Politics, Religion and Science

Konrad Sallaway
Mr O' Brien
Cat's Cradle

My Thoughts on Different Schools of Thought
Special Regard Taken Towards Cat’s Cradle

To start, I suppose I should state my beliefs and thoughts on each of the topics to be discussed. Spiritually, I have been most affected by my moderately religious mother. This involved going to church on Sundays as a child. This was eventually phased out, we now only attend on major holidays. I can see how formative childhood years are, that even though I adore logic and reason, I still find myself unable to completely renounce the possibility of a higher power. I take no stock in organized religion, having decided relatively early that spirituality was an incredibly personal relationship between yourself and whatever you believe in. I'm no atheist, but I'm also far from a blind believer in something I can see no evidence of.
Politically, I dislike politicians almost universally, except for Jon Gnarr of Iceland, for the humor in his party. I cannot side with a party that I do not agree with on certain key issues, which happens to be every party. Therefore I am forced to show my hand as an independent. I see the value in democracy and personal freedom, but the glaring, inherent flaws in such a system unsettle me. There is no political system that is perfect and I have accepted that. I am merely left wondering where the line should be drawn, where personal freedom begins to interfere with the workings of the system and where efficiency and happiness are most in balance. As far as I can tell, democracy is that answer, though I have never known another.
Last, but certainly not least, Science. I love science, the wide swaths of knowledge that remain unknown to us, to the methodology and the flat refusal of the easy answer. But to not see the obvious influence politics and religion have had on science over the course of history is to be ignorant. All of these schools can be seen to intertwine throughout the course of history.
Cat's Cradle is a curious book, the views contained within not easily accepted by those not open-minded. Religion is portrayed as a necessary evil, invoking a sense of unity, complacency and hope. Bokonism was a beautiful creation by Vonnegut, allowing him to both extol the virtues that it fostered and criticize the absurd practices contained in all religions. Religion binds people who believe together and widens the gap between those who do believe and those who do not. For the people of San Lorenzo, the secret nature of Bokonism allows the spark of rebellion in all to burn in a nonviolent fashion, it gives them hope, that they resist the government in such a passive-aggressive manner.
Science is shown to be both good and bad, that those things created to give us an advantage can be used to disadvantage others. Ice-9 was to be used to help the military, so slogging through the mud would be no longer necessary. It ended up destroying the world. The atom bomb killed thousands of people, but it opened the way for nuclear reactors and a myriad collection of other applications. The question to be asked is "was it worth it?" The death of many to help even more in the future? I begin to tread on moral and ethical grounds, with no concrete answers and thus am forced to abandon this line of questioning.
Politics is shown to be meaningless and contrived. On this level I can agree with Vonnegut, during my short stay here on Earth so far, I have seen very little done by politicians that would make me want to trust them. How easily the control of the San Lorenzan people is shifted reflects the constant leadership changes in real life.
Cat's Cradle, even when I read it for the first time, changed my views very little. I appreciate the message that Vonnegut conveys, but my views remain for the most part unchanged. Vonnegut is much more radical in his own views than I am and his cynicism gets under my skin, leaving me feeling a little alienated from his worldview, an extreme example of the faults he sees in the world. Then again, his experiences with war left him understandably jaded.

Vonnegut paper

Redefining fire and ice: Vonnegut's views
Vonnegut's words have transcended through recent years as nothing more than banned work that has no place in the classroom. It is no doubt a product of his controversial takes on the same three aspects this paper is centered on. Religion has held a special place in my heart. It has driven me to complete many good deeds as well as given me a community foothold. Vonnegut has not shaken my belief, but rather incited major inward thought and a deeper appreciation for those without the faith. Science is another animal completely; there is no way to predict the next invention or breakthrough. Vonnegut simply reinforced the belief that the method used to explain our world will ultimately destroy it. Politics can always be thrown in the same heap in both life and this novel. They have a deceptive undertone and are simply means to manipulate the people. I would venture to say that the adaptation of politics came with the corruption of religion. Science, politics, and religion have been challenged in vonneguts book but my views and all three have stayed the same.

Religion started with man. It was started as a reason to collect the masses with common hope. This hope of eternal salvation has led men to complete awful tasks in the name of The Lord. We see that as a flaw in religion and not as a flaw in man. Vonnegut has portrayed this perfectly. A small group at the head of the organization poisons the minds of the community to reach some means the benefit that group. While this is organized religion and that in no way is the same thing, it is still the same motive for this abuse of power. People also need to stop blindly following any means to salvation. These these things we call our minds are not complete. We need conflicting thought to learn, even in our religions. What is not needed is more human control over a individual activity, less suppression.

