Why happiness and even power, like desire, are secondary goals in theological materialism

Contrary to hedonistic philosophy and relativistic postmodern philosophy, "happiness," pleasure, and even power are only a reaction to deeper materially-rooted needs. The pleasure or happiness derived from eating food is driven by the deeper requirements of successful survival, and not mere pleasure. Before pleasure is experienced there is the materially-rooted desire for pleasure, before food gives pleasure there is the materially-rooted desire for food.

Going deeper, the drive to survival and reproductive success (the sole aim according to science) is driven by the deeper need of evolving toward ascending levels of Godhood as the zenith of success and purpose in evolution. So contrary to many philosophers and scientists survival and reproductive success, happiness, and even power, like desire, are secondary goals. Naturalism in evolution can therefore include the activation toward higher evolution leading to ascending levels of supermaterial Godhood.

Contrary to St Thomas the natural impulses or instincts toward pleasure etc. are not from God, like the other natural instincts they lead to Godhood---while pleasure and the natural instincts are secondary as an aid in the drive to successful survival and reproduction, they are more importantly also a natural aid in evolving toward the ultimate success of ascending levels of Godhood.

Naturalism is religious in theological materialism. Goodness, pleasure, and power, are aspired to for the same reason: they materially evolve toward Godhood. These things do not move from the material to the spiritual, they move from the material to the supermaterial. Defining God as “spiritual” not only defames the material world it defames and blocks the material evolution to ascending levels of real Godhood.