For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. (Ps 96:5).
On Reddit, there is a subreddit called whatisthisthing. In this group, people post pictures of objects they found but cannot identify. There are many interesting objects identified there. For example, someone posted a picture of an egg he found at a beach. It is hard, and on it the text says Maxer. Then people identified it as an egg surrogate. Sometimes a chicken gets moody and destroy the eggs, but if you replace real eggs with those, then the chicken feels like she's sitting on real eggs and cannot damage them. Another person posted a picture of a little “room” at the peak of an old barn. Since there was no easy way of accessing it, its purpose looked like a mystery. Then someone answered "This is a nesting area for barn owls. Barn owls are not destructive and they eat rodents."
So, to identify an object, you need to find what it is made for. Without knowing the purpose behind its existence, you cannot identify an object. So, to understand what a human being is, we have to ask what a human being is made for. Some believe a human being is a chance product of blind evolution. Then you have to say there is no purpose in life. Only the most dedicated atheists are satisfied with this view. Most people still want to know what we live for. Some philosophers say, "You should not use the words meaning and life together, as 'meaning of life' because they are not supposed to be used together." But that is like telling a crying baby "You don't need your mother. You don't need milk. Just stop crying." Whatever your clever philosophy says, we have a strong desire to know the meaning of life, and we cannot stop searching for it because of a philosophical argument.
In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle presents happiness as the ultimate goal of life. He starts by distinguishing action and goal. We do things for something else, and ultimately, he said, the goal that we try to reach through our activities is happiness. For example, money is not the goal of life, because we pursue it for something else. But happiness is something we want for its own sake, so it can be seen as the ultimate goal. In Greek, happiness is eudaimonia. It is from eu (good) and daimon (divinity or god). It means happiness is something that is given by the goodwill of the gods. Seeing happiness as something we receive is the opposite of our concept of happiness. For us, happiness is something we achieve. Like Chris Gardner, whose story is depicted in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, we relentlessly pursue happiness against all odds, so that we can proudly declare with Frank Sinatra, "I faced it all, and I stood tall and did it my way." So, for us, happiness is not just a goal. It is a proof of our independence, and the idea of passively receiving it is abhorrent to us. However, in the past, happiness was thought of as something given to us. Even in English, happy is derived from hap, which means luck. In German, Glück means both luck and happiness. So, to be happy, you need luck. But that's not how most people think today. We struggle to be happy. We plan to be happy. We build a system that enables us to be happy. Our pursuit of happiness is so fierce that Bertrand Russell even used the expression, the conquest of happiness.
Today, almost everyone agrees that we need two things to be happy: money and love. What is money? Money is the extracted value of things. There is value in everything, but money presents and reserves the value in an easily exchangeable form. Because money can be easily handled, it is very attractive, just as sugar, as an easily digested form of calories, is attractive.
There are two Christian attitudes toward money. First, in traditional Catholic thinking, poverty, or a lifestyle of not having money, is considered an important virtue, just like chastity and humility. In that tradition, not having money is considered to be a sign of spirituality. On the other hand, as Max Weber pointed out, Protestants accept money as something positive. John Wesley represents the Protestant position the best when he says, "Earn as much as you can, save as much as you can, and give as much as you can." Most Protestants believe that as long as money is used for God's glory, being wealthy is not something negative.
But each position has its problems. I grew up in a poor country, which became a wealthy country. So, I remember what it was like to live in a poor country. When I was little, South Korea had so many problems, like political oppression and corruption. But as the South Korean economy grew, most of the social problems of the past disappeared (even though new problems arose, like mental issues). Poor countries have similar problems: political instability, corruption, children who have to work instead of studying, sick people who cannot go to the hospital, etc. Often, poverty hampers human development, and when a country is poor, most people in that society cannot develop properly. That's why missionaries often get involved with economic development. When people are poor, they are more easily tempted to steal, tell lies, receive bribes, and neglect their families. Often, poor people get involved with crime because they are so desperate, and desperate people are willing to take risks. Even though poverty can be a sign of devotion to God, it can also be a trap that keeps people in misery.
But there are very few people today who accept poverty willingly. Most people are eager to make money, and they want to do it quickly. They love to hear how people got rich fast, like winning the lottery, investing in startups in the 1990s, or investing in cryptocurrency today. In their desire to get rich quickly, they fall victim to schemes that are designed to lure them. Even normal economic activities can cause a lot of stress. If you are a business person, you have to face many challenges and take many risks. So, we might lose sight of God while we try to simply make some money. That's why Paul said, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." (1 Timothy 6:10) Capitalism is a system of desire. If people don't desire more, capitalism cannot function. You are supposed to buy new phones, drive better cars, and move to better houses. All the advertisements you see everyday generate more cravings for things you don't need. Eventually, you realize you need more money to buy all these things. The reason we "piece ourselves with many pangs," as Paul said, is because we want more.