Science is an ever changing beast. We have always evolved out of our old thought processes and traditions. There are rooms for both religion and science at my table because faith without action and exploration is nothing. Vonnegut shows the basic science fiction outcome. Science has guided us through life, but now, yes, right now, it has lead us our doom. He plays with our mortality and expects, just as we do, that the demise of our world as we know it will come from our own hands. Hands bent on ending a war deemed too costly or to suppress some great oppression. Science along with religion and politics, was created by man. You do not see ducks decked out in lab coats explaining why they fly south. Rather, they just do it because it seems natural to them. We are the only organism who ask questions and build such great structures. This blessing will ultimately be our downfall. We trust so much in creations in science to do things for us we are loosing our humanity. A humanity, once fully explained, will show the need for all three.

Politics in its very definition is a mindgame. A ploy used to control masses and create false common interest. Politicians will constantly Spheail that they are for the people but look out for there personal gains. Politics has become a career instead of a duty and that will bite us later. Vonnegut has written this same opinion in much more words. He used religion to show how groups solidify their power through deception and charisma. He then went on to write about politics power on science and how is can effect how or when things are tested. The previous two ideas are wild and powerful. Politics aims to reel these in with sweet talk in order to control them. Politics has no other name than to progress the ranks and redefine what is acceptable to reach those means. Politics uses these and is therefore the least powerful. It has no body to itself but rather is a compilation of a wide range of belief systems. It has a place, in the discussion of ideas, not in the implementation.

Vonnegut has showed his views on these three. He try's to sway the populace. His way of thinking and does a beautiful job attempting.his thoughts, however, are rooted in personal pain and hardship making them hard to indentify with. He mocks the institution of religion yet I believe it would ease his soul. He brings doom in the way of science but doesn't give it praise for sustaining us for so long. Politics perhaps is the only thing I can see the direct line of Vonneguts pen to paper on. These three run our world today and need to be discussed or discovered. We have a responsibility to fully understand these concepts in order to better our world.

A few things to checkout...

HWK for Thursday: Read Breakfast of Champions through page 561.

Link to full movie of Dr. Stangelove or: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb

News on North Korea:
NY Times
CNN

TED TALKS:

Finally, a powerful TED TALK about empathy - both "hilarious and haunting".

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Finding Truth

Nicky Waldeck
English IV
Mr. O’Brien
March 4 2013

Finding Truth

Religion, science, and politics: three of some the most debated and overly aggressive topics in all of humanity. Many try and avoid these in the desire of avoiding confrontation or offensive behavior, but deciding personally what exactly “truth” is in this overly complicated universe is essential to a human’s development. Vonnegut’s take is clear as he openly acknowledges the fact that the world we live in today is chaos. He witnessed the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of civilians during the firebombing of Dresden, and after he became captive of the Germans excavating corpses out of basements. Vonnegut is all-too-familiar with the fact that we can be a fairly awful species. Bokonism, the fictional religion invented by Vonnegut, serves as a specific device. Vonnegut uses this religion to share his views and mock in a sense the conventionality and purpose of religion on earth. As the book ends, I felt as though there is no answer.  Bokonism gives no answers, no exclusive window to the meaning of life, and serves almost no purpose. Vonnegut’s ultimate conclusion is simply this: the world is a mess and unpleasant.
Some say that science, religion, and politics represent two non-overlapping domains, that they are mutually irrelevant. I think all three (politics, science, and religion) are close related.  It is often said that science deals with facts, religion deals with faith, and politics have no relation to either. But in my mind you can’t have one without the other. This irreconcilable conflict between knowledge and belief emphasizes and a false notion of choosing one. I choose both. As science probes the earth, there are problems and questions encountered that cannot be answered scientifically. Science and religion have mutual interests; there is this overarching desire to find truth. All three topics are a very personal matter and much is left up to interpretation. Because of this, there obviously is no right or wrong answer. As a Christian I am raised to accept a certain set of believes, more importantly that my set of believes are superior to all others. This can also be true for politics. My political affiliation is my parents and I was raised to take certain stands on particular issues. Through growing up and meeting new people, I have found that some of my role models in life have a different set of political and or religious ideals leaving me utterly confused. In a world full of chaos and confusion, religion, politics, and science give a nation of order and truth. The different interpretations people take on these issues are not as important as the actual existence of all three and the ability to acknowledge they coexist. Truth may be unattainable, but order is necessary for our sanity.

