A major effect of the novel (this may be a view of Bulgakov or it may just be his presentation of a reality in Soviet Russia) is the result of spiritual encounters: all those people end up in the psyche hospital. Religion, or spirituality, in Bulgakov's Moscow is something demanding institutionalization.
All of the events are unbelievable, and even absurd, but spirituality is just that (at least to some extent).
The people of this novel may be godless, but they aren't necessarily morality-less. We see this as the bartender goes into Woland's place and is greeted by the "shameless maid" who he considers abominable and disgraceful.
Darby
You bring up a great point. The fact that everyone who had a personal encounter with the spiritual elements of the novel ended up in a psychiatric ward, dead, or otherwise really confused goes to show how such spiritual elements have huge impact on every witness of them in Bulgakov's perspective.
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