Is there anything in Bokononism that would prevent an atheist from becoming a Bokononist?

I know that a lot of Bokononism references God, like how a karass fulfills a divine purpose.

And in the religion I grew up in, you had to profess a belief before they let you join. But with Bokononism, could someone theoretically not believe in God, yet be intrigued enough by Bokononism, and join, without actually believing in a god?

I'm re-reading Cat's Cradle now for the 2nd or 3rd time.

I long for a community of practicing Bokononists. It’s an incredible religion, but in the absence of an actual full text and of people to practice it alongside, it’s difficult to be a Bokononist I think. No other religion I’ve heard of acknowledges itself as foma, but that’s the only reason I can take Bokononism and nothing else seriously.

Where are you Bokonon!

Can anybody here tell me about Ice 9? Thanks in advance.

When was the last time you said this to yourself, in reference to bokononism? For me it happens most often tooling around facebook or twitter or other social media and seeing how people are connected. While the concept of a karass might not be too well known, pretty much every adult is aware of the concept of six degrees of separation. Though there are billions of us, the world of people is a very small place. And busy. Lotta stuff going on, behind the scenes and right on the surface. Busy, busy, busy

Just reread Cat's Cradle. Kind of wish Bokononism is a thing. Maybe it could be?

Also, I had the pleasure to share real life Boko Maru with a very dear friend of mine very recently.

Say there's another Karass, that greatly mirrors yours.

Is there a word for that?

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-iJUbN0hzM

McCabe says near his death he wished he had Bokonon on the hook and even in the book there's a stanza about if he himself does go on the hook.

What difference would had been made if Bokonon did go on the hook? Or hoooookaaaah to some of you

I enjoy doing small scale sociological experiments. When someone asks what your religion is, just claim that you are a Bokononist. I have done this a few times and rarely have people gotten the joke. Anybody else ever do this?

The most common responses: -just a nod of the head, sometimes with a frown. -"tell me about that... I've never heard of it" -"I think I've heard of that... aren't you guys the ones who [insert almost any random stereotype]?"

The people who actually get the joke just give a small laugh generally and then we talk about the book or others by Vonnegut.

The concept of gran falloonery has grown on me and somehow become profound and enlightening. It has helped me to be less prejudiced against others. Whether it be religion, culture or dare i say race (how is it that we can no longer admit to these ingrained biases). By looking on all these man made groups (gran falloons) as silly helps me to look at us all as simply human. Maybe this shows a weakness (common though it may be) in my makeup, but Kurt has pointed out a simple human frailty (as I see prejudice and mysogeny) in a humerous and useful way.

Please explain other areas where Vonnegut has 'shined a light' on important issues for you in his entertaining and satirical manner.

Or just love and fomas in general? As opposed to the monolith conceptions of monotheism? For all I know bokononism is similar in pedagogy compared to Sufism, a branch of Islam, minus the worshipping part.

Personally I like the quote:

"Tiger got to hunt,

Bird got to fly;

Man got to sit and wonder, "Why, why, why?"

Tiger got to sleep,

Bird got to land;

Man got to tell himself he understand."

-Bokonon

While bokononism is an obvious satirization of organized religion, I think it is important to point out that it isn’t an indictment of it.

The core concept of the religion, foma (harmless untruths), seems to draw comparisons to the existentialism movement that found its most prominence around the same time Cat’s Cradle was published.

The primary facet of existentialism lies in an acceptance of the world as a landscape devoid of necessary meaning. For philosophers like Camus and Sartre this meant that finding meaning through a supernatural lens played no part in how one’s life turned out.

This then brings us to the core philosophy behind existentialism; how to find meaning in the world without finding it extrinsically. The burden of choice all of a sudden resides entirely on one’s own being. Each and every choice you make paints the picture that is your life, and while external factors have a huge role in how your life plays own, finding meaning amongst that madness relies entirely on you. In a post-World War II French landscape, this idea of personal responsibility became very popular.

When approaching Bokononism though, it is necessary to go back to the 19th century to the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. Often regarded as the father of existentialism, he was also a devout Christian and theologian. Based on the way in which Camus and Sartre approach this philosophy, it might not seem apparent how Christianity has a place.

To Kierkegaard, the crux of belief and of faith does not exist on an entirely material level. Taking a ‘Leap of Faith’ really is a type of leap that you have to take beyond the realm of material possibilities. You have to understand that finding meaning through faith takes a concerted effort to push past the apparent meaninglessness of the world.

So how does this fit in with bokononism? The whole idea of the religion is that it is founded on lies. The key part of foma is that it isn’t simply untruths, but harmless untruths. Believing in bokononism is making an existential choice. Whether or not it’s true takes a backseat to whether or not it provides people with comfort and meaning.

This to me is what Vonnegut was really trying to get across. Not that religion is absurd in a bad way, but that it’s necessarily absurd in order help people find meaning in a world where meaning is hard to come by.

Boko-maru – the supreme act of worship of the Bokononists, which is an intimate act consisting of prolonged contact between the naked soles of the feet of two persons.

"Busy, busy, busy" – what a Bokononist whispers whenever he thinks about how complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is.

"Calypso" – song from The Books of Bokonon. Eight such songs are cited in Cat's Cradle, some of them are presented with a title (i.e. On Dynamic Tension or The Boko-maru Calypso) and others are presented with a number (i.e. The Hundred-and-nineteenth Calypso). The Calypsos illustrate various aspects of the teachings of Bokonon.

Duffle – the destiny of thousands of people placed on one stuppa

Duprass – a karass that consists of only two people. This is one of the few kinds of karass about which one can have any reliable knowledge. The two members of a duprass live lives that revolve around each other, and are therefore often married. "A true duprass can't be invaded, not even by children born of such a union." The novel cites the example of "Horlick Minton, the New American Ambassador to the Republic of San Lorenzo, and his wife, Claire." The two members of a duprass always die within a week of each other.

Foma – harmless untruths; lies that, if used correctly, can be useful.

Granfalloon – a false karass; i.e., a group of people who imagine they have a connection that does not really exist. An example is "Hoosiers"; Hoosiers are people from Indiana, and Hoosiers have no true spiritual destiny in common, so they really share little more than a name. Another example is a Cornellian, a student or graduate of Cornell University.

Kan-kan – the instrument which brings one into one's karass

Karass – A group of people linked in a cosmically significant manner, even when superficial links are not evident.

"Now I will destroy the whole world" – What a Bokononist says before committing suicide.

Pool-pah – wrath of God or "shit storm"

Saroon – to acquiesce to a vin-dit

Sin-wat – a person who wants all of somebody's love for him/herself

Sinookas – the tendrils of one's life

Stuppa – a fogbound child (i.e. an idiot)

Vin-dit – a sudden shove in the direction of Bokononism

Wampeter – the central theme or purpose of a karass. A karass generally has one wampeter that it revolves around, but there can be two if one is shifting out of focus (waning) and a new one is coming in as the central theme (waxing).

Wrang-wrang – someone who steers a Bokononist away from a line of speculation by reducing that line, with the example of the wrang-wrang's own life, to an absurdity.

Zah-mah-ki-bo – fate, inevitable destiny

Source

As we know, foma are "lies"; "harmless untruths"; "a useful and harmless sort of horseshit"

Verse 5 of the first book of Bokononism says, "Live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy!"

So, my friends, my karass, to which worldly foma do YOU subscribe? To what harmles horseshit and lies do you adhere in order to make yourself happy, brave, and kind?

Busy, busy, busy

Feel free to suggest new user and post flairs.

...As it was meant to happen, I suppose.