Coexistance

Kevin Ly     
Mr. O’Brien
English IV
3/6/2013

Coexistence

        For millions of years religion has influenced human life. Sometimes it’s a small influence, while other times it can be the cause of a religious crusade. What is the goal of religion? Is there even a goal to begin with? To me religion is about instilling morals and supporting personal beliefs. Growing up attending a Catholic school, I gradually became a Christian, even though my family is Buddhist. With science advancing so fast it can be hard to keep faith. As a Christian I believe God created the universe, but scientists believe the universe was created by a phenomenon called the “Big Bang.” At the moment, I plan on pursuing a career in science. Some people think this will slowly disprove my religious ideas and cause me to lose my faith. However, after reading Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, I believe that science and religion can coexist peacefully.
        Although religion is millions of years old, so is science. One day half of our ancestors began to believe in a deity, while the other half began making fire. Even though science can prove the cause and effect of certain things, they cannot prove that there is only one thing causing it to happen. Sometimes religion can be seen as a type of barrier between mass destruction and peace. Humans have advanced to the point where we can obliterate the world at any time. For example, the “ice-nine” in Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, can be thought of as the atomic bomb. Ice-nine, a fictional weapon that destroyed the world, has a real life counterpart. Even though this bomb has the power to destroy our planet, who says we cannot make a more powerful weapon? Human morals, instilled through specific religions, teach us that life is sacred. Without religion, humans will only seek power to benefit themselves not as a species, but individually. A dictator would seek and use a more destructive weapon, if it meant he could enslave the world. This raises more questions about the role of religion. For example, many people think that the U.S. should remove “In God We Trust” from currency, taking away religion from politics.
        There were times when the church believed it had more authority than a king. If the church decided everything in this age, the world will be nothing like it is now. In Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, Bokonon, a founder of the religion Bokonism, ordered almost a thousand people to commit suicide. He convinced his believers that God wanted them to die. This chapter made me realize how easily some people are controlled by religion. If the pope said the same thing, how many people would follow him? It’s a possibility that thousands would kill themselves. Religion should be an influence, not a master. Humans are easily corrupted; there are infinite numbers of ways people can be taken advantage of.
        Religion and science may coexist, but politics, in general, should avoid religion. When someone prays for a loved one to get better, they wait for an answer. Some people scoff at them, saying only medicine will make them better. But what if medicine is the answer to their prayers? Scientists are always reaching a wall that is difficult to climb. A prayer can lead them to find the right foot hold needed to climb that wall. There are many things science alone cannot explain, and there are many things that science has disproved about certain religions. I think that the goal of religion is to teach about life, while the goal of science is to improve life.

Wasting your own time?

Matt Hard

English IV

K.O.B

March 6, 2013

Wasting Your Own Time

            I would like to start off by saying that I never understood religion or the people who believe so heavily in it. Some people say it gives them answers to the bigger questions and is the central meaning to life, which throws me off a little. Personally, and please don’t think I am going to try to convince you of anything, I always understood Science to be the underlying principle on why things happen, and I was always told to live my life my own way and just be happy, which is what I view to be the meaning behind life.

            Growing up, my parents always dragged me along to church with them every Sunday, like most young children. Back then I had no complaints, I mean, you wake up on the weekend, go somewhere to play with other kids and read stories, then go upstairs with the grownups and get free doughnuts before going out to lunch. Who could complain? I only started having a problem when I heard people arguing and bickering about other religions and creeds. Up to that point all I knew where stories from which to base your life. I had been under the impression that religion was a guideline, or a basis of which to get your morals. A few years later, when I got to sit up with the grownups, I really disconnected from church. I felt like I was being forced to go somewhere where people were telling me how to live my life and that it was all towards this higher power who made things happen. This had gone against everything I knew and I was no longer comfortable going.

            Thankfully my parents understood that I did not want to be there and that it was not beneficial for me to go. I am grateful to have parents who understand that religion isn’t for everyone. And I must say, ever since I stopped spending my time going to church, thinking about a higher power, and praying in general, I have been so much happier. Life seems so much easier without religion. From where I stand, religion has caused so many complications and has wasted so much time people could have been productive. Wars would have never had been fought. Lives never lost. Politicians would waste less time arguing. Progress would be so much easier. Religion just seems to add so much fuss and so many problems. When people follow religion, they usually end up thinking they are infallible because of the ‘better’ life choices they decided to make. Sometimes it irks me so much that so many people can waste their time living a life they can’t immediately justify.

            As for blindly following religions, I understand people use the argument of faith. That’s great and all, but I do not see why people feel the need to follow religion. Science has given us so many answers and has been proved. It has been the pinnacle of advancing technologies that stand to better the human race, and are not supported by religion. As I said before, my point is not to get into someone else’s beliefs, but rather explain why I don’t feel a need to believe in religion. I don’t see a point to religion when we have a working explanation of why and how things work, granted we don’t know or understand entirely why.

