1. The passage from 2 Corinthians shows that Paul had joy even in times of suffering and trial. 2. On a theistic, biblical worldview, there can be justification for finding meaning and purpose even when facing hardships, as well as comfort during trials. 3. On an atheistic worldview, where there is no afterlife or God, it is difficult to find ultimate meaning or justification for joy, especially in times of suffering, since life would ultimately end in annihilation for all humans and everything in the universe.

1. “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled
with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.” (2 Corinthians 7:4).
Contraryto bible critics,whodemeanit,the Bible issuchabook thatdeclaresandgivesproper
rationale thatthere couldbe positive inthe midstof negativecircumstances,whichgivesus
hope inthe midstof them. Paul here isnot justjoyful,butexceedinglyjoyful,butnotjust
exceedinglyjoyful,butexceedinglyjoyful intribulation,asare those withhimwhoare
ministeringthe gospel toothers. He alsohascomfort insufferingandtrial,acomfortthat is
justifiedontheismandparticularlybiblical theism, butwouldn’tbe onatheism, wherethere is
not a properrationale forjoy,exceedingjoy,exceedingjoyintribulation,norcomfort. We see
here that we can have joyin trialsas a theist,more particularlyasaChristfollowerorsaved
person. Asan unbeliever/secularhumanist/atheistthere isnoreasontohave joyand there is
no reasonto have joyintribulation.If there isnoafterlife,noGod,andwe simplyare mere
molecularaccidentsinmotionproducedfromrandomnesstodescendto consciousness
randomness,nevertorememberanythingagain,eventhatwe once existed, orthere wasanus
to beginwith, whatisthe pointof having presenttemporary joyoveranything,sinceall willend
up inannihilation,includingall earthlypassions/desires/dreams/hopesandsoforth? Really,
whatis the point?Of course,youcan saywe can inventsome,butdeepdown,youknow itis
contrived,notreal if youtrulyaccept the ramificationsof atheism,where onlymaterial world
exists,andmateriallywe willdegrade like anyotherchemicalsbeingsubjecttoentropy. Of
course an atheistmaynot full acknowledge thistruthontheirworldview,butthatwouldmean
theyare beingdisingenuous,somewhatdishonestwiththemselvesinthe senseof notcomingto
full scope of whata noGod, no afterlifereallymeanstotheirexistence,whichisnoultimate
meaning,value,hope,pointtoanythingatall. Thisiswhymany atheists shuck anddive the
ramificationsof whatatheismis,simplysayingunbelief inGod, butif true,there isno
reasonable justificationforanythingspiritual,includingasoul,whichmeansthere isnoafterlife,
whichalsomeansmaterialismistrue,whichmeansall thatyouare ismere physical materials,
nothingmore withoutanyspiritual partof youressence,nosoul/spirit. Simplyput,youare a
mere moistrobot,moleculesinmotion,chemicallychargedinteractingparticles,whichwill
begintheirdisintegrationandultimate entropyto dissipatetothe dusttheycame from. That’s
all youare, earthlydust,andon atheismstardust,remnantsof a bigbang explosion,including
your thoughts,wishesandsoforth,merelychemical electricalimpulsesalongsynopsisor
materialsof tissue,we call abrain,and yourthoughtsare simplyreactionarygasfromthese
electrical impulsive charges,thustheyhave noultimatevalue,meaning,infact,the sumof all
your thoughtsisnotonlytriviallyunimportantandmeaninglessinthemselvespresently,but
theywill descend tonothingatall as well, past,presentandfuture meaninglesschemicals,
whichyouand I imagine vainlyandfoolishlythattheymatter orare trustworthy,thatwe matter
for havingthemandthere issome ultimate purpose forthem,orultimate groundstotrustin
them,whichtheirwouldn’tonsucha worldview. Sowhyjoyin anything? Whyjoyina
tribulationthatmerelywouldbe randomlyproducedeventsorrandomlyproducedpeople,who
interfere withyouhavingchemical reactionsinyourbrainof euphoricconcentrations,but
produce more depressivehormones(chemicals) thatproduce negativeemotionsorfeelingsor
downers,like adownerdrugasopposedtoupperdrugs,since all isreallya sumof chemical
reactionsthatcause suchstates. Therefore,the circumstance isnothingmeaningful, a