Money is attractive because there are several benefits to it. First, money gives you small pleasures. Anyone who thinks money gives big pleasures is bound to be disappointed. Great pleasure always leads to pain. As Socrates says in Phaedo, pleasure and pain "seem to be joined together in one head." For example, if you like to drink a lot, eat a lot, or do drugs, you will have to face painful consequences later. But money can give you small pleasures. You can drink a really nice cup of coffee, wear a nice pair of shoes, and use the newest phone. These are not life-changing experiences, but nice nonetheless. Also, money can solve small problems. When you don't have money, every small problem is a big problem. If you don't have bus fare, you have to visit your friend 10km away is a huge problem. If you don't have enough money to buy food for your family or shoes for your children, you will feel really bad, and you might be depressed. I have a friend who couldn't join in the gift exchange event because he didn't have money to buy a small gift. For most of us, the event was supposed to be fun, but for him, it was an occasion of huge embarrassment. When I was younger, I was very poor, and I didn't have money to buy enough food. One day, I joined others who went to the supermarket in a minivan, thinking I could enjoy watching food for free. Then, on the way, I heard I needed to pay half a euro for the ride. I didn't have money, so I decided to get off and walk back home. It was a very unpleasant experience I could have avoided if I had had money. Finally, money makes you happy if you are poor. The only people whom money can truly make happy are the poor because, once they become rich, they take money for granted and are not happy having it. That's what you see in rich countries. Are people in wealthy countries happy because they are rich? No, it's quite normal for them, and they are not particularly excited about having so much money. However, they are worried that they might lose money (for example by losing their jobs). For them, money is not a source of happiness anymore and only a source of worry. So, money can give you small pleasures and can make you happy only if you are poor.
There are three important areas where money can help only to a limited degree. The first is relationship. As The Beatles sang, you cannot buy love. You may say, "But women like rich men!" That is a too simplistic understanding of the complex feminine way of thinking, and, even when a woman likes you because you are rich, your money cannot guarantee that she will continue to like you. When it comes to your children, money helps even less. You think your children would be grateful for all the money you provided for them, but they aren't. Money cannot guarantee that you will have a good relationship with your family. The second area is health. Of course, if you have money, you have a better chance of staying healthy. It's no surprise that Monaco, a country of millionaires, has the highest life expectancy in the world. But that's just average. Even if you are a billionaire, you might die at any age in an accident or through sickness, and all the wealth in the world cannot help you. Finally, if you have a legal problem, money is of limited help. You might hire the best lawyer money can buy, but it doesn't guarantee that you will stay away from jail. The law is designed to ignore the difference in wealth, so a rich criminal is supposed to be punished the same as a poor criminal. In that situation, money is not your savior.
So, money is of limited help in important areas of life. But, at the same time, being rich is not a sin. In fact, Paul didn't say we should reject or condemn the rich, but to teach them how to live as rich:
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17–19)
The first thing for a rich Christian to do is not to be haughty. Many rich people are conceited. They think because they are rich, they are entitled. They think everyone should listen to what they say. But that should not be the attitude of rich Christians. Also, they should not set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but on God. Many people want to be rich because money gives them security. But Paul thinks money is not reliable, because money can never provide security for us. As The Message renders it, "money, which is here today and gone tomorrow." Our security is in God. We can trust that he will provide us with "everything to enjoy." Also, rich Christians should do good, which means spending their wealth on good works. God gave them wealth so that they could be a channel of his blessing to others. I know several rich Christians who faithfully contribute to God's causes. They are an important part of God's plan.
Another thing people look for to be happy is love, especially romantic love. According to C. S. Lewis, our concept of romantic love originated from the courtly love of 12th-century France. Until then, romantic love was considered a tragic madness "which plunges otherwise sane people (usually women) into crime and disgrace," like in the case of Medea or Dido, or "one of the minor peccadilloes of life" as in Ovid. Then, Europeans came to see romantic love through the influence of the courtly love sung by poets in the south of France, and now love is considered one of the most important elements of life. Then, in modern times, love became even more powerful when it came to getting connected with marriage. In most societies, marriage is not a personal affair but a family affair. So, in Korea before modernization, you were supposed to see your marriage partner for the first time only on your wedding day. It was not important whether you liked your partner because your parents decided your marriage based on family interests. However, in the 18th century, as individualism began to rise in the West, people began to choose marriage partners based on their emotions. Now, we are living in a world where love is worshipped. People "love to love" and think if they can find true love, nothing else matters.
