Paul Ryan is a practicing Catholic. How can he lionize Ayn Rand, an avowed atheist?

[Act_of_Reparation]

137. Can't tell if you're serious...

...or don't understand sarcasm.

And to be honest, I'm not especially interested in finding out. I'll just say my peace here and check out, if you don't mind. If you feel especially compelled to reply, feel free to pretend I read it.

People often look up to figures with whom they have little in common. Christians look up to the egotistical, prudish, and zealous Christ, holding him up as a King of Kings, blissfully ignorant of the fact no modern human being in his or her right mind would want to live in a Kingdom run by a guy who's fucking fine with human bondage. Some look up to Muhammad, who believed the testimony of a woman was inferior to a man, and who had sex with a nine year old Aisha bint Abu Bakr. Americans look up to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln, and all of these men held at least some beliefs virtually every modern American would find reprehensible.

Why?

Because we don't lionize actual people. We lionize romantic caricatures of people. We think of these people not as they were but the way we would most like to think of them. You think all those kids running around in Che Guevara t-shirts would want to meet the real Che Guevara? Do you think Che Guevara would want to meet a kid wearing his face on a fucking t-shirt?

And yes, everyone does this. Just scroll through the threads of your own fucking OP and look at all the sycophants claiming Jesus of Nazareth, a 1st century cult leader, held progressive liberal opinions that didn't come into vogue until the late 17th century and beyond.