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.