Speaking of Vonnegut

I was talking to a friend this afternoon:

Me: I have a conception of 'God' and it is not some angry thug flinging lightning bolts around

S: Do you mind if I use that? I like the concept of the old god as a thug, it was Phillip K Dick that first introduced me to the possibility that 'God" might just be standing behind the next corner waiting to jump me.

Me: For me is was Cat's Cradle (by Vonnegut) and the Bokononist last rites. (Bokononism is a made up religion that requires you acknowledge that it is all lies)

And we laughed about it. So, if you haven't read them, here they are, the Bokononist last rites:

(These are given in call response mode, but I'll just print the call, not the repeat response)

God made mud.
God got lonesome.
So God said to some of the mud 'Sit up!'
'See all that I've made,' said God, 'the hills, the sea, the sky, the stars.'
And I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around.
Lucky me, lucky mud.
I, mud, sat up and saw what a nice job God had done.
Nice going God.
Nobody but you could have done it, God! I certainly couldn't have.
I feel very unimportant compared to You.
The only way I can feel the least bit important is to think of all the mud that didn't even get to sit up and look around.
I go so much and most mud got so little.
Thank you for the honor!
Now mud lies down again and goes to sleep.
What memories for mud to have!
What interesting other kinds of sitting-up mud I met!
I loved everything I saw!
Good night.
I will go to Heaven now.
I can hardly wait...


And that is that (except for 3 lines directly relating to the book, and you would have to read the book to understand them....)

By the way, in case you don't recognize the title of this blog, it is from the same book....here is the full Bokononist saying...

"Peculiar Travel Suggestions are dancing lessons from God"