            Additionally, I can completely understand why people have a problem with science. Some fear science because with the advancing understandings, there is a greater risk of the destruction of the human race. In turn, I would like to offer that religion can do the same. Arguments over religion lead to mass murders and even death of third parties who are in neither feuding religion. What is even more concerning is that holy wars a slow and have no real conviction behind it other than belief and faith towards someone you don’t see. In Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, we see both science and religion killing the masses. Ice-Nine, a product of science, kills most of life on Earth. In the same token, Bokonon, leader of his own religion, manages to kill of most of the remaining humans.

            Really to conclude, I would just say that religion and science should not be compared. The juxtaposition between the two is insulting to science. People working in the field have done so much work by way of research, experimenting, and discovering, that religious scholars could not even comprehend. Religious figures, mainly the ones higher up and ‘closer to god’ sit around and can speak with the one and mighty. If this is true, why do we have pressing concerns in the world? The whole god making a world full of choices and opportunities doesn’t fly for me. They are not trials, and tribulations, but likely outcomes determined by science. Magic is great and all for children, but sometimes you need to grow up and try to comprehend a basic understanding of biology, physics, and chemistry to be well informed and make your own purpose in life.

Challenged Opinions: A Response to Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle

Annie Wyman
English IV/Cat’s Cradle Essay
Mr. O’Brien
7 March 2013

Challenged Opinions

The power of literature on my own personal beliefs continues to surprise me. In reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, my opinions on religion, science and politics were challenged. The underlying theme that mostly challenged and widened my views on these topics was the significant amount of passion in which Vonnegut wrote about these three topics. I believe that  when someone writes or speaks with genuine passion, a person can be influenced in almost any way. Learning about what drives those around us can lead us to a deeper understanding of someone who we thought we knew. Opening our eyes to others’ perspectives allow us to free our souls into their passions and truly grasp their side of the story. Vonnegut speaks of science, religion and politics passionately in this novel and is why we are able to delve deeply in his opinions and believe what he is saying.
On the topic of religion, my own personal feelings were definitely challenged in reading this novel. I believe that religion is somewhat a part of my daily life, but definitely not something I center everything I do around. I feel like a spiritual person, but I am not someone deeply devoted to one god or one religion. Although these are my beliefs, I am widely accepting of those who do center their lives around a god or some form of religion. Vonnegut writes about Bokonism in Cat’s Cradle and this was one taste of a very passionate religion where one must be extremely devout in order to follow its practices. The way Bokonon lead his people was in a very charismatic way which, in turn, drove his people to feel he was the divine leader. This kind of passion is what we see drives those around us. For many, religion is their passion in life and keeps them going throughout each and every day. Bokonon gave his people hope and a passionate example for a positive way to lead their lives. By following his teachings, the disciples of Bokonism found a passionate way to go about life. My beliefs on religion were challenged in such that I was able to see a group of people blindly follow a certain ‘god’ or leader. To me, it felt like these followers were somewhat ignorant of their practices. This is a very  biased opinion, of course, because religion is not the driving force in my life. I believe it is necessary for many people to follow or believe in some higher being or power in order to set a moral code for oneself. However, I also believe that one should not follow one god or practice blindly and solely focus on that thing alone. It is important to be aware of your surroundings and be open to evolution and change.
Science is another extremely debatable subject in this day of age. We are seeing more and more that science is a driving force in peoples’ lives. Individuals rely heavily, and sometimes entirely, on the science and facts of things alone. People forget to think for themselves instead of simply learning the facts and sticking to those alone. In consuming one’s life in science alone, a person could lose their knack and instinct for creativity. Basing one’s belief system solely on the science of things can greatly hinder their overall outlook on life. I think it is important to know the facts but then also extract your own beliefs from those facts. You can choose what to believe and practice for your own self. Drawing your own conclusions and continuing to question what’s out there will help a person find their passion and a driving force in life.
Politics are an important part of life - but definitely should not be the center of all life. It is easy to get caught up in the politics of things, but this is not a healthy way to live life. Vonnegut takes an interesting approach to politics, but is not necessarily what I agree with. Staying informed with the current events is what helps a person be a part of a community and identify their place in a community. Deciding your stance on politics and what you believe, may take time, but it’s also how you find your place in life.
In conclusion, Vonnegut’s writing in this novel challenged, but ultimately widened, my beliefs on the topics of religion, science and politics. I think it’s important to find what you’re passionate in but that it’s more important to not let that passion be the sole purpose you live your life. Finding other things you’re interested in can help a person find their place in a community. It is easy to let our passions define us, but there is more to every human being than what they’re passionate about. As citizens of this earth, finding our place is a comforting feeling and we can often do this by finding what we are passionate about.