'A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.' (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, NIV) What do you think is meant by the word 'happiness' in this passage? How does the Bible differ from the film in its description of how happiness is obtained? Try and list specific ideas or values that the Bible talks about.

In this passage, the word happiness seems to mean simple satisfaction. The Bible seems to equate happiness with simple living, no luxuries or things of that nature, just merely the bare necessities of life. This is understandable because a relationship with God does not focus on material things, but spiritual things. In The Pursuit of Happyness, happiness is shown as being obtained by hard work and constant effort to reach a goal. Chris Gardner wasn't technically "materialistic" yet in comparison to how people lived in the times when the Bible was being written, he definitely is. 

Some passages from the Bible help to illustrate the values that are appropriate for achieving happiness versus the ones that are not appropriate to achieving that end:

• The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (ESV Mark 12:31)
• And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. (Luke 6:31)
• Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:12-14 ESV)
• Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ... (Colossians 3:5-10 ESV)

It is clear with just a few passages from the Bible that the characteristics that are valued deal with not holding on to the bad things in life, and that a person should try and be the best they can be, outfitting themselves with what are labeled as "good" qualities. These qualities include humility, kindness and patience, while the "bad" include qualities along the lines of anger, hatred and being a liar. Pretty cut and dry.