I am a Sr. Technical Program Manager. One particular project I am working on is moving a shared infrastructure about 800 miles to another datacenter. This particular application has had no support, nor engineers, nobody that knows anything about this application.

Before moving it, I have to follow certain steps, one is to understand the nature of this application. We hired a JAVA/J2EE expert to work with us. He would get no place by approaching this from a standpoint of how the code evolved into being. He has to reverse engineer it by asking how it was programmed and developed. Only after this is reverse engineered assuming somebody actually programmed it, even though we do not know who did, there is no documentation, and just like God other than the fact that the code exists, we have to assume "SOMEBODY" wrote it and we need to "decode" it and ask questions like, why does it connect here, and why is this code sending data there?.

Hence maybe science is asking the wrong questions from the wrong point of view.

A pleasure to meet you, CG.

ranter, please meet cg.

I started with the Gospels, then studied the Church Fathers, including Augustine (Pre-Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers), continued through medieval philosophers, including especially St. Thomas Aquinas, Avicenna, and all the way up through modern philosophies. Every Christian believes in revealed truth. Revealed truth cannot be perceived through examination of the universe. Also that revealed truth does not have anything to say about the universe, but rather about God, who transcends the universe. I do not understand why there is any conflict between Objectivism and Christianity, except for Ayn Rand's assertion of atheism, which is no more rational or reasonable than the assertions of Christianity. Objectivism parallels science, and there can be no conflict between science and religion, because neither can possibly say anything about the other.

I disagree

That's what I was saying. It's not getting the most for the least, it's achieving the best balance.

I don't believe that Objectivism can have dogmatic teaching like Christianity does. Ayn Rand was not the Great Prophet. Objectivism, started by her, must be allowed to evolve further. Her atheism is no more logical than a Christian's faith.

Except that there is nothing at all in Christian doctrine that requires one to put others before oneself. The person who does so is valued, but no one is required to do so.

My favorite Lenten cartoon shows two monks walking in their cloister. One is saying to the other, "What am I giving up for Lent? Oh, I think this year I'll give up self-sacrifice."

As you statement makes clear, you believe in revealed truth. That is the antithesis of Objectivism. You really need to study a little philosophy. Start with christian philosophy if you want. A great book on point, but not an easy one is http://www.amazon.com/Power-Glory-Crusad...

It deals with some of the most fundamental issues of christianity and faith.

I agree with you. However, we can have the ideal of caring about our neighbors as we care about ourselves. We can strive to be pure objectivists, but though many try, few if any succeed. People are fallible and make mistakes.

Mine might be a minority view among ordinary believers, but is not a minority veiw among theologians. God does not punish. He has "revealed" (through prophets) guiding principles for human behavior that for the most part have their own punishment in the consequences of the acts themselves. The Church teaches that God does not condemn sinners, he forgives them, but they cannot receive the forgiveness unless they seek it. No one is punished. Those who turn away irrevocably from God must spend eternity without him, because that is what they decide for themselves, not because God decides it for them.

I should have said: Extended Speech! In my life I have had events that bordered on the mystical because there was no way to explain it either rationally or scientically. That's why when I read the Gnostic Gospels and essays they are very empowering. That as humans we're capable of so much more. We're able to become our own godlike beings. I'm not talking about "Fluffy Bunny Stuff (New Age) but it is found in the Gnostic texts and other Ancient Esoteric literature. this is my belief and you have yours!

You said "The job of the employer is follow RATIONAL self-interest and get the highest skillset the position can afford for a level of pay that will enable the employee to stay in the position and be productive of profits for the employer."
I think I may understand what you're saying though. The employer has to get a good price from vendors so his competitor can't undercut him on price. Business is about putting together things and labor in a creative way that makes customers want to pay more for the service/product. So it's a balance of getting a good price from vendors/employees and doing smart things with them to create value.

Fitting.

Jesus said, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:34

Apparently it didn't take. As Rand shows, the overwhelming majority of religions, philosophies and political systems are built on altruism and self-sacrifice, and always putting others before oneself, especially chistianity.

Well, I'll leave it to you then.

Perhaps -- but science can answer no questions about spiritual matters. Science can offer no evidence for or against the existence of God.

And they're cool.

Indeed, religion does teach that, because Man is a combination of body and soul. Science cannot derive morality from the physical world, but can derive only ethics. Religion adds the moral dimension. Very few intelligent Christians would say that God controls everything that has and will happen here, although we do say that God created all that is, because otherwise nothing would exist. God does not control the universe; he established it with physical laws that are discoverable through science. He can (has the power) to intervene, but only does so to give us more knowledge (through faith) of himself.

True.Growing up I was taught that "God created man in his image." I now believe just the opposite, and those who did so certainly showed little "humility" in creating a God or Super Being that happened to be just like them...only a little better.

Please note that I was arguing against the position that the only goal of the employer is to get the highest skillset for the cheapest price.

That was God making sure that no one had to sacrifice himself in order to achieve salvation. God substituted himself for man's sacrifice to God so that no more sacrifice was necessary, ever again.

"God demands of us only that we exercise rational self-interest."
Does this notion of God demanding only rational self-interest require major re-interpretation of the Bible? Clearly, there are many Christians who see God as laying down laws and punishing those who don't obey. Is yours a minority view among Christians?