve their meat well-done.
She was an athiest. Her philosohy of "objectivism" was her religion and she was her own god. I have an athiest friend who is the same way, so I know of what I speak.
(Sorry if I have offended some people. This is just my opinion. I have read Atlas and I really liked it, I just do not subscribe to all of her philosophy.)
(And as for Atlas Shrugged , the line "Who is John Galt" gets a little tedious when you see it for the 80 millionth time!)
Curious this, because for some religions or sects contemplation and being are considered the ideal. The concept of "productivity" also bears some examination. One problem may be that it becomes hard to separate out Randian productivity from the seeking of primacy or power. Rand would deny this, but your reading seems to point to a tension in Rand's relationship to power and power seeking. She attacks it, yet also glorifies it, so long as it's channelled in the way she prefers. Is the line between the power she attacks and that she affirms and seeks really as clear as she would maintain? For the religious, the distinction between two uses or sources of power might seem much less clear than she would believe. Another question is the degree to which her views are reconcilable with religions. From what you say, it doesn't look like it.
"Your review is both good and original,
but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good."
Later I learned "Atlas Shrugged" was actually being used as a guide book by some early feminazis to promote self assertiveness.