HAVE NO RIGHT TO HAPPINESS

Do we really have a right to happiness? Are our problems circumstances, setbacks, and short comings all unjust? this is a powerful question especially since as an American I find the clause "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" flashing in my mind like a neon sign. I find it quite intriguing how Lewis plays with the question "do we have the right to happiness?". Lewis very simply states this idea, by saying if the only thing that could make me happy was to be taller, and I am short, I have somehow been scammed out of my natural, and therefore have a right to be angry. It is almost amusing how Lewis presents such a preposterous way of thinking.
One idea which struck me throughout the process of analyzing this piece was the depth of spiritual theology that can be encompassed inside this conundrum of human experience. My favorite way to explain the idea of human happiness, not even just christian happiness, is the story of Job. Here is a man, an outstanding christian, who stood on a pedistool above all others in the world. God in order to prove the love Job had allowed for the total affliction of the man. What was Job's response? It was not "How can God take away my children, family, property, ie. happiness, which was mine by right." Job's answer was profoundly "the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away." This leads to the important difference between earthly happiness and eternal happiness. Eternal happiness is found in God and Christ alone. Earthly happiness is found in material goods, and objects, and individuals. The interesting fact is that after the fall we lost the right to both. Before the fall God stated that as long as Adam and Eve obeyed and did not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they had the rights to perfectly enjoy and subdue the creation, but if the command was broken they would die and fall to suffering, and in death we can obviously have nothing.
We know of the fall and therefore the loss of both eternal and earthly happiness. Thank God that the story does not end there. What is truly amazing is that through Christ, christians can once again claim the right to eternal happiness, what a true joy.
On the principles of earthly happiness, it is important to realize that earthly happiness is but a small sample of eternal happiness delegated by God (think back to Job). An interesting idea that I like to hypothesize in my mind is that earthly happiness delegated by God in order to display and cause us to hunger fo what we really seek the fountain of eternal happiness, Jesus Christ. Which is why earthly happiness can never produce lasting contentment.
Lewis's piece focuses heavily on the worlds abuse of earthly happiness from a sexual pretension. The world uses perhaps the most powerful form of earthly happiness and pleasure to rationalize actions good or bad. What is sad, Lewis shows, is that this can only lead to degradation, impulsiveness, and loss of control.
In the end all we can do is cling to the cross, even when we are brought to our knees in the absence of earthly happiness, we remember we are embedded into the everlasting happiness of Christ.