Love is so attractive to us because God commanded us to be fruitful. Having children is an important part of being fruitful. To have children, you need a partner. So, when you are in love, you are getting close to being fruitful. Also, through love, we find God's other side. The Bible says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) God didn't just create man in his own image. He created them male and female. Without male and female, the image of God is not fully displayed. Men and women represent God together. But since we are male or female, we only understand one side of God. However, when we are united with the opposite sex, we get to experience the hidden side of God. As creatures, there is nothing more exciting than to experience God through the opposite sex. That's why love is so popular.
For those who do not believe in God, evolutionary psychology explains why romantic love makes us so happy. According to it, we have evolved to be attracted to certain characteristics of the opposite sex. For example, imagine what happens to the genes of a man who only likes women past menopause. He would only mate with women who could not have children, so his genes would not be passed on. But, if a man likes young, fertile women, his genes will be passed on without a problem. So, we are descendants of men who liked young women. It's the same with beauty. Beauty is a sign of health, and those men who liked beautiful women passed on their genes, while those who only liked ugly women couldn't pass on their genes because those women were much less successful in childbearing. So, when a man falls in love with a young and beautiful woman, he repeats the same strategy that has been successful in passing on genes, and that makes him happy unconsciously. It's the same with women. Those women who liked incompetent men could not pass their genes on because their partners couldn't provide for them. Also, those women who only liked insensitive men were abandoned by their partners and had a very small chance of passing on genes because they could not survive without the provision of their partners. So, women like competent and sensitive men. We are physically programmed to seek a certain kind of partner, and when we find that kind of partner, we are happy.
So, whatever the cause is, we love to love. Not only do we seek love, but we also watch romantic movies and TV shows. Usually, they show what we dream of happening. For example, Notting Hill is a male fantasy about an ordinary man who meets a superstar by chance, who falls in love with him and loves him unconditionally. Similarly, The Big Bang Theory shows nerds who find wonderful women who love them. How I Met Your Mother is about a guy who realizes that his true love is his best friend, who has been hanging out with him for years. Friends is about a group of six friends, of whom four marry each other. While true love is so difficult to find, we at least watch those movies and TV shows.
In a Greek myth, Paris had to choose the fairest goddess, and when three goddesses offered power, wisdom, and love, he chose the goddess that offered love to him. This goddess was Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Aphrodite winning the contest means our desire for love is more powerful than our desire for power or wisdom. Aphrodite was worshipped widely across the Mediterranean basin. Besides being called Aphrodite in Greece, Venus in Rome, and Ishtar in Mesopotamia, she was called Ashtaroth in Canaan. The Bible says that as soon as Joshua died, "They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth." (Judges 2:13) Israel, which was called by God to bring God's light into Canaan, was influenced by Canaan and worshipped their gods. Baal was a storm god associated with fertility. It means if you worship Baal, you will have a good harvest, and you will become rich. Ashtaroth was the goddess of love. If you worship Ashtaroth, you will find a good partner with whom you can enjoy amazing sex. Imagine how attractive this idea was. Wealth and sex! That was the reward for abandoning the God of Israel. And, isn't it any different today? The world promises wealth and sex for those who are willing to worship the god of this world, who follow the demands of society.
So, you want money and sex to be happy. There is a religion that promises to fulfill that desire, and that is animism. Animism is attractive because it is a simple religion that relies on idols that represent gods in nature to gain money and sex to make you happy. When Paul explained the gospel systematically in his letter to the Romans, he started with the idolatry of animism.
Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:22–23)
N. T. Wright believes that this passage shows idolatry is the most fundamental human sin. In fact, we can find idolatry in every nation throughout history. Idolatry is universal because it is based on the original plan of God. Paul says, "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." (Romans 1:20) In other words, God revealed his divinity in nature so that they could find God. When they saw the majestic mountains and boundless seas, they were supposed to say, "Since nature is so wonderful, there must be an amazing creator behind it." But, instead, they said, "Since nature is so wonderful, nature must be gods." So, they created idols according to "images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." (Romans 1:23) Then, they tried to manipulate those gods to get what they wanted. This is the origin of magic. James Frazer, an anthropologist who wrote The Golden Bough, explained that there are two principles of magic: first, the law of similarity assumes that “like produces like,” meaning that an effect can be achieved by imitating it. This is the idea behind the Korean tradition of pregnant women avoiding eating chicken so that they would not give birth to a baby with chicken skin. Second, the law of contagion posits that things once in contact continue to influence each other even after separation. This can be seen in many cultures, where people try to cast spells using the hair or fingernail of the target.