2. derivative of randomcausal reactions, andyourresponse isultimatelynothingmeaningful
regardlessof euphoricordepressive chemical reactions. How thencanwe have joy in
tribulations,if the tribulationisrandom, the effectsare chemical, the pointismeaninglessand
the endresultwill be annihilation? Thisiswhyexistentialistsatheistshave sodiscussedthe real
conceptof suicide asa veryreal alternative,if therereallyisnovalue andpoint,andthere
wouldn’tbe if we came from a randomlyproducedcausal reactionarymaterialprocessthathad
no aims,goals,conscience existence forcausingustoexisttobeginwith,nor the meaningless
annihilationthatwill shortlyface everyhuman,all future childrenandgenerationsandevery
livingorganism. The pointof evolutionisthatthere isnopoint. In re:to the desire tosurvive of
chemicals,there wouldn’tbe any,sowhydidithappeninthe firstplace if it couldnot have
intention? Itjustdid. We are justhere wouldbe the onlyansweronsuch a worldviewand
RichardDawkins,onthe more consistenthonestatheists,honestlyadmitsthatinregardstohis
worldview. Doesthisviewreallyjivewithreality?Notreally,butitisthe onlyhonestoptionif
there isno God and no afterlife. Sowe are justhere withoutanyintentionalityorreasonand
rhyme forus to be here,justhappenstance,nothingmore. Sowhatthenon sucha worldview?
We don’tmeananythinguntil youinventafake meaningwhichreasonablywillcome tonaught
afteryour very relatively shortlife. Tribulationisjustcircumstances (happenstance) thathave
no pointtomake youbetter,asultimatelythere isnotrue better,since there isnovalue,sono
reallygoodor bad,or right or wrong,those beinginventedfromourchemicallyreactivebrains.
Joymeansnothingbutfeel goodchemicals,whichwill soondispersemomentarily andare
triggeredeverysooftentosoonbe lostduringour shortmeaninglessexistence,thenultimately
and fullylostforeverafterourshortexistence of thislife,nevertobe regainedagain. Bestcase
scenariowouldstill notstopentropyfromtakingyouindividually,the speciesasawhole,all life,
and the universe itself,soitisjusta matterof time,butall will endinannihilisticnothingness,in
whichithypotheticallybegan. How thencanjoyor tribulationmeansomethingpositive?Ona
no God,no afterlife,material pointof view,theylogicallycan’tbe justifiedtodosuch;however,
on a theisticworldview,whereaneternal God,whoisnot temporarycreateduswithimmortal
soulsto existforever,there isjustthispossibility. The difference isone worldviewsuggests
temporal existence only,the otherhaseternal existence andonlythe latercanthere be
justificationforvalue,purpose,meaning,thushope,thusjoy,evenintribulation,if that
tribulationisworkingtowardanendtoripenus forsome positive qualityfromthe eternal God’s
perspective,andwill affectoureternal existence. Soit makesperfectsense thatPaul could
have such joyintribulation,since life meanssomethinginlightof eternity. Christbeingthe
Savior,hassavedhimfrom hell andgivenhimeternal life,all tribulationsare tomake him
godlier,whichripenshimforeternityandalsoqualifieshimtobe a betterexample andwitness
to God, whichwill drawmore people toChrist,allowingthemtohave eternal life/salvation.
Thus,it all has a point,whichallowsjoy. The pain/sufferingof thislife isnotwithoutreasonfor
the believer,foritripenscharacter,godlybehavior,makesusbetterwitnesses,helpsustocare
for people,whomatteronsucha worldview,whereasonatheismtheydon’tsince theyare
merelychemicallymoisttemporal robotssoon togoto annihilationanyhow. Lookatthe
difference of Paul’sviewinthe above versesthe existential suicidal atheists,the disparitybased
uponworldviews,one haseternitywithagoodGod whocares for the savedperson’sultimate
and eternal wellbeing,where tribulationsare means inwhichtomakesus spirituallybetter,
more godly,refine character,grow emotionally,spiritually,be conformedtoChrist,the one who

3. diedforthem,the other,whichenvisionsamaterial randomaimlessmeansof evolution,where
not onlyisthere nointelligentgoodbeing,butthere isnosoul,noafterlife,nohope for
anythingwe doto ultimatelymake adifferencetoourannihilationist’sdestinyof random
nothingness,renderingashortearthlylife meaninglessinaveryreal sense,exceptsome made
up fake,unreal meaningwe giveitduringourshortexistence.