Father-Son

I've got a lot in common with my father =, we both look alike, we both play football, we both grew up in Evanston, and we share similar interests. Even with all these things in common we are distant. Distant in terms of communication, growing up my dad never talked to me about his relationship with his father and him growing up. It's a distance between us and we are both concious of it but do little to nothing to try to change the fact. It's a void in my life and hopefully I'm more open with my son. Me going on 17 I think it's too late to address the issue as I will be out on my own in two years. I think it is unfortunate but nobody's life is perfect. On the flip side my dad has been with me my whole life and has took care of me my whole life.

How Do We Know What We Know?

How do we know what we know what we know? While there is no definite answer, I believe most of human's knowlege come from teachings from people who take that profession. These teachings are based mostly from scientific findings from the past and other findings over the course of human history. So, in a way we are "programmed" in a way by our society of facts and lessons they deem correct or acceptable. As a people we dont have to find knowledge for ourselves it is given to us.
I believe there are pros and cons to this method of the discovery of knowledge. One of the good things about this method is that it allows us to progress as a people instead of people learning the same thing over and over again and not going foward. It lessens the ignorance of people to an extent. The con is that you can program people to a point were people can't function by finding they're own knowledge and creating "dependent robots."
Another way we gain knowledge is through the five senses, for example knowing something is hot by touching it, knowing you like something by tasting it, and thinking something is beautiful by seeing it.

Our Meaning

Our meaning and exisistence in this world is a question that is not yet answered to me and I believe wont be solved as long as I live. Unless there is a breakthrough wheter it be scientifaclly or religiously. I don't know what phenomenon needs to happen to give humans a sastisfactory and universal answer to life. Im not sure they'll ever be a phyiscal "happening," where everyone is enlightened. Maybe that is the meaning of life; to pursue the great unknown for all time, maybe the universe was designed intentionally in a way in which it hid the unkmnown knowledges from humans. Maybe for all the years we've been on earth we've missed the big picture. Something so complex, we cant imagine to fathom. Maybe there is no life in other galaxies, and universes, and we seek the ultimate answer when there really is none.

God In 2010

I believe god is becoming less prevalent i n our society than it was was when our founding fathers created the constitution of the untied states. I believe the biggest component in this change has been the up rise in technology and machinery over the some odd two hundred plus years. As technology advances our society (and others) tend to break away from traditional beliefs like homosexuality, cryonics, abortion, physical manipulation (botox, liposuction), and many other things have now been deemed acceptable in our society. The more man advances the more he will question "god," and his existence. religion is still embedded in our societal structure but to the extent that it is used and implemented to the majority of Americans has totally changed. It no longer carries the same weight it did two centuries ago. Also, as man continues to expand technology into space, whatever that may be, I believe will have a huge impact on religion and the idea of "god" in general because so many religions incorporate space, the universe, and astrology.