Spiritual Holocaust

There seems to be a ubiquitous undercurrent of 'love' and 'peace' in modern culture. I'm not exactly sure what these 'love' and 'peace' are, but I do know that the majority of people espousing them live miserable and frenzied lives. If these are the fruits of love and peace then let it be known: I want nothing to do with them.

It's so easy to lose focus of priorities in life. We get caught up in incidental details of our lives and forget that that's just what they are: minute details that were originally designed to bring us closer to our ultimate goals. What are the ultimate goals of the eternalist? The happiness of number 1. Pure and simple. Now it's true that I will donate time and talents to helping those around me, but that is done because I know the 'sacrifice' will lift me up. It will bring me closer to my ultimate goal. When I examine possible pursuits in life (whether daily, weekly, yearly or lifetime pursuits) the first and foremost question to have answered is 'how is this endeavor going to increase my quality of life?' The amount of time and attention devoted to it is adjusted according to how directly it brings me to my goal.

I have heard many 'religious' people attempt to explain hardship or troubles in life as the 'will of God.' I have even read one figure who is quite popular in the mainstream for supposed spiritual virtues speaking of and embracing a Spiritual Holocaust as though some how it would bring one closer to God. The very idea is an offense to all self-respecting rational beings. Once again: any being that would will your misery in any degree is the foulest, most disgusting sort of creature. Such a being is a much more natural definition for 'enemy' than 'God.'

In traditions of God the Nitpicker, there are large numbers of strict rules (rather than principles) that define wrongdoing. In such a tradition it would be relatively easy to find a possible exception to the rule: where a majority of people would agree that the right or ethical thing to do in a particular set of circumstances would be to break the rule or commandment. Now imagine such a situation but on a large scale: imagine a situation where if you, personally, were to perform a single action you would guarantee the eternal well-being of your family and friends. But in the very completion of the act you would damn your own soul to misery forever. If you honestly believe that people go to a better place in death, why not send them there now yourself? You would be a savior would you not? Would this not be a supreme manifestation of love and service on your part?

If you believe that the point of life is service, then serve all the way to your hell. If you believe the point of life is to be miserable for the sake of others, by all means go ahead. No person can serve two masters. Your life will always have a central focus and you will always reap the natural rewards for your actions and the intent for which they were performed. The central focus can be happiness or something else. Simple. The self has and must always have primacy over others. Your happiness must have primacy over all else. That is, the end reason for all action is to bring about happiness. Service, compassion, generosity and all else are a means to that end and are not the ends themselves. Notice that when properly applied, the parent giving their life to save the child is correct; the soldier jumping on the grenade to save his friends is correct. These actions presuppose the immortality of the soul and eternal nature of character and exemplify the virtue of primacy of self.

Peace and love and joy, in their true sense, cannot be realized until we each establish a philosophy centered on our own happiness. If we each do what will make us happy, by lifting those around us, developing character and living a life of achievement extolling the honor of work of the hands and mind then we will have achieved something great indeed.