There are many names for this old form of religion. Since there are many gods, it is called polytheism. Since it is believed by the unsophisticated population, it is called folk religion. Since it is practiced by non-Christians (pagans), it is called paganism. Finally, since they believe there are spirits (animate beings) in nature, it is called animism. I will call it animism because it is the least judgemental.
There are several characteristics of animism. First, they believe that there are gods in nature. Thales expressed it the best when he said, "All things are full of gods." Also, they believe they can be rewarded by offering sacrifices to gods. So, when God said through Hosea, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings," it was a big challenge to animism. Finally, they worship idols. Animists don't like concepts like "invisible God." They want to see their gods, and idols are the visible gods for them.
Animism is not one religion. Rather, it is a name for the folk religions in the world that have a certain relationship with the gods. So, the animism of the Celts may not have anything to do with the animism of Japan except the tendency to worship nature through idols. You should not expect animisms of different nations to have a common origin as different branches of Buddhism can be traced back to the historical figure of Buddha.
In animism, there are always holy places, especially mountains. For example, Mount Olympus in Greece is where the twelve Olympian gods were supposed to reside. Mount Fuji is an important place in Shintoism. Mount Baekdu, which is located on the border between North Korea and China, is considered to be holy by many Koreans. Sometimes rivers are considered to be holy as well. Ganges is the holiest river in Hinduism, and many Hindus make a pilgrimage to it. The the Nile is such an important part of Egypt that Herodotus said, "Egypt is the gift of Nile." In ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh performed religious rituals each year to make sure the Nile would overflow. Trees are often worshipped in animism. Tree worship can be found in almost all cultures. We see traces of tree worship in Christmas trees and Maypoles today. Also, human beings can be considered to be divine. Political leaders like Pharaoh or Roman Emperor were worshipped by their subjects. The Emperor of China is called the Son of Heaven because he rules China with the authority given by Heaven. You may think it's ridiculous to believe human beings are divine, but even today, you see people worshipping celebrities like gods. Also, in Korea and Japan, there are a special kind of singers called "Idols." They are created to be objects of worship, and many people spend a lot of money to show their admiration for them.
In many cultures, animism is combined with other religions. Shintoism is a good example. In Shintoism, animism is combined with Buddhism and emperor worship. In China, animism is combined with the philosophy of Lao-Tzu to form Taoism, which is an important part of the religious landscape of China. In Hinduism, the elements of animism are still so strong that if you go to a Hindu temple, you might think Hinduism is just another animism. In many countries, Muslims practice folk Islam, which is a syncretism between Islam and animism. For example, idols, which are strictly forbidden in Islam, might be worshipped in folk Islam. Also, talismans or amulets for protection or good fortune are accepted. Christianity can be mixed with animism, too. Many reformers criticized the Catholic church for its "superstitious practices" because they saw animism infiltrate the church. Then, in turn, many evangelical Christians seem to be influenced by animism when they accept the authority of "prophets" who tell them what business to run or whom to marry. There is no such concept in the Bible. They are simply shamanism crept into the church.
While newer religions like Buddhism or Christianity often cross the cultural border easily, animism is usually combined with nationalism. We see a good example of this in Acts. When Paul preached the gospel in Asia, Ephesians felt threatened because it meant their goddess Artemis (Diana) would be abandoned by Asians and also because they could not sell idols of Artemis anymore. So, they began a riot, crying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" (Acts 19:28) For them, Artemis was not just a goddess but a goddess of their community. When the whole community worships an idol, it gives them an identity. So, the best way to make a bunch of people a nation is to introduce a common object of worship. That's why the Roman Empire forced everyone to worship the emperor. It united various ethnic groups in the empire into one. In the same way, Japan forced Koreans to worship the Japanese emperor in Shinto temples during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945) to turn Koreans into Japanese.
