Ayn Rand - Faith vs Reason

“It is not right, it is not proper to man to take anything on faith. Religion is a matter of faith. You accept a religion emotionally or because you were born to it. You have not chosen it rationally.” An excerpt from Phil Donahue show where Ayn Rand talks about faith and reason. Full interview transcript available here. Source: Aubrey YouTube channel.

Ayn Rand: When you accept such an important issue as the creation of the universe on faith you are destroying your confidence and the validity of your own mind. It has to be either reason or faith.

It is not right, it is not proper to man to take anything on faith. Religion is a matter of faith. You accept a religion emotionally or because you were born to it. You have not chosen it rationally.

If you go by emotions, not reason, it means you’re going against reality.

Phil Donahue: You don’t approve of religion because?

Ayn Rand: Because it’s mystical. Because it’s based on faith, not on reason and facts.

Every argument for the existence of god is incomplete, improper and has been refuted and people go on and on because they want to believe.