Vonnegut creates a complex religion, Bokononism, ironically to show that the search for ultimate truth seems ridiculous. Instead of a religion more like typical past religions, Bokononism is built upon the ideas that nothing is true. Bokononists rely on random occurrences in life to guide them, yet also abide by ideas uniting them with strangers into "karasses." Vonnegut here is commenting on the fact that any religion of the past that appears to be "true" cannot be, as the ultimate truth can be anything.
When John visits the laboratory where Dr. Hoenikker used to work, the secretary recalls a conversation she had with the doctor about God. Although the Dr. Hoenikker refuses to acknowledges her beliefs, she insists that they are real by saying, “But Go really is love, you know…no matter what Dr. Hoenikker said.” By portraying religion as something that offers people hope, yet cannot really be justified for the most part more than that by this woman, Vonnegut makes his point. The author takes an ironic look at religion, as well as science. Science during the Renaissance and before postmodern writing was supposed to offer answers, yet from Vonnegut’s portrayal, no reader would gather that same opinion of the science shown by Dr. Hoenikker and company. Dr. Hoenikker does not offer ultimate truths that are relevant to the common man. “Protein is the key to life,” is an “answer” suggested by one such scientist. Another instance of this is when Miss Pefko states that she has trouble understanding anything the scientists she worked for say. “I take dictation from Dr. Horvath and it’s just like a foreign language. I don’t think I’d understand-even if I was to go to college.” Knowing this will not truly help anyone. Just empty knowledge that makes little to no difference to others cannot really be full of truth, according to people like the secretary. Vonnegut reveals through these characters the irony of the past and even present, just like postmodernism.
