Until I was in my 30s and went to India and Nepal and Thailand and Japan for 4 months in 1985 and 1986 with my family I would have likely said that it was necessary to believe in God to be happy.
However, after being around 500,000 Tibetan Buddhists who don't necessarily believe in God who were some of the most devout people I have ever been around in any religion I think primarily the single most important quality for happiness is:
COMPASSION FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS
This is actually the single most important thing for happiness as a human being. But, like I said before I met so many people who were Tibetan Buddhists in India and Nepal I wouldn't have believed this was true.
However, it is true that 25% of all Buddhists believe in God and that many Christian Priests and Ministers are also Buddhists simply because Buddhism isn't considered a religion by most Christians because they don't necessarily believe in God. And to Christians if you don't believe in God you don't have a religion from a Christian point of view.
So, even though I believe in God because I wouldn't have survived to be even 15 years old physically without believing in God, I still see that believing in God isn't necessary for human happiness
IF
you believe in compassion for yourself and all others.
So, however you get to compassion for yourself and all others whether this is through believing in God or not seems to work for everyone becoming enlightened on earth.
By God's Grace
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