Martinus: Livets Bog, vol. 3, sect. 910

910. The whole of terrestrial mankind has in reality come so far in this creative process that the purpose of its connection to it has become clear. Mankind's highest mental attitude is firmly directed towards the single aim of "humaneness". The fact that all its individuals do not share to the same extent the same view of humaneness, but to a great extent exhibit strongly divergent views on the subject, does not disprove humaneness as the goal of terrestrial mankind's present collective connection to and position in the great creative process. Each one of these individuals believes that they manifest those particular qualities or reveal precisely those ideas that will give mankind the true happiness that it desires. The greatest sages define the way to happiness as "belief in a godhead" and the practice of neighbourly love. Ecclesiastical Christian communities follow partly in their footsteps by also advocating neighbourly love but put more emphasis on the "mercy" and "forgiveness of a godhead" as a means of reaching the so highly desired peace and salvation, while materialistic beings deride all religiousness as "superstition" and applaud the results of intelligence as being the one and only thing that can bring salvation or world redemption. Primitive human beings on the other hand find that seeking favour with the superior forces or gods that they consider absolutely must exist behind all the phenomena in Nature is the absolutely reliable means of obtaining happiness or a better form of existence. In their eagerness, they do not even shrink from sacrificing fellow human beings in order to please the almighty Providence and so appease its possible wrath. It is the repercussions of this practice that recur in the Old Testament's sacrificing of animals in the temple. And finally we have the members of the so-called "criminal fraternity" or civilisation's "underworld". These beings also cherish the hope of a brighter existence than the one allotted to them and think that the absolutely only way of bringing it about is by using the methods of animals: the right of the strongest, cleverest and most cunning. The unwritten ideals of these beings involve brutally cutting down everything that stands in their way, whether it be a physical or a mental obstruction. Lies, deception or other forms of dishonesty as well as brute force are for them the only keys to the realm of happiness.
Terrestrial human beings thus represent greatly differing views of what constitutes the road to happiness. But common to them all is the fact that they have within themselves the conviction or the wish to attain a better existence. They are not satisfied with their present existence. They are all longing for something more perfect, for something more satisfying, than the phenomena that at present make up their existence or their fate. And it is the result of mankind's longing for a better existence that is increasingly taking the form of "humaneness" and is making this the firm goal of their highest precepts.