Today, many people show interest in animism because they want to reconnect with their ancestors. For example, the Africans in the New World tried to find their identity in the religion of their ancestors, so there are many African animistic religions popular among African descendants. Voodoo is probably the most well-known example. It is widespread among African descendants in Caribbean islands, Louisiana in the US, and Brazil. Another religion popular among the African descendants is Rastafari. It is a syncretic religion that mixes Christianity with animism from Africa. Since it has elements of Christianity, they can use powerful concepts like Messiah (whom they think is Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia), but they also have animistic ideas, like the belief in spirits associated with natural forces and ancestor worship. In Scandinavia, there are indigenous people called Sami. They have their own language, culture, and religion. This religion is shamanistic and is closely connected with their identity. In Korea, the founder of Korea, Dangun, is accepted as a divine being by some people, and many worshipped him during the Japanese occupation.
We have many practices from animism with us, even though we don't recognize them as such. For example, days of the week are named after the gods of animism, like Thursday from Thor or Giovedi (Italian for Thursday) from Jupiter. The Christmas tree is from tree worship. The Bible never connects Christmas with a tree. Still, we always set up Christmas trees in homes and public places. Why? Because tree worship was very common among the nations, and it influenced Christian practice. Maypole, the celebration of Spring in Germany by setting up a tree on the 1st of May, is another remnant of tree worship. The midsummer pole of Sweden is very similar to the maypole but is celebrated in June. Santa Claus is another example of animism in Christianity. Even though Saint Nicholas is a historical figure, the image of Santa Claus as an old man with a long white beard is from the Norse god Odin, who was celebrated in the midwinter festival.
Probably, the New Age Movement is how people experience animism as religion today. This syncretic religion combines everything people might find attractive, including Eastern religions like Hinduism, traditional European magic, alternative medicine, meditation, yoga, etc. So, anyone who might be interested in spirituality in the modern world can find in it something that suits them. And it is so powerful because a big part of it is from animism, which always has the power to seduce souls.
Since animism is about enjoying good things in this life, it has many methods of fortune-telling. By knowing what will happen in the future, you can avoid disaster and be ready for an opportunity. Astrology is a good example of animistic fortunetelling. It says everything that happens to us is influenced by stars because stars are higher beings than humans. When Shakespeare called Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet "star-cross’d lovers," he was reflecting the general belief in the power of stars over us in his age. The belief in astrology can be found in every nation. Even today, people read astrology charts in newspapers (or on websites). Many people believe their personality can be understood through their zodiac signs and sometimes even try to see if they are compatible with their partner through zodiac signs. However, Augustine, who lived when astrology was accepted as true, attacked it fiercely. He asked how twins, who are born under the same star and who should have the same destiny, can live differently. Also, astrology was unacceptable to him because it deprived humans of moral responsibility.
Ancestor worship, which is an important part of East Asian culture, is from animism. For many people, ancestors are almost like gods, and as they offer food for them, they ensure blessing. This basic structure of "offering food for gods to receive blessing" is clearly from animism, and Confucius has incorporated this animist practice into his system.
Even though animism was universally believed by all nations, the religions that were born in the Axial Age challenged and weakened it. The Axial Age is a term used by Karl Jaspers to describe a crucial period in history (roughly between the 8th and 3rd centuries BC) when many great thinkers appeared and taught new ideas. Key figures such as Confucius, Buddha, Socrates, Zoroaster, and the Hebrew prophets emerged during this time. When people who believed in animism encountered those new religions, they abandoned their beliefs and embraced them. It happened in regions like China, India, Persia, Greece, and Israel. Many of the religions born in this period, like Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, are still alive with many followers. Then, in the first century, Christianity was born and began to spread in the Roman Empire. Most Romans were animists, but when they encountered Christianity, they were attracted by it and became Christians. It happened so quickly (according to Rodney Stark, Christianity grew at a rate of 40% per decade) that less than 300 years after the death of Jesus, the Roman emperor Constantine embraced Christianity to gain the political support of Christians. The religion that started as a small faction of Judaism became the official religion of the empire because most Romans already felt a spiritual vacuum left by dying animism, which Christianity filled quickly. The same phenomenon happened in China, where Buddhism came from India and spread like wildfire, or in Persia, where the whole nation became Zoroastrian. It also explains how the Christian mission was so successful in the 19th century. At that time, the gospel was preached where there were many animists, and they were easily persuaded to give up animism and accept Christianity. That's how most Pacific islanders and a majority of sub-Saharan Africans became Christian. But since the 20th century, we have not had the same level of success in missions. Why? Because there are no nations of animists left, and we are preaching the gospel to the followers of the Axial Age religions or Muslims. They will not give up their beliefs easily like animists.
So, animism suffered a great defeat to the religions born later, but what really killed it was rationalism. When the animists encountered Western civilization in the 19th, they soon realized their traditional ideas about nature were not a match for the rational way of thinking. For example, it made much more sense to understand weather as the relationship of the interaction between clouds and winds rather than just the whims of the sky god. As science replaced magic, animism soon lost its power to enslave people's minds and was eventually abandoned by most people.
But a great reversal happened in the 20th century. The Westerners who lived according to materialistic ideas soon discovered that materialism didn't explain everything. Even worse, it made people inhuman. Also, materialism was blamed for destroying the connection between nature and human beings and, eventually, nature itself. To protect nature, people needed a worldview that values nature, and they found it in animism.
Today, with the decline of Christianity, many Europeans came to rediscover animism as the religion of their ancestors. For example, Druidism (a religion of the Celts in today's France and Britain) received a lot of attention and can be found in Asterix comics. J.K. Rowling, a British author, modernized sorcery in her Harry Potter novels. In the US, where anyone who was suspected of being a witch was persecuted, Halloween, a modern version of the pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead, is now a national holiday. Robert Graves, an Irish poet, novelist, and critic, found an alternative to Christianity in the Celtic religion and wrote The White Goddess to present a female goddess of animism as an alternative to the male God of Christianity. Probably, the country that expresses its tradition of animism in popular art the best today is Japan. Japan has a long history of animism, and they believe there are eight million gods in their country. Their belief in gods in nature and the connection between gods, nature, and humans is expressed in many movies by Studio Ghibli, like Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro. Kiki’s Delivery Service from the same studio is about a young witch that literally flies around on a broomstick, so it is not traditional Japanese religion about gods in nature, but European animism.
Even though there are many differences between animism and Christianity, the biggest difference is that animism exists for humans, and Christianity exists for God. In animism, the goal is for humans to gain what they want so that they might be happy. In Christianity, the goal is for God to be glorified, and everything moves for that purpose. Some people think Christianity also exists for humans. They believe if you give money to God (or to the church or the pastor), you will be blessed with money, health, and relationships. It's not true. Sometimes, believing in God means poverty, persecution, and even death.
When Jesus came on earth, he didn't teach people how to be happy. Rather, he explained who was truly blessed. And his teaching was so strange that even today, people try to ignore his teaching. According to him, the blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and the persecuted. They seem to be quite miserable people. But in fact, they are blessed people. They may not be happy and clearly not successful according to the world, but they are the people of God "from whom all blessings come," and thus blessed by definition.
The great paradox about the pursuit of happiness is that no one who pursues happiness becomes happy, but those who live their lives well eventually turn out to be happy. In the modern world, you are supposed to think of happiness when you make any decision. If it leads to happiness, you do it, while if it makes you unhappy, you avoid it. So, people don't get married or have children because it can make them unhappy by taking away their freedom, money, and energy. But do they get happy because they are single and childless? No. Many people feel only lonely and empty. But those who sacrifice a lot for their family, those who are supposed to feel miserable, are often happy. Many of them say, "Having children is the best experience of life." What is so great about feeding a baby at 3 am, going to the hospital with a sick child, arguing with them because they don't listen to you, and spending tons of money to send your children to college? But, they are obeying God who said, "Be fruitful and multiply!" (Genesis 1:28) By obeying God (and many parents are not Christians and don't think about God when they have children), they become blessed in their hard task of parenthood, and eventually they find happiness in their family life.
When I joined the Christian organization I'm still in, my practically-minded grandfather said, "You are trying to do what only the children of rich families in the US can do!" He was right. In our organization, there is no salary, so if you are not from a rich family, life is almost impossible. At that time, my family was in a great financial problem, and they could not help me at all. So, I didn't have money. I was always hungry because I didn't have money to buy food. Of course, I am not that poor anymore, but still, I am making less than minimum wage now. It doesn't bother me. I chose to serve God out of response to his calling, and there are no regrets. And if I die a poor old man alone, there will be no regrets. I only remember how much God loves me and uses me for his glory.
Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers of the US liked the concept of the pursuit of happiness so much that they incorporated this idea into the United States Declaration of Independence, declaring “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as unalienable rights endowed by the Creator. But after more than 200 years, it looks like the pursuit of happiness only makes people less happy. The only true way to be happy is not to pursue happiness and receive it as a gift. Jesus said, "Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25) In the same way, whoever tries to be happy will not be happy, but whoever gives up the pursuit of happiness will be happy in the end.