How evil is the Atlas Society?

[happiness]

I don't know much of the story behind the schism, but isn't what they're doing basically tantamount to an attempt to destroy Objectivism by changing the fundamentals, i.e. Introducing a contradiction by saying the philosophy can be anything other than what it is? 

[Nicky]

I think they tolerate people who disagree with the fundamentals of Objectivism. I don't think they've "changed" those fundamentals.

I think ARI is the most useful organization for letting people know about Objectivism (they do the best job of accurately describing Objectivism to the world), but I don't think having other groups, that take a more compromising approach, is necessarily a bad thing.

I do believe the Atlas Society often have a compromising approach, though, as much as they claim not to. I fail to see the distinction between loyalty to Ayn Rand's words vs. "the truth of her fundamental ideas". Pretty sure she used her words to describe those ideas. They also define themselves as the antithesis of their own caricature of ARI...which would be a poor way to define yourself, even if ARI was what they claim it to be (it isn't). I would have more respect for them if they refrained from veiled attacks on ARI in their official mission statement.

[softwareNerd]

I don't know much of the story behind the schism, ...

That schism is so 2000. Objectivists have moved on to many newer schisms since then.