Changes

==Early life==

==Early life==

Vonnegut was born to a prominent family in [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]].  His father's family (surname "Funnegut" changed to "Vonnegut") immigrated from [[Germany]] to [[America]] in the early 19th century. They regarded themselves as [[atheist]]s, styling themselves "freethinkers", one of his ancestor's relatives arranging to have his disbelief in life after death expressed at his funeral oration.

Vonnegut was born to a prominent family in [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]].  His eight great-grandparents (father's surname "Funnegut" changed to "Vonnegut"<ref>Vonnegut, Kurt (1981). ''Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage'' (New York:  Dell), p. 24.</ref>) immigrated from [[Germany]] to [[America]] in the mid-19th century.<ref>''Palm Sunday'', pp. 22-23.</ref> His father's family regarded themselves as [[atheist]]s, Vonnegut styling them "Free Thinkers"<ref>''Palm Sunday'', p. 193.</ref>, one of his ancestors arranging to have his disbelief in life after death expressed at his funeral oration.

His parents' wedding was held as a grand event in Indianapolis, attended by those in the highest social circles there. His father trained as an architect and Vonnegut recounts he would often tell true stories with what he felt were unusual outcomes that he felt stood on their own merit as worth telling.

His parents' wedding was held as a grand event in Indianapolis, attended by those in the highest social circles there.<ref>''Palm Sunday'', p. 51.</ref> His father trained as an architect and Vonnegut recounts he would often tell true stories with what he felt were unusual outcomes that he felt stood on their own merit as worth telling.

Vonnegut was one of three children, his brother Bernard growing up to become an esteemed atmospheric physicist.  Like so many in America when the Great Depression hit, his family suffered from financial insecurity, and when his father brought over a businessman offering a suspicious investment that gave his father hope of regaining that security, the precocious younger Vonnegut questioned the issuer, much to the consternation of his father, but the businessman later ended up cheating many in Indianapolis out of their wealth when his scheme turned out to be fraudulent.

Vonnegut was one of three children, his brother Bernard growing up to become an esteemed atmospheric physicist.  Like so many in America when the Great Depression hit, his family suffered from financial insecurity, and when his father brought over a businessman offering a suspicious investment that gave his father hope of regaining that security, the precocious younger Vonnegut questioned the issuer, much to the consternation of his father, but the businessman later ended up cheating many in Indianapolis out of their wealth when his scheme turned out to be fraudulent.

==Afterwards and religious beliefs==

==Afterwards and religious beliefs==

Vonnegut described himself as an [[agnosticism|agnostic]]/[[atheism|atheist]]/[[secular humanist]] and in 1992 won the "Humanist of the Year" award (He referred to himself as a "Christ loving agnostic" and then later as a "Christ loving atheist" at an event).<ref>[https://salo.iu.edu/index.php/our-smart-friends/kurt-vonnegut-christ-loving-atheist/ Kurt Vonnegut, “Christ-Loving Atheist”] by Dan Wakefield, Salo University</ref> He attributed his agnosticism/atheism to having studied anthropology. In ''Hocus Pocus'' one of his characters is disrespectful of those with faith, rebutting the observation of "there were no atheists in foxholes" with the comment, "There's a Chaplain who never visited the front."<ref>[http://atheism.about.com/library/quotes/bl_q_KVonnegut.htm Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus, pg. 182]</ref> Also, in later writings Vonnegut referred to conservative Christians as "not-so-closeted white supremacists, aka “Christians".<ref>http://www.inthesetimes.com/comments.php?id=38_0_4_0_C</ref> Concerning the saying "[[There Are No Atheists In Foxholes|There are no atheists in foxholes]]", Vonnegut said, “People say there are no atheists in foxholes. A lot of people think this is a good argument against atheism. Personally, I think it's a much better argument against foxholes.”<ref>[https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/186949-people-say-there-are-no-atheists-in-foxholes-a-lot Kurt Vonnegut quote]</ref>

Vonnegut described himself as an [[agnosticism|agnostic]]/[[atheism|atheist]]/[[secular humanist]] and in 1992 won the "Humanist of the Year" award (He referred to himself as a "Christ loving agnostic" and then later as a "Christ loving atheist" at an event).<ref>[https://salo.iu.edu/index.php/our-smart-friends/kurt-vonnegut-christ-loving-atheist/ Kurt Vonnegut, “Christ-Loving Atheist”] by Dan Wakefield, Salo University</ref>

A detailed analysis of Vonnegut's religious views found him to be a great admirer of [[Christianity]], but not [[Christian]] himself.<ref>https://imagejournal.org/article/kurt-vonnegut/</ref>  Dan Wakefield observed, “Except for [[John Updike]], a confessed [[Christian]], and James Baldwin, who had been a junior minister at a [[Pentecostal]] church as a boy in [[Harlem]], it is hard to think of any other leading writer of the era who mentioned [[Jesus]] at all, except as a curse word.”<ref>https://imagejournal.org/article/kurt-vonnegut/</ref>

 

 

A detailed analysis of Vonnegut's later religious views found him to be a great admirer of [[Christianity]], but not [[Christian]] himself.<ref>https://imagejournal.org/article/kurt-vonnegut/</ref>  Dan Wakefield observed, “Except for [[John Updike]], a confessed [[Christian]], and James Baldwin, who had been a junior minister at a [[Pentecostal]] church as a boy in [[Harlem]], it is hard to think of any other leading writer of the era who mentioned [[Jesus]] at all, except as a curse word.”<ref>https://imagejournal.org/article/kurt-vonnegut/</ref>

Robert Scholes gave this review of the ''Slaughterhouse-Five'' in the ''New York Times'' Book Review:<ref>http://www.vonnegutweb.com/sh5/index.html</ref>

Robert Scholes gave this review of the ''Slaughterhouse-Five'' in the ''New York Times'' Book Review:<ref>http://www.vonnegutweb.com/sh5/index.html</ref>