Science versus Religion in Cat’s Cradle - 1410 Words

â€Å"The idea that philosophy and science can be combined to give us the best possible knowledge about the world and how to act within it is an old one, encapsulated by the classic concept of scientia, a Latin word that means knowledge† (Pigliucci 6). In the book Cat’s Cradle the main topic of debate is clearly science versus religion. In many ways, these two topics are very different, but in others, they are quite similar. Both science and religion have a common goal, to find truth in the world. The main character of Cat’s Cradle is a man named John. At the beginning of the book, John is a Christian who is doing research on Felix Hoenikker, the maker of the atomic bomb. His attempt to learn about the science behind the bomb leads him to a†¦show more content†¦Pigliucci clearly believes that science and religion are both means of discovering new things, and if combined, they can be used even more effectively. In Cat’s Cradle the main character Jo hn starts his quest for knowledge by doing research about a recent scientific discovery. He decides to learn all he can about the making of the atomic bomb. His research leads him to a small island called San Lorenzo. On this island is where he first learns about Bokononism. Although it is illegal to be a Bokononist on the island of San Lorenzo, everyone is. The president has made the religion illegal to add a sense of excitement and purpose to the lives of his citizens. In doing this, he helps make the religion more important in the eyes of his people, which in the long run gives purpose to the lives of his citizens. In Cat’s Cradle, Bokononism plays a major role in the lives of all the characters. On the island of San Lorenzo, it is forbidden to be a Bokononist, but the citizens think it’s important enough to break the law. Everyone on the island is a Bokononist. â€Å"Everyone on the island, including papa Monzano, is a Bokononist. The persecution of Bokononism is an elaborate game, meant to give the religion more zest† (Marvin 82). The leaders on the island decided to make the religion illegal to add more excitement to the lives of the people on San Lorenzo. By making the religion illegal